Mack Launches Active Steering Feature, Earns SmartWay Certification
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ATLANTA — Mack Trucks announced an active steering option, Command Steer, for its Anthem models that monitors road conditions at nearly 2,000 times per second using truck-mounted sensors to help maintain directional stability, for instance, on rough roads, in high winds or during blowouts.
Mack also reported its Anthem day cab models are now SmartWay certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Command Steer system adds an electric motor to the existing hydraulic steering. Mack said Command Steer could reduce driver effort by 85% compared with traditional steering. The option will be available for order beginning in the second quarter of 2020.
Mack made its announcement Feb. 25 during a press conference at the annual meeting of the Technology & Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations.
The Mack Command Steer. (Mack Trucks)
Other aspects of Command Steer include light-effort steering at low speeds, steering wheel return-to-zero functionality during parking or other low-speed maneuvers, and better stability when on surfaces with levels of friction.
The idea for the new option was company-generated, Stuart Russoli, highway product manager for Mack Trucks told Transport Topics.
“It was something we saw coming,” he said. “It might even have been taken from automotive because if you think about automated cars and lane keeping, they have to have something like that attached to the steering gear.”
Volvo Trucks North America offers a similar system. Both Mack and Volvo are brands of Volvo Group.
Meanwhile, to achieve SmartWay certification, Mack Anthem day cab models must be spec’d with roof fairings and side shields, chassis fairings and an aerodynamic bumper option. In addition, low rolling resistance SmartWay-certified tires are required. All SmartWay-certified Mack Anthem models feature a SmartWay logo on the doorjamb.
Another recently available option from Mack is driver-initiated updates, focused primarily on transmission or engine functions for instances such as changing allowable road speeds.
Mack Over The Air allows remote software updates and the setting of vehicle parameters through Mack GuardDog Connect, Mack’s onboard telematics solution. Available beginning in the fourth quarter of 2020, the new driver-activated updates eliminate the need for coordination phone calls with Mack OneCall agents, meaning most updates can be completed in less than 15 minutes.
With driver-activated updates, approved fleet personnel will initiate onboard updates through the vehicle instrument cluster. With this new feature, updates take less time and can be performed whenever and wherever it’s most convenient, and 24/7. Although OneCall Agents are always available when needed, a call to them is no longer necessary for scheduling and activating updates. Customizable notifications and password protection are available as options.
Also via Mack Over The Air, Mack offers Mack Parameter Plus, a package that enables customers to make up to 50 parameter updates per 12-month period on all model year 2018 and newer Mack vehicles equipped with Mack GuardDog Connect. Previously, customers were limited to just two parameter updates per year as part of their Uptime contract subscription. There is no limit for Mack-initiated software updates used to continuously enhance product performance.
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