Mack’s Anthem has gone regional.
The truck maker announced Tuesday it has redesigned the company’s previous flagship on-highway tractor into a dynamic, new regional haul truck.
First introduced in 2017, Mack says the Anthem has been well received in the day cab market throughout its history and this transition — “a brand-new truck from the ground up,” says Fernando Couceiro, Mack vice president of highway trucks — will enable the Anthem to further excel in that marketplace.
“The all-new Anthem represents a significant step forward for Mack and for the regional-haul segment,” says Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. “It carries the same name as its predecessor because it embodies the same values and attributes with measurable improvements but is substantially better in all aspects. The all-new Anthem delivers improvements in every area that matters to customers’ businesses: fuel efficiency, maneuverability, driver comfort, safety, connectivity and uptime. The Anthem truly is the ‘new standard of regional haul.’”
“This is a significant step forward for Mack and regional haul operations,” adds Stephen Roy, president of Mack Trucks Global.
Design changes across the new Anthem be seen everywhere.
The new truck measures 113.5 in., bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) — four inches shorter than its previous iteration — and features a new hood designed to improve visibility by up to 12 ft. The new Anthem is offered in day cab, 44-in., and 64-in., sleeper variations and is nine inches wider than its previous iteration.
Big changes are found under the hood and in the cab too. Mack says the new Anthem delivers up to 10% improvement in fuel efficiency compared with the previous model, a significant advantage for fleets looking to reduce operating costs. This can translate to approximately $5,000 in annual fuel savings per truck. The new Anthem also extends its oil change intervals from 75,000 to 90,000 miles and chassis lube intervals from 15,000 to 30,000 miles.
Inside the truck, standup sleeper options exist for drivers needing extra headroom and new wide-base seats include optional ventilation, heating and massage functions.
The Anthem also has advanced safety features, including an optional digital mirror system that eliminates traditional blind spots, a standard front airbag, and an Integrated Curtain Airbag (ICA) system. The ICA system is mounted in the overhead compartment above the driver’s left shoulder and deploys in rollover events to protect the driver from impact with side glass. Additional integrated driver assistance systems have demonstrated a 43% reduction in near-miss incidents during controlled testing.
Finally, the regional haul Anthem is loaded with technology and connected services to support drivers and fleet efficiency, such as Mack Connect, GuardDog Connect and over-the-air programming. Additionally, the recently launched MyMack driver app enables drivers to pre-heat or cool their cab, check fluid levels and monitor tire pressures from their phones.
“When we set out to design the Anthem, we had one clear objective — to create a truck that was better in every measurable way,” Randall says.
The new Anthem is available in the Mack’s truck builder now, with order books scheduled to open in late August and full production to follow in January 2026, Randall says.
Coupled with the Pioneer, the company’s newest long-haul tractor, Mack believes it is now well positioned to support the entire on-highway sector. Though the Anthem has been redesigned to maximize regional haul operations it is not a regional haul-exclusive truck, Senior Product Manager Blake Routh says, meaning picking the right model for a carrier will really come down to a customer’s desires.
“If you want to prioritize fuel efficiency, you’re going to lean toward the Pioneer. If you’re looking for maneuverability, you might lean toward the Anthem,” he says.
“Today we have this really winning combo that gives us choices. We can select and spec a model that maximizes a customer’s preferences and priorities,” adds Couceiro.
Randall agrees, adding the Anthem continues what he views as golden era of product development for the 125-year-old truck maker.
“I don’t think there’s a better time to be a Mack dealer, maybe in the history of this company,” he says.
