Mack Anthem & Pinnacle Trucks Now Come With Predictive Cruise Control With Econo-Roll

---

Mack Trucks has made its Mack Predictive Cruise Control with Econo-Roll a standard feature on all Anthem and Pinnacle trucks. (Photo courtesy of Mack Trucks.)

Mack Trucks says its Predictive Cruise Control with Econo-Roll automatically selects the optimal speed and gear strategy for the upcoming terrain and can improve fuel efficiency by 1%. The truckmaker has announced that this money-saving feature now comes standard on all its on-highway Anthem and Pinnacle models.

“Predictive Cruise is truly an engineering feat as it uses the knowledge gained from past routes to automatically adjust speed and torque when the route is again driven,” says Mack Highway Product Manager Stu Russoli. “The system can store up to 4,500 routes, offers maximum fuel efficiency, and improves total cost of ownership for customers.”

How It Works Going Uphill

Mack Predictive Cruise Control works with a truck’s mDrive automated manual transmission and onboard GPS, monitoring speed, engine load, weight, and road topography to select the best gear—and memorizes this information when the cruise control is set. Mack explains that, when approaching a hill, Predictive Cruise allows for slightly more speed, and the mDRIVE transmission maintains the highest gear possible to crest the hill, preventing downshifts if unnecessary.

Benefits Going Downhill

Econo-Roll technology disengages the driveline before a downhill descent, and when traveling downhill, Predictive Cruise Control attempts to maintain speed by softly applying the engine brake. The system recognizes hills stored in the vehicle’s memory and knows when the gradient will even out, and thus when to re-engage the driveline. Mack says Predictive Cruise Control doesn’t require a constant GPS connection, as it can recall the necessary data following a quick GPS connection to get its bearings.

Source: Mack Trucks