Mack adds second Allison transmission option for MD Series

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Updated Mar 10, 2022
Dayle Wetherell, Mack vice president
Dayle Wetherell, Mack vice president of medium-duty sales, announces the new Allison transmission option for the MD Series Wednesday at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.

Mack Trucks has expanded its vocational offering for medium-duty customers by adding the Allison 3000 RDS transmission for its Mack MD Series models. The expansion was announced Wednesday at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.

According to Mack, expanding to include the Allison 3000 RDS as an option for the MD Series was a strategic decision enabling additional options for applications that demand more power but are best suited for medium-duty vehicles. The transmission will be available in the order book next month and production in July.

“The transmission enables customers to haul more payload and use a live power PTO, both of which are critical for our customers desiring a medium-duty vehicle that can handle demanding applications,” says Dayle Wetherell, Mack vice president of medium-duty sales.

Mack previously only offered the Allison 2500 RDS for its MD Series models. The company says the Allison 3000RDS transmission offers greater versatility for customers in 4x2 refuse, tank and dump applications — areas where Wetherell says Mack’s dealer channel made inroads in 2021.

Mack MD SeriesMack says Allison 3000 RDS will be available in the order book next month and production in July.

“The dealer network is uncovering new opportunities for the MD Series,” he says.

The MD Series equipped with an Allison 3000 RDS transmission is approved at a 33,000-lb. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) for refuse and recycling applications. The Allison 3000 also allows for a live PTO for MD Series tanker trucks delivering heating oil, water, fuel and propane, and dump trucks, enabling the vehicle to move while using the PTO at the same time.

“The ability to have a direct-drive PTO is extremely important for some of Mack’s medium-duty customers because they can lift and lower a dump body while driving without worrying about what gear the truck is in,” says Tim Wrinkle, Mack construction product manager. “It’s also important for snowplows and salt spreaders that need to work at the same time.”

The Allison 3000 RDS also offers a higher Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR), enabling customers to drive the Mack MD Series model and pull utility trailers with small excavators. The Mack MD Series equipped with an Allison 3000RDS will have a GCWR of 45,000 lbs. The Mack MD Series can be spec’d to be a Class 6 with a GVWR of 25,995 lb., and a Class 7, with a GVWR of 33,000 lb.

Additionally, Mack notes both MD Series models are exempt from the 12 percent Federal Excise Tax (FET) and the Class 6 model does not require a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate for non-hazardous payloads. Available in 4x2 configurations, the MD Series features a sharp wheel cut for enhanced maneuverability in tough urban settings. The MD Series cab design has an industry-best bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) measurement of 103 in., and is supported by Mack’s extensive dealer network.

After officially hitting the market last January, Wetherell says the MD Series gained market share all year and finished at 9 percent in December and 3.7 percent for the year.

“We’ve had a pretty successful ramp up,” he says, again crediting the Mack dealer channel. “Our dealers were our best customers [last year].”

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