Mack Trucks will be expanding the number of electronic control units (ECUs) enabled for Mack Over the Air (OTA) updates in its heavy-duty vocational lineup including the Mack Anthem, Pinnacle, and Granite models. The announcement was made at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s (TMC) 2023 Annual Meeting in Orlando. 

Prior to this enhancement, key powertrain ECUs were able to connect remotely to allow diagnostics and receive over the air parameter changes and updates. 

With the new configuration, the instrument cluster, vehicle ECU and body builder modules join the engine, transmission, and aftertreatment control modules in their ability to be connected via Mack OTA technology.

“We are always looking for ways to help our customers maximize their uptime and improve their profitability,” said David Pardue, vice president of connected vehicle services for Mack Trucks. “The additional ECUs with OTA capabilities double the number of vehicle systems we can monitor and update.”

What Impact Will this Enhancement Have on Truck Fleets?

The additional control modules available for remote updates enhance the customers’ ability to maximize uptime. What once required an in-person visit can now be done remotely to more ECUs and at a time most convenient for the customer.

“Mack OTA technology is constantly evolving to meet the demanding needs of our customers,” Pardue said. “We set the standard when we launched the remote update capability, and this latest expansion puts us even further ahead with the number of vehicle optimizations possible through this service.”

Mack OTA updates are free for the first two years of ownership and can be extended by subscription after that period. OTA connectivity is a feature of Mack’s fully integrated telematics platform, Mack GuardDog Connect. Customers also have access to Mack OneCall, Mack’s 24/7 customer support and Mack ASIST, Mack’s web-based service management program.

Mack OneCall agents at the Mack Uptime Center are available 24/7 to offer support to customers experiencing planned and unplanned service events, including scheduling service, repairs and software updates.

Mack began offering driver-activated OTA updates at the end of 2020, and more than 57,000 trucks are enrolled to date.