What Is Mack's Integrated Powertrain & How Does It Differ From Other Configurations?

Mack celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2025, with the company having built a variety of vehicles, including buses, rail cars, and locomotives, before focusing on building trucks. One of the early creations of Mack's truck business was its integrated powertrain, which has been around in various forms for more than 100 years. The modern Mack integrated powertrain consists of its MP line of engines, alongside Mack transmissions, axles, suspension, and exhaust systems.

Mack designs and builds all of these powertrain components in-house so that each is optimized for the other. This allows Mack to keep a very close eye on its supply chain, ensuring quality remains high while also helping maximize each Mack truck's performance and efficiency. As a result, the company's most frugal models boast some of the highest mpg ratings on the market, while still offering impressive hauling power.

Other truck makers often use powertrain components from different manufacturers, which limits the degree to which each part can work together for optimal efficiency. Since Mack's component ECUs have tight integration with each other, they can send a more comprehensive set of diagnostic data should anything go wrong with the powertrain. That helps Mack dealers spot the problem and get trucks back on the road more quickly than a rival truck with a non-integrated powertrain, which might need more extensive in-shop diagnostics.

Although Mack might have spearheaded the development of powertrain integration, it's no longer the only truck manufacturer that has focused on the idea. Various other manufacturers, including Volvo, International, and diesel powertrain specialist Cummins, have been working on integrated powertrains, chasing the same performance and efficiency gains as Mack. In 2024, Cummins announced a partnership with Bosch and KPIT to improve communication between powertrain components. Similarly, International launched its S13 Integrated powertrain in 2024.

Mack also hasn't rested on its laurels, unveiling new powertrains designed to boost efficiency in specific uses. One recent diesel powertrain is optimized for hauling heavy loads at highway speeds, while its medium-duty MD Electric offers a zero-emissions powertrain with a range of up to 230 miles.

It's usually easy to spot a Mack truck with an integrated powertrain, as it features a distinctive gold bulldog mascot on the hood. That bulldog is a clear indication that a particular truck differs from not only its rivals but also from other Mack trucks without the integrated powertrain, which mostly feature a silver mascot instead.