Brands Of Trucks Compared To Cars

Mack just recently got into the sleeper game? Have you never seen Convoy?

Mack just recently got into the sleeper game? Have you never seen Convoy?

That's a rather interesting statement Patrick made earlier. When did Mack get out of the OTR sleeper business?

Although not the chosen ride for the mega carriers, numerous secondaries and mid size companies have large Mack sleeper fleets. A company local to me called Venezia has been running a Mack sleeper fleet for decades.

They never got out of it. They had so many ups and downs and Mack was generally geared more towards the heavy duty side of things. They've been making sleeper trucks for decades though but they don't mass produce like say Freightliner and International and Volvo do, which is part of the reason you don't see high number fleets run them as much. In regards to WesternStar (4900's) Pete 389 and KW W9, you won't see huge fleets of those either due to the cost and from the marketing aspect that they pride those models on quality and resale value. The big fleets want cookie cutter models that they can run until the engine warranty is about up and then they trade them in. The get a big discount for ordering several hundred units at a time and while that's an ok business model for some manufacturers, it's not for others in regard to certain truck series.

That's a 57 with factory sleeper.

Mack just recently got into the sleeper game? Have you never seen Convoy?

Mack never really focused on that market until fairly recently.

They were mainly work/industrial market.

They've really tried to be more competitive in the last 5-8 years or so.

Not that they never had a sleeper model - just that you never heard a whole lot about them.

There's a few companies now that have been getting them for company driver rigs.

Rick

That's a 57 with factory sleeper.

"School Bus" sleeper. They are tiny inside.

Mack just recently got into the sleeper game? Have you never seen Convoy?

Mack never really focused on that market until fairly recently.

They were mainly work/industrial market.

They've really tried to be more competitive in the last 5-8 years or so.

Not that they never had a sleeper model - just that you never heard a whole lot about them.

There's a few companies now that have been getting them for company driver rigs.

Rick

You are overlooking the 70's and 80's. The F600, 700s and Cruiseliner were very successful OTR COE tractors that did very well for 2 decades until length restrictions reduced the need for that configuration.

They were also successful in the LTL market, ABF and Roadway (before Yellow merger) had a large number of Macks in their fleets. So did UPS, still do.

Then definitely, in the 90s tough to find a Mack factory sleeper. But overall I do agree, their niche' was always municipal, construction and quarry.

That's a 57 with factory sleeper.

Robert did you take this photo? Looks like it was at the Mack show in Macungie.

Nice shot.

You are overlooking the 70's and 80's. The F600, 700s and Cruiseliner were very successful OTR COE tractors that did very well for 2 decades until length restrictions reduced the need for that configuration.

They were also successful in the LTL market, ABF and Roadway (before Yellow merger) had a large number of Macks in their fleets. So did UPS, still do.

Then definitely, in the 90s tough to find a Mack factory sleeper. But overall I do agree, their niche' was always municipal, construction and quarry.

Old as I may be - really wasn't watching trucks in the 70's/80's. Nor was I trying to impugn Macks rep. They have been running a fair amount of day cabs, and tons of trade trucks this entire time. With the heavy market proliferation of Freightliner and the other brands - you just didn't see a whole lot of Mack sleepers on the road - and that really wasn't their marketing strategy - until fairly recently.

They've also been doing a lot in the last 5 or so years, to "direct market" themselves into large fleets. I've been seeing a few of them on the road, and there are a few companies that have added them to their fleets as "company driver" trucks (in somewhat limited numbers, no one appears to be going ALL IN) - but we're not hearing about them in the companies we discuss here on TT very much (if at all).

I was in a nice Mack sleeper a few weeks ago - driver let me have a look around. My brief impression was that they were pretty nice overall, maybe a little more "upscale feel" than the cookie cutter Volvo.

Personally - if I were buying - Mack still wouldn't be at the top of my list (or lust).

Rick

That's a 57 with factory sleeper.

Robert...couldn't see the original photo credit on my i-phone. The guy who took this photo is a very good friend of mine. It was taken at Wolcott about 15 years ago. Small world...