Mack unveils new line of medium-duty trucks

ROANOKE VALLEY, Va. – Along with Gov. Ralph Northam, Mack Trucks unveiled its new facility in Roanoke Valley.

The introduction of the MD Series on Thursday, Jan. 30,  was accompanied by the unveiling of a $13 million facility in Roanoke Valley. Mack says approximately 250 jobs will be created at the new location. Production of the MD Series is expected to begin in July.

“Mack Trucks is very proud to make this investment and to now offer a full lineup of Class 6 to Class 8 commercial vehicles, serving virtually every segment of the market,” said Martin Weissburg, Mack Trucks president.  “With this investment, Mack is well-positioned for future success, and we’re taking orders for the new truck beginning today.”

The MD Series is available in 4×2 configurations. The MD6 and MD7 models feature a sharp wheel cut for enhanced maneuverability for urban settings. The MD Series cab design features a short bumper-to-back-of-cab measurement of 103 inches. It matches the look and styling of the Mack Anthem as a basis for the grille and hood design found on the MD Series.

The Mack MD6, a Class 6 model, has a gross vehicle weight rating of 25,995 pounds. The MD7, a Class 7 model, has a GVWR of 33,000 pounds. Both models are exempt from the 12% Federal Excise Tax.

The new medium-duty trucks will meet the needs of trucking applications requiring dry van/refrigerated, stake/flatbed, dump and tank truck vocations, the company says. The MD6 model does not require a CDL to operate for nonhazardous payloads.

“I grew up in rural area working on cars and trucks,” Northam said during the event. “Everybody knew about Mack Trucks, a company that started right here in America back in 1900.”

More information is available at MackTrucks.com.

The announcement comes just weeks after Mack announced it would lay off 305 employees at its Lehigh Valley Operations plant in Lower Macungie Township, Pa. The Lehigh facility manufactures Class 8 trucks.

At the time of the layoff announcement, Mack spokesman Christopher Heffner said the industry is “continuing to manage through a period of excess inventory and reduced demand which necessitated the layoffs.”

“We regret having to take this action, but we operate in a cyclical market, and after two years of extremely high volumes, we have to adapt to reduced market demand,” Heffner said in an email to Land Line about the Lehigh Valley layoffs. “Our current forecast for 2020 is a nearly 30% drop in the market, and this reduction is a step in our continued adaptation to market conditions.”