Deep within the Easton Quarry, about 30-minutes outside of Allentown, Penn., home of the Mack Experience Center, H&K Group and Mack Trucks hosted industry journalists on a true Mack Trucks experience as we got behind the wheel of a Mack Granite and Mack Anthem with Command Steer, an active steering system that adds an electric motor to the existing hydraulic steering to help reduce driver effort by up to 85% and improve driver productivity and comfort, according to Mack.
While we compile all the cool video footage from the vocational field trip, check out this hard-working photo gallery. And catch up on the Mack Trucks trucking marketing overview that also happened during the press event.
Mack Command Steer helps suppress road disturbances such as potholes (or giant jobsite holes in this case) or other surface irregularities, smoothing the steering feedback and reducing the possibility of steering wheel “kicks,” the OEM explained.
We recommend keeping both hands on the wheel, but the Mack Trucks Command Steer demo showcased just how easy it was to navigate a punishing jobsite. I barely had to lift a finger.
Command Steer confidence on display.
Mack Command Steer provides variable steering assist based on the driving situation. Multiple sensors throughout the truck monitor road conditions, driver inputs and even environmental elements, and relay those observations more than 2,000 times per second. The system’s electric motor then applies additional torque as needed to the steering, making it easier to keep the truck on the desired path.
This was real-life quarry work. H&K’s Easton Quarry and Easton Asphalt (formerly ABE Materials – Easton) have been producing a full line of construction aggregate and asphalt materials since 1984. The company noted that the underlying blue/gray limestone and dolomite at Easton Quarry yields an exceptional aggregate product that maintain various certifications by both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Departments of Transportation (PennDOT and NJDOT).
Pop quiz, hot shot: What does the gold bulldog mean?
The Mack Trucks Command Steer demo definitely made a splash. (Hey-O!) Click here for a full rundown of the Mack Granite specs. And stay tuned for our hands-on video.
