Mack Trucks has made remote software updates even easier with a new Lock & Leave enhancement to Mack Over-the-Air (OTA) that allows remote software updates to complete unattended after the driver parks, locks the truck and walks away.
Rolling out first on Mack’s newest models — Pioneer, Anthem, Granite and Keystone — Mack says the new capability helps customers keep trucks current with the latest software while maximizing uptime and minimizing interruptions to daily operations.
As commercial vehicles become increasingly software-defined, updates play a critical role in delivering new features, improving performance and reliability, and supporting recalls and service campaigns. Mack says Lock & Leave enables many of these updates to happen during normal downtime, at the end of a shift, during a break, or overnight, without requiring the driver to remain with the vehicle.
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Once a driver initiates an eligible software update through Driver Display Activation, they simply exit the truck, lock it and leave. Mack says the truck stays powered on only long enough to finish installing the update, then shuts itself down. When the driver returns, it is updated and ready for work. The same is true in the shop, where a technician can start updates on one truck after another without going back to each one.
“Mack customers measure success by how much time their trucks spend on the road,” says Jonathan Randall, president at Mack Trucks North America. “Lock & Leave removes another barrier to remote software updates. Drivers can start the update, finish their day, and let the truck take care of the rest.”
Mack states OTA already gives customers one of the industry’s broadest remote update capabilities, allowing software and parameter updates to be completed directly from the truck without visiting a dealership. Over the past 12 months, Mack says it has completed more than 50,000 remote updates with a 99.99% success rate.
Through AutoSend, the company says updates are delivered proactively and can be installed during planned downtime, helping fleets stay current with minimal disruption.
Mack says Lock & Leave is expected to become available this fall, following final validation.
