ALLENTOWN, PA (Jan. 23, 2025) – Mack Defense today announced that the U.S.
military has ordered 103 Mack Defense M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDTs).
The additional vehicles are part of the previously announced firm-fixed price $296
million contract over seven years that the Army awarded Mack Defense in 2018, which
allows for up to 683 trucks. For this new order, 74 HDTs will be purchased from the
presidential budget and 29 are being purchased by the National Guard.
The HDTs play a vital role in construction and upkeep of infrastructure assets,
including airfields, roadways, landing strips, supply facilities and motor pools.
“Our military continues to field Mack HDTs into various operations around the
world, so these vehicles have been put to the test and continue to meet demanding
requirements,” said Dave Hartzell, president of Mack Defense. “For that reason, the
Army, Army Reserve and the Army National Guard continue to invest in these modern
HDTs to ensure our soldiers have the right truck with the highest level of capabilities
needed to ensure mission success.”
The Army previously had ordered 446 HDTs, which are based on the
commercially available Mack® Granite® model but spec’d with heavier-duty rear axles,
all-wheel drive, increased suspension ride height and other ruggedized features to meet
the unique requirements of the U.S. military.
The Mack Granite HDT model features advanced technology including ABS,
modern control interfaces for user-friendly operation, and active safety systems.
Compared to older Army HDT models, these modern features and improved
sustainability were key factors in the Army’s investment in these new HDTs, according
to Hartzell. Both the Mack Granite-based HDTs and the production line at the Mack
Experience Center (MEC) in Allentown, Pennsylvania have undergone rigorous
inspection by government quality auditors to ensure these mission-critical trucks
exceed expectations.
Production of the HDTs at the MEC began in Q1 2021, following an investment of
$6.5 million to create a dedicated HDT production line at the facility. The production
line helps fulfill the M917A3 contract, while allowing Mack Defense to produce other
vehicle variants.
The production line in the MEC is in Mack’s former Customer Adaptation Center,
where vehicle modifications occurred. The Customer Adaptation Center has since moved
to Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) in Macungie, Pennsylvania, where all Mack
Class 8 vehicles for North America and export are assembled.
CAPTION: Mack Defense today announced that the U.S. military has ordered 103 Mack
Defense M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDTs).
CAPTION: Mack Defense, a subsidiary of Mack Trucks, provides the world’s finest vehicles to the US military and allied militaries worldwide.
Mack Defense, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mack Trucks, is responsible for the sale of heavy-duty trucks to federal- and ministerial-level customers globally. For more information, please visit mackdefense.org.
Mack Defense, LLC, is part of the Volvo Group, which is driving prosperity through transport solutions by offering trucks, buses, construction equipment, power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing and services that increase customer uptime and productivity. Founded in 1927, the Volvo Group is committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions. The Volvo Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs about 100,000 people and serves customers in more than 190 markets. In 2022, net sales amounted to about $47 billion. Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. For more information, please visit www.volvogroup.com.
This effort was sponsored by the U.S. Government under Other Transaction Authority number W15QKN-17-9-1025 with the National Advanced Mobility Consortium, Inc. (NAMC). Reference herein to any specific commercial company, product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or the Department of the Army (DA). The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government, the DA, or the National Advanced Mobility Consortium, Inc., and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. For more information, please visit www.namcconsortium.org.