Mack Trucks announced that it will continue its long-standing commitment to improved highway safety and to helping veterans find jobs in the trucking industry through its sponsorship of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) Share the Road and Workforce Heroes programs. This marks the 22nd year Mack has supported Share the Road and the fourth year of sponsoring the Workforce Heroes program, which Mack has sponsored since its inception. Mack made the announcement during the ATA Management Conference and Exhibition (MC&E), Oct. 22-25, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.
“Mack Trucks is proud to once again sponsor both the Share the Road and Workforce Heroes programs in 2023,” said Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president of sales and commercial operations. “These programs have educated thousands of people about how to safely drive on the highway with heavy-duty commercial vehicles, as well as encourage trucking industry careers for those who have already dedicated their lives to serving our country.”
A Mack Anthem® 70-inch Stand Up sleeper model, equipped with all of the latest safety technologies and donated by Mack, is utilized in both programs. Share the Road educates motorists how to safely drive alongside heavy-duty vehicles on our nation’s roadways. The professional drivers participating in the program rank among the best drivers in the trucking industry with many of them achieving one million or more accident-free miles.
Share the Road drivers demonstrate to the general public during stops at various locations throughout the U.S. the differences between heavy-duty trucks and passenger vehicles, while also explaining stopping distances and blind spots. Equipped with the 13-liter Mack® MP®8 505C engine featuring 505 horsepower and 1,860 lb.-ft. of torque and a 12-speed Mack mDRIVE™ automated manual transmission, the Anthem also is spec’d with additional safety systems.
Bendix Wingman Fusion, a camera- and radar-based system that provides collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning capabilities, Mack Road Stability Advantage by Bendix, a fully electronic stability control system to help mitigate the chances of a rollover or jackknife incident, are both spec’d on the Anthem model used in both programs. These systems are standard on all Mack Anthem models.
Easily recognizable by its camouflage wrap, the Mack Anthem used in the Workforce Heroes program to recruit veterans into the trucking industry is driven by the Share the Road drivers. Drivers made stops at schools, career fairs and military bases. The Workforce Heroes Anthem model is equipped with a Mack MP8HE-415SE engine with 415 horsepower and 1,660 lb.-ft. of torque and the Mack mDRIVE automated manual transmission. The Mack mDRIVE is standard on all Anthem models, enabling drivers to remain focused on driving, rather than shifting gears.