Assembly of the Mack mDRIVE automated manual transmission has begun at the Hagerstown MD powertrain facility where Mack powertrain components have been assembled since 1961.
“Expanding our manufacturing activities in the United States is important to Mack,” said Kevin Flaherty, president of Mack Trucks North American Sales & Marketing. “Bringing mDRIVE assembly to the Hagerstown facility while also meeting the growing demand we’ve seen since the transmission’s introduction in 2010 exemplifies our commitment to investing in what our customers need.”
More than a third of the highway trucks currently rolling off the assembly line at Mack’s Macungie PA truck plant feature the automated manual transmission, which is available on Mack Pinnacle model highway tractors. mDRIVE, which offers significantly improved fuel efficiency, is designed and engineered to work exclusively with Mack MP series engines as part of the firm’s Pedigree Powertrain offering—engine, transmission, and axles are all proprietary components.
US production of the transmission was made possible through an $8 million investment in the Hagerstown manufacturing plant to create a new assembly line, install necessary equipment, and train personnel. The investment also created 50 new jobs at the facility. For a video about the opening of the new AMT line and the Mack mDRIVE, visit Mack’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa_rv8-rrMo.