In The News

Mack Granite model chosen to serve as the mast truck for the Goodyear blimp

GREENSBORO, N.C.  —  It takes a tough truck to control a massive airship while it’s not in flight. So when The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company needed a reliable, customized truck to handle mooring the latest generation of the world-famous Goodyear blimp, the company chose a Mack Granite model.

The Mack Granite model used to haul the blimp is the only one of its kind, built specifically for Goodyear when the company determined it needed a truck-mounted mooring system, known as a mast truck, rather than the previous system of mooring its older, smaller blimps to the ground. Newer, larger blimps require the more efficient truck-mounted option. The Granite model’s strong frame is designed to easily manage harsh work conditions and offers the muscle and finesse needed to haul mammoth loads as treasured as the Goodyear blimp, Mack officials said.

“Mack prides itself on being easy to do business with, and our sales force is known for working in tandem with the customer to develop the needed specification for any application,” said Stu Russoli, Mack vocational segment product manager. “The Mack Granite offers an incredibly durable base for essentially any vocational application and allows for modifications to ensure application excellence.”

Mike Bloom of Nuss Truck & Equipment, based in Rochester, Minnesota, met with Goodyear representatives at Goodyear’s headquarters in Akron, Ohio, where they discussed design options and their needs. The truck is needed to move the blimp in and out of hangars, as well as offer ground support when the blimp is not in the air, all while standing up to wind loads of as much as 78 knots (78 knots = 90 mph).

Goodyear chose a 2014 Mack Granite model equipped with a Mack MP8 engine, Mack 200 series carriers with inter-axle locking differentials and four Goodyear G278 MSD tires in size 425/65R22.5 on the front paired with eight G572 LHD tires in size 11R24.5.

The truck was built at the Macungie Cab & Vehicle Assembly facility, where all Mack models for North America and export are built. The Granite was ordered as a three-axle model but was modified by Engineered Chassis Systems, a subsidiary of the Nuss Group, which built the body, converted it to an all-wheel drive 8x8 and installed the twin steer axles.  The Mack Vehicle Option Center installed the TIREBOSS Tire Pressure Control System on the drive axles.

“The innovation associated with the new mast truck allows us the capability to efficiently operate the airship,” said Brad Crombie, global engineer for Goodyear.

Mack is one of North America’s largest producers of heavy-duty trucks, and Mack® trucks are sold and serviced through an extensive distribution network in more than 45 countries. Mack trucks and diesel engines sold in North America are assembled in the United States. Mack manufacturing locations are certified to the internationally recognized ISO 9001 standard for quality and ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems. Mack is also a proud sponsor of Share the Road, an American Trucking Associations' public information campaign aimed at enhancing the safety of our nation’s roadways.

Mack Trucks, Inc., is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service.

The Volvo Group, which employs about 110,000 people, has production facilities in 18 countries and sells its products in more than 190 markets. In 2013, the Volvo Group’s sales amounted to $41.5 billion. The Volvo Group is a publicly-held company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo shares are listed on OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and are traded OTC in the U.S.

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