Here's what you need to know
- Mack's new Granite interior was developed with the help of 30 professional drivers and Virginia Tech University.
- It features tough materials, such as metal door handles and a accessory/grab bar.
- Available features such as an air shock seat with heating, cooling and massage further reduce driver fatigue.
Mack Trucks says the cab of the new Mack Granite is built around the drive and how vocational work is actually done.
"Drivers are the heart of every vocational operation, and they are getting harder to find and harder to keep," says Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. "With the all-new Granite, we set out to build a cab that drivers want to come back to every day. From the additional shoulder room and premium seating options to class-leading steering and ride technologies, every element of this truck reflects our commitment to the men and women behind the wheel."
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The cab was developed with input from more than 30 professional drivers at a Virginia Tech clinic in Blacksburg, Va. Drivers without knowledge of the Mack brand rated prototypes and provided feedback on ergonomics, control placement and availability. Mack says several interior features came from that experience, including a reinforced accessory rail across the top of the instrument panel, providing a sturdy mounting surface for electronic logging devices and serving as a grab bar to help drivers pull themselves up and out of the seat.
The Granite's human-machine interface (HMI) switches were designed for visibility and ergonomics. The truck has a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, the Mack CoPilot Display, paired with an optional 9-inch secondary infotainment screen on the dash panel.
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A flat-bottomed steering wheel created more knee room and features a standard driver-side airbag and smart steering wheel buttons for infotainment, cruise control, CoPilot Display navigation, headlights and marker light interrupter switches, and phone controls.
Door panel layouts were designed to optimize downward visibility while door-mounted switches and handles are built from metal for durability. Seating is also engineered for comfort with a new seat frame to add support at the legs, back and lumbar. An optional air-shock seat adds heating, cooling and massage functions to reduce driver fatigue.
"Vocational drivers are running their trucks through some of the toughest conditions on the road, and the cab is where they spend their day," says Tim Wrinkle, vice president and product owner, vocational and medium duty, Mack Trucks. "With the all-new Granite, we focused on the details that matter most to drivers — the room to move, the controls in the right place, the seat that supports them through a long shift — and surrounded that environment with the steering, suspension and ride technologies that keep them comfortable and productive from the first job to the last."
Mack Command Steer technology is also available on the Granite and delivers up to an 85% reduction in steering effort with customizable settings for productivity and comfort. The feature is available in both axle-forward and axle-back configurations for a broader range of vocational applications. The Granite also features MaxRide Air rear suspension that's electronically controlled with eight tuned airbags to reduce driver fatigue and wear on equipment.
The new Mack Granite will be available for order later this year. Production will begin in January at the Lehigh Valley Operations facility in Macungie, Penn.
