BULLDOG SKIN

Since he joined Volvo Group Australia in 2015 Tom Chapman has held a variety of senior positions culminating in his appointment as Vice President, Mack Trucks Australia, in April 2021.

Prime Mover: 2021 was a challenging year as COVID impacted businesses and people. Two years on, what’s good about Mack?

Tom Chapman: We’ve got a lot of good things to talk about such as 60 years of manufacturing Mack Trucks in Australia, which is something we are super proud of. It’s a milestone that not too many businesses get to celebrate.

PM: Just a few months prior to you taking up the reins, the Mack Anthem was launched in Australia. How is its progress a couple of years down the track?

TC: The Anthem has been a huge success story for us and we need to act less surprised when people tell us how good it’s going for them. The fuel performance in particular is exceptional, and customers are getting fantastic results.

PM: Some people were initially hesitant when it came to the Anthem. Are the ones who took the most convincing now among the biggest advocates?

TC: Its looks were somewhat polarising when it was first launched. I think it’s a truck which looks better in the flesh than it does in the photos. And it looks even better on the road.

PM: There were people out there who weren’t sold on the looks?

TC: Purely, aesthetically-speaking, they weren’t convinced. But the fuel performance speaks for itself. Some people were not interested because of the looks, but they hear stories from other operators about the fuel results they are getting, so the word is spreading and the more you see of them on the road, the more enquiries there are. Demand is super strong.

PM: What were the reasons behind Anthem’s big presence at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show?

TC: Obviously we introduced the Anthem a few years ago and we got off to a bit of a false start because we launched it, and then shortly afterwards COVID hit and all of the launch events we had planned around the country were all locked down. We don’t need to go back over all that but we thought it was worth putting the Anthem here again to really push the point about its 34 pallet B-double capability. You can have a bonneted truck in front of a 34-pallet East Coast linehaul spec truck with a good sleeper, and have the aerodynamic benefits of a bonneted truck, along with a nice ride with its long front parabolic springs. It’s been a huge success story and we’re not done yet with this truck.

PM: What else is in store for Mack?

TC: We’ve been a very strong vocational construction and mining brand for a long time and we’re going to continue to play in that space. We’re not going to give up an inch, but this is an opportunity to really bolster our on-highway offering particularly our East Coast linehaul. The Anthem’s slippery design means it’s not a very thirsty truck. Using less fuel is a good means of being sustainable and is a great place to start.

PM: The mDRIVE transmission took a fair bit of selling initially. Is the current version getting a good reception?

TC: When we launched the Anthem project it included the massive electrical architecture upgrade which went across the entire Mack range. That took us to the next generation of mDRIVE transmissions which unlocked all the potential of features such as crawler gears. The upgrading of the electrical architecture means the engine and transmission talk to each other much faster than they ever did. The gear changes are snappier and quicker. It’s almost seamless and that is contributing to the fuel performance as well. With the launch of the Anthem, we caught up with the latest generation and the way the engine and transmission performs, is now on par with the other Volvo Group brands.

PM: The vocational side of the industry has attracted some OEMs which didn’t previously operate in that space. Does that present a threat or an opportunity?

TC: Both really. For us, the Mack Metroliner, in an agitator application, has been a tare weight champion while not compromising on durability. Others have tried to go light and they just haven’t held up like the Macks have. There is definitely an opportunity and we’ve seen a real shift towards 10x4 as opposed to 8x4 and that really lends itself well to the Metroliner. With our local manufacturing capabilities, we’ve got that flexibility to offer either pusher or tag axles, lift-up or fixed, whatever they want. We can do it all locally in the factory and there is no retro fit.

PM: Has there been a conscious effort to provide a broader mix in the Mack product line up?

TC: We’ve got all models firing on all cylinders now. Metroliner sales were quite cyclical by being linked to major customers such as Hanson and Boral leading to big year, quiet year, big year, then quiet year numbers. We are now less tied to the construction industry by being more present on the highways, and also in mining and construction. It’s a healthier mix and it’s a smarter business mix.

PM: What is the biggest challenge currently?

TC: The challenge? Just building them and getting them delivered at the moment.

Production has been very stable so that’s under control but once you build a truck it’s got to go through other workshops that are at absolute capacity to get items such as bullbars and turntables fitted. Just getting it delivered is a challenge.

PM: Does Mack’s strong heritage in this country still matter?

TC: The history in the Mack brand is so rich. People have this massive appreciation for it, so for us, to be honest, one of the challenges in my role is to get people looking forward and not reminiscing about the ‘good old days’. We are in a really good situation now and the current product line up is performing so well that people get excited about the comfort and quietness in the cabs as well as the fuel efficiency. The Mack brand is in a really good position and I think it’s going to go to new heights. As we get through the end of 2023 and into next year, I genuinely believe we’re going to go to new levels now we’ve got a healthier product mix. Fitting in front of a 34-pallet combination is what you need to do in order to play in the biggest part of that market which is East Coast linehaul. We are definitely there now.