Mack Trucks on Wednesday launched a single-rear-axle version of its Granite MHD (medium heavy duty) model, offering a Class 7 or Class 8 product for customers needing a lighter yet rugged work truck.

Displayed at the 2013 National Truck Equipment Association’s Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, the MHD 4x2 joins the tandem rear-axle model introduced in 2011. The MHD 4x2 is available now for order, said Curtis Dorwart, Mack vocational marketing product manager.

“The MHD 4x2 offers a great option for customers needing a truck tough enough to manage their daily operations, but in a lighter weight configuration to increase their return on investment,” he said. “As a Class 7 truck, it avoids the FET,” or federal excise tax of 12% of the purchase price charged to commercial buyers. 

The 4x2 will allow Mack dealers to compete for sales to contractors, public utilities, municipalities and other users who don’t need a full Class 8 capability.

Equipped with a Cummins ISL9 diesel rated at 345 horsepower and 1,150 pound-feet, the MHD 4x2 provides the power, durability and reliability that customers equate with a Mack truck, Dorwort said.

A clean back-of-cab design helps the MHD accommodate a wide variety of body options. A short bumper-to-tire distance offers front-end swing clearance and superior wheel cut for tight turning in cramped quarters.

 MHD’s galvanized steel cab is the same as that used on heavy duty Granites, he said. It’s mounted on airbags and shocks so the driver stays comfortable during his workday. The Cornerstone frame is built of high-strength steel alloy and is offered in four rail thicknesses, from 7 mm to 11.1 mm.

Two Mack Granite MHD 4x2s are displayed in booth 3529 of the Work Truck Show.

As a Class 7 truck, an MHD 4x2 avoids the 12% FET at buying time. This truck with a service body is one of two displayed in Mack’s booth at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.