Mack Trucks, Goodyear Partner on Truck-Naming Contest

Mack Trucks launched its promotion of Goodyear’s social media contest for fans to name the Mack Granite model hauling the Goodyear Blimp. Winners will receive a certificate for a ride on the Goodyear Blimp in 2021 and an opportunity to see the Mack truck he or she named in person.

“Every Goodyear Blimp has had a name, so we decided that there should also be a special name for the durable Mack Granite hauling it,” said John Walsh, Mack Trucks vice president of marketing. “Just like mooring the massive Goodyear Blimp is an incredibly unique experience for Mack Trucks, we sought a way to reward Mack fans for their brand loyalty with an experience that would be unmatched for the winner. We are excited to see what our fans will come up with for the name.”

The contest is hosted on Goodyear’s Instagram page, where visitors are encouraged to suggest a name for the Model Year 2021 Mack Granite using the hashtag #NameTheGoodyearMack. Twice a week for three weeks, fun facts about the Mack hauler will be shared on Mack Trucks and Goodyear Blimp social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Goodyear will determine the top four selections and will then ask fans to vote for their favorite submission on Goodyear’s Twitter page.

“We are excited to collaborate with Mack to bring this fun contest to fans of these two iconic, American companies,” said Rachel Barnette, original equipment account executive for Goodyear.

The Mack Granite model used to haul the blimp was built specifically for Goodyear by Mike Bloom, director of Mack Truck Sales at Nuss Truck & Equipment, Roseville, Minnesota, as a truck-mounted mooring system, known as a mast truck. The previous system of mooring older, smaller blimps to the ground used temporarily constructed portable ground masts. Newer blimps, which are larger, require the more efficient truck-mounted option. The Granite model’s strong, durable frame is designed to stand up to heavy loads.

The truck features a Mack MP8 engine, Allison 4500 RDS transmission, Mack 180 series carriers with inter-wheel power divider and four Goodyear G278 MSD tires in size 425/65R22.5 on the front paired with eight Endurance LHD tires in size 11R22.5.