Army orders 99 Mack Heavy Dump Trucks

Mack Defense will deliver 99 of its M917A3 non-armored Heavy Dump Trucks (HDT) to the U.S. Army beginning in May.

Mack Defense announced that the U.S. Army ordered 99 Mack Defense M917A3 non-armored Heavy Dump Trucks (HDT) as part of the previously announced contract that could be worth up to $296.4 million over seven years between the U.S. Dept. of Defense and Mack Defense.

“This order signifies the successful testing of non-armored and armored vehicles that we conducted in 2018 and 2019,” said David Hartzell, president of Mack Defense. “We are proud that Mack Defense was chosen to fulfill the needs of the U.S. Army and support our armed forces.”

Based on the civilian Mack Granite truck, what Mack said is one of the top-selling vocational trucks in North America, the HDTs will be delivered to the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Reserve. The M917A3 HDT was spec’d with heavier-duty rear axles, all-wheel drive, increased suspension ride height and other features to meet the U.S. Army needs.

The powertrain is based on a 13 L Mack MP8 engine rated 440 hp with 1660 lb. ft. of torque. The engine drives an Allison 4500 Gen5 six-speed automatic transmission, which delivers power through Meritor Permalube RPL driveshafts to the rear axles and a Fabco TC142 transfer case for the front axle drive.

The front axle is a Meritor MX-810 suspension axle, while a Meritor P600/ProTec Series 50 rated 76,800 lb. is in the rear. Meritor also supplies the brakes, with EX+ air disc brakes in front and Meritor-Cam 16.5 x 7 in. Q+ brakes in the rear.

The U.S. Army signed the agreement last November to purchase the Mack Granite-based HDT’s after Mack Defense completed two years of successful testing by the Army of 12 vehicles at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Aberdeen, Maryland in accordance with the contract program timeline, according to John Larkin, HDT program manager for Mack Defense.

Initial deliveries of the Mack Defense M917A3 HDT will begin in May.

The new HDTs will help increase the U.S. Army’s operational effectiveness and readiness, while supporting mobility, counter-mobility, survivability and sustainment operations for the Joint Force.