Mack discusses growth, new products
Oct 26, 2005 3:48 PM
Mack Trucks Inc is on a roll, according to Paul Vikner, Mack president and chief executive officer. The truck builder is coming off one of its best years, and it just introduced a new diesel engine family and updated truck products at its World Sales Conference October 23 and 24 in Las Vegas NV.
Speaking to dealer representatives from around the world, Mack executives said that Mack would sell at least 34,000 trucks in 2005, and that the US market for heavy-duty trucks will be in the range of 250,000 to 260,000. They predicted that US demand should be just as strong in 2006.
Some prebuying will occur in advance of 2007, when significant new engine emission requirements take effect. “We’re already seeing some of that,” Vikner said. “However, all of the parties are taking a more responsible approach, and we don’t expect the sort of wild swings that occurred when the 2002 engines came on the market. We don’t have any indication that fleets will stop buying trucks in 2007, like they did in 2003.”
The 2007 emission regulations are the key reason that Mack developed its first completely new diesel truck engine in 40 years. The MP7 is an 11-liter engine that will be available starting in 2006. It will be offered in six horsepower ratings ranging from 325 to 405 hp. The MP7 will be followed in 2007 by the MP8, a 13-liter engine with a range from 415 to 485 hp.
