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Business & Tech

Mack Trucks' 'Pinnacle' is one Reason for Hiring

The new model has 'chutzpa,' reviewer says.

It was the Pinnacle that did it.

Those 300 workers to be hired as opens a second shift at its assembly plant in Lower Macungie Township in August can thank Mack’s Pinnacle model for their fortune.

“It’s got chutzpa, classic Mack styling and enhanced ergonomics that will keep the drivers in their seats and happy,” Tim Burton of Truck News wrote in a review.

Increased demand for Mack Pinnacle model highway trucks is forcing a boost in production at the 1 million-square-foot Macungie plant. Those interested in starting jobs, which pay close to $18 per hour, are urged to contact CareerLink.

Exact sales figures weren’t disclosed.

“One of the primary drivers of growing demand for our Pinnacle models is the Mack ClearTech emissions technology that's on these trucks, making them not only the cleanest in the world, but also extremely fuel efficient -- good news for the environment and our customers' bottom lines.” said John Walsh, a Mack spokesman.

The Pinnacle was introduced in 2006, but recently announced enhancements to
aerodynamics and engine offering have made it attractive, said Kevin Flaherty, Mack’s senior vice president for the United States and Canada.

The Pinnacles are built to conquer steep grades and long hauls, according to a Mack release. It maintains the option of removing the sleeper box on its sleeper models. This is a huge advantage as it extends the life of a truck and adds significant trade-in value.

“The 5 percent or more improvement in fuel efficiency we're delivering with our Pinnacle models today is a very dig deal, particularly for the highway segment of the market,” Walsh added.

“Fuel is almost always a highway customer's biggest expense -- especially with the cost of diesel in the $4 per gallon range.”

Mack’s move is only the second time in the Macungie plant‘s history that its run a second shift. Previously, it ran one for about two years starting in 2005. A slowdown in demand ended it two years later, with about 300 being laid off.

Mack, now based in Greensboro, N.C., is a division of Sweden‘s Volvo Group. It currently employs 1,030 people in the Macungie plant, including 60 new people who were hired early in May and 125 people who were rehired or recalled in October, according to a company statement.

Of course, it’s not all the Pinnacle.

The heavy-duty truck market has taken a sharp curve upwards, according to America’s Commercial Transportation (ACT) Research.

The entire truck industry has seen improved fleet financial performance, better credit availability, pent up demand from delayed equipment replacements and upgrade of truck fleets, ACT reported.

With 38,100 units ordered in April industry-wide, the heavy-duty order backlog is at a 55-month high, according to Heavy-Duty Truck magazine.

Orders in April were 31 percent over March and 157 percent over April 2010, the magazine said.

“The industry’s challenge is ramming up production,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT Research’s  president and senior analyst.

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