When Mack introduced its Anthem model in 2017, I drove it from Allentown, Penn., to Atlanta, and a year later from Asheville, N.C., to New Orleans.
Anthem was the replacement for Pinnacle axle back models that had helped Mack carve out a roughly 2% marketshare in the long-haul tractor segment. It was supposed to become the company’s over-the-road king of the road, but after eight years, the needle didn't really move. This year Mack Trucks is handing over the keys to a brand new model: the Pioneer.
Between those two drives in 2017 and 2018, I spent about a week in an Anthem covering about 2,000 miles. It was a comfortable experience. The cab was taller and quieter. Styling was cool. It was a good truck, but as Jim Collins wrote, "Good is the enemy of great."
As much as the Anthem was billed as "all new," at its core Anthem was always a gussied up CXU.
The inside
Mack designers said work on the new Pioneer model centered around the seat because that is where the driver spends most of their time. The end result is a larger seat, and one of the most premium places to sit on the market.
The cab is 8 inches wider at the B-panel (between the driver’s shoulders). That’s about 85 inches wall-to-wall and 71 inches of shoulder space. If there was a knock on the Anthem, it's that the cab felt narrow, especially for long stretches of driving. While the flat-bottom steering wheel helped, Anthem's captain's chair never felt spacious.
I got less than 1% of the seat time with Pioneer than I had with Anthem. That's not uncommon for pre-production models. I think less than 10 of these trucks existed a couple weeks ago, and a few of those were already sold. My quick trip was confined to a few laps around Mack's test track at the Customer Experience Center in Allentown.
The additional space in the Pioneer enables a wider and taller frame seat with expanded shoulder and headrest areas and armrests on both sides of the seat – a first for Mack. The larger seat is more luxurious, too, featuring a perforated material for both heating and cooling functions. It also has an integrated massage system. I’ve never had a massage while driving a semi before… until I hopped in the Pioneer.
Door-mounted HVAC louvers direct heating and cooling to the driver's shoulder area and window, improving comfort and visibility.
The door opening is 3.5 inches wider with 1 inch more head clearance, making it easier (and safer) to get in and out of the truck. The grab handles are smartly positioned and the steps feature an aggressive and deep grip. The Pioneer might be the most difficult truck on the market to fall out of.
There's an ongoing migration in trucking to include more automotive features in big trucks, and Pioneer continues that trend with not only the seat, but also a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 9-inch secondary infotainment display. The smaller screen also shows the lookdown camera for the truck's equipment with the optional camera mirror system (another Mack first).
The steering wheel tilt is air-assisted and the seat itself is easier to fine tune, making it a lot easier to dial in your preferred driving position.
The truck also gets a push-button start; transmission stalk that moves gear selection to the steering column for improved safety and better ergonomics (it was previously a push button panel on the wing); Mack's flat-bottom steering wheel that allows for easier entry and exit; wireless charging options; and a customizable switch layout that allows drivers to arrange switch banks according to their preferences.
I used the inductive charger for my iPhone on my quick drive and it worked as you would expect. If nothing else, it keeps a charging cable out of the way.
Frontal air bags are standard on the Pioneer along with Mack Protect, a new Advanced Driver Assistance System that incorporates active and passive safety technologies for commercial vehicles.
Pioneer features an advanced communications system with a ball socket joint mount for phones and navigation devices, and the structural dash extrusion provides device mounting options. An industry-first (and patent pending) ELD mounting plate provides secure placement for essential compliance equipment. A Mack-first tablet holder positioned below it accommodates iPads and similar devices.
Mack's FlexSuite is nicely appointed with plenty of headroom and a lot of storage.
The FlexSuite is nicely appointed and roomy. I'm not a tall guy (5'9"), but I could stand up in the bunk, extend my arms and still not touch the roof. There's far worse (and smaller) places to spend the night (or stream episodes of Landman) than in a Mack sleeper.
Pioneer also introduces a new integrated parking cooler as an optional upgrade. The electric auxiliary power unit (APU) uses the truck’s batteries to support cabin cooling without the need to idle the engine.
On the outside
As important as driver comfort is, truckers don't pull up to a rig and complement your sleeper mattress. It's the bling and sizzle that drawns them in.
As for looks, I'd characterize Pioneer as unique for a Mack. It's not as square as Super-Liner was, but it's more square (yet more aerodynamic) than Anthem.
Mack's iconic bulldog has been bumped off its perch on the hood and integrated into the truck’s design. Flanked by air intakes that help manage airflow under the hood, the new bulldog is now part of the truck’s performance rather than just an emblem.
Mack's bulldog has been integrated into the truck’s design, and is flanked by two air intakes that help manage airflow under the hood.
With two vents on the side, two on the hood and the radiator now unobstructed by four uppercase letters, a larger volume of air can now move under the hood, which is good for cleaner engines that burn hotter and need more cooling to run efficiently.
The headlamps include a standard defrost function that pushes hot air into the lens to prevent ice buildup. Previous LED lamp heating solutions relied on embedded wires in the lens, which were both optional and less visually appealing.
Visual appeal is going to be important for Mack reaching its goal of plus-4X long-haul marketshare by 2030. When I was a kid a local car dealer commercial introduced a character named "Granny," whose principle line was "Don't you buy no ugly truck!" And I never did, Granny.
Looks are subjective, but they're important. You get to decide if a truck is ugly or not (I like this one, personally) but the long-haul segment Mack is wanting to attack with Pioneer is the same one that still misses the Super-Liner. Looking like a Mack is important because the Pioneer is Mack’s most aggressive attempt to date to capture a significant portion of the long-haul tractor market.
Performance
The aerodynamics of the Pioneer, bundled with engine and transmission upgrades, can deliver up to an 11% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the equivalent prior model. Some of that gain (about 4% of it) comes from a new MP13 engine. You can get about 1% from the optional camera mirror system. The transmission shifts about 30% faster, too.
I didn't get enough time behind the wheel to say much about power and maneuverability, but we did pull some aggressive grades (some from a dead stop) almost fully grossed, and we handled those easily. The MP/mDrive has been one of the best drivelines in the business for a long time and, for the Pioneer, it got a little better.
Mack's Command Steer continues to be great. It gives the wheel a lightweight feel and returns itself to center – more automotive comfort nods. The electricall assisted hydraulic steering system also keeps a lot of violence out of the driver's wrists and hands, like pot holes and sudden drop offs that can cause over-correction.
The mirror camera system is an increasingly common option on heavy trucks, and they are handy in a number of conditions once you get used to the left-side screen being so close to your face.
Mack is celebrating 125 years in 2025, but they’re the ones giving us the gift, and who doesn’t love a new truck model? Is the Pioneer the model that catapults Mack from bulldog to big dog? Only time will tell. Pioneer is now available for order with production slated to kick off around early summer.
