First 780hp Mack Super-Liner ready for NZ

Golden Contracting, specialists in cartage and aggregate supply, has taken delivery of the first 780hp Super-Liner for the New Zealand market, and owner Mark ‘Skip’ Golden couldn’t be prouder.

First laying eyes on the truck in the metal at Mack’s Brisbane HQ in early March, Skip had inked the deal to secure the truck without even asking the purchase price. But while he’s already sold on the power and the tough looks, he also approached the decision with a hard head for business.

“I rate trucks by their cents per kilometre over the life of the vehicle, and the Macks have consistently outperformed other brands when it comes to durability, reliability and fuel efficiency,” he says.

“We had a Trident that we ran for 550,000km before it went for a mid-life, and that cost us a fraction of what we were expecting.”

Skip cites the mDRIVE automated transmission as another high point, and something that keeps his drivers smiling too.

“Some people may call me soft for not using a manual, but I just say, ‘What are you doing to yourself?’ Why get fatigued driving when the mDRIVE can just drive you around, and with better fuel efficiency?”

Skip’s love of the brand goes way back beyond the first Mack that entered his fleet 10 years ago.

“I’ve always been a bit of a bulldog myself, so the Mack is the ideal truck for me, but there’s more to it than that,” he says.

“We go into some pretty rough off-road terrain: forestry skid-sites, farm tracks, loose metal, you name it, and the traction and high torque curve on the Macks is ideally suited for this work. If I go into some of the rough country up the top of the North Island in a Mack, I know I’m coming home that night – they’re dependable.”

Just like Mack itself, really.

“Some brands you call about service and they tell you there’s a slot in four weeks,” says Skip. “Not with Mack. You can even call reception and you’ll get put straight through to a technician who’ll solve your query.”

As for performance, the numbers tell the story.

“It’s not like we need that much power,” says Skip of the 780hp Euro 6 engine. “But it gives even better fuel efficiency, and you know if you really want to let the Big Dog out to eat then it’s there. We are more than happy to be passed on the flats, but you’d want to be checking your mirrors on the climb!”

Tony O’Connell, Vice President Mack Trucks Australia, says he was thrilled to present the truck to Skip.

“It’s a real pleasure to be able to deliver this magnificent example of Mack’s engineering skills to Golden Contracting,” he says. “This is a company that understands the true value Mack offers, not just in terms of our trucks, but the long-term relationships we build. We couldn’t be prouder to see the NZ number one 780hp Super-Liner joining the Golden Contracting stable in New Zealand.”

The sentiment was echoed by Scott Holt, General Manager of MTD, Mack Trucks New Zealand’s distributor.

“We are thrilled that the very first 780hp Mack for NZ is going into the Golden fleet, alongside their other Super-Liner,” he says. “This is certainly a reflection of the strong relationship he has with our team and the outstanding quality and performance of Mack over the long term.

“The handover of this unit at VGA in Brisbane is a pivotal moment for Mack in New Zealand, heralding the class-leading MP11 Super-Liners and Titans as they start hitting the roads. We are proud to have supported Skip and his team with this impressive Super-Liner that is purpose built for the job, and look forward to seeing it take pride of place on Skip’s Silverdale yard.”

The truck now enters a fleet alongside a brace of other Mack models helping to support roading, commercial projects and rural farms around New Zealand’s upper North Island. And with over 800 customers, it’s got a long life of hard work ahead of it.

“I hold high standards and I expect all our staff to live up to them,” says Skip. “It’s thanks to our team that we’re able to buy this Super-Liner; I couldn’t have done it by myself. You only get one shot at the game, and Mack is a big part of us getting it right.”