The cab of Mack’s new Granite vocational truck is engineered from the ground up around the people behind the wheel.
Built around how vocational work is accomplished, the new Granite cab is the result of years of customer input, driver clinics and engineering refinement.
From a wider cab profile to a premium wide-based seat, intuitive controls and proven comfort technologies, every detail was designed to keep drivers comfortable and productive.
“Drivers are the heart of every vocational operation, and they are getting harder to find and harder to keep,” said Jonathan Randall, President of Mack Trucks North America.
“With the all-new Granite, we set out to build a cab that drivers want to come back to every day. From the additional shoulder room and premium seating options to class-leading steering and ride technologies, every element of this truck reflects our commitment to the men and women behind the wheel.”
RELATED: Mack Trucks introduces its new Granite vocational truck
The truck’s interior was developed with input from more than 30 professional drivers through an unbiased clinic at Virginia Tech, where drivers without knowledge of the Mack brand rated prototypes and provided feedback on ergonomics, control placement and visibility.
Several interior features were developed directly out of that clinic. A reinforced accessory rail runs across the top of the instrument panel, doing double duty as a sturdy mounting surface for electronic logging devices and as a grab bar that helps drivers pull themselves up and out of the seat. A metal ELD plate built into the dash provides additional reinforced mounting for secondary screens or monitors.
Intuitive HMI
The Granite’s human-machine interface (HMI) switches were designed to optimize visibility and ergonomics, creating a driver-centric command position. The Mack CoPilot display, a new 30-cm digital instrument cluster, is paired with an optional 23-cm secondary infotainment display on the dash panel, combining the precision of digital displays with the analog feel of traditional gauges and controls.
As well, a flat-bottom steering wheel creates more knee room while keeping controls within reach.
A standard driver-side airbag is integrated into the wheel, while smart steering wheel buttons provide access to infotainment, cruise control, CoPilot Display navigation, headlight and marker light interrupter switches and phone controls. These features provide a design that allows drivers to manage key truck functions without taking their hands off the wheel.
Comfort engineered
Inside the doors, the panel layout was designed to optimize downward visibility, with door-mounted control panel switches and ergonomic handles built from metal for durability.
An all-new seat frame was engineered to wrap drivers in support at the legs, back and lumbar. As well, an optional premium air-shock seat adds heating, cooling and massage functions, helping reduce driver fatigue.
“Vocational drivers are running their trucks through some of the toughest conditions on the road, and the cab is where they spend their day,” said Tim Wrinkle, Vice President, Product Owner, Vocational and Medium Duty at Mack Trucks.
“With the all-new Granite, we focused on the details that matter most to drivers – the room to move, the controls in the right place, the seat that supports them through a long shift — and surrounded that environment with the steering, suspension and ride technologies that keep them comfortable and productive from the first job to the last.”
Mack Command Steer
Mack Command Steer technology delivers up to an 85 per cent reduction in steering effort, giving drivers precise control in all conditions with customizable settings that boost productivity and comfort behind the wheel. With the all-new Granite, Mack Command Steer is now available on the new Granite in both axle-forward and axle-back configurations, a first for the model, bringing the technology to a broader range of vocational applications.
