Mile Marker 32 – The Last Mack at Mack Trucks: Tom Mack on Family Legacy, Quality, and a 1957 Fire Truck

We’re back at the Mack Trucks Historical Museum in Allentown, PA. This time with Tom Mack, great grandson of founder John “Jack” Mack and the last Mack family member to work at Mack Trucks. From childhood road trips spotting bulldogs on the highway to years in military intelligence and global electronics, Tom’s winding path eventually led him to the Macungie production line, where he quietly proved himself long before anyone realized his last name matched the badge on the hood. In this episode, Tom shares how centuries of wagon-making, a Titanic-era wireless set, and a deep “fix-anything” streak shaped both his life and the Mack brand. He talks about life as a flex technician and product quality auditor—test-driving brand-new trucks, chasing down rattles and brake issues, and protecting his family’s name by making sure customers get the truck they were promised. And in retirement, he’s still wrenching: resurrecting a 1957 open-cab B-model fire truck and volunteering at the museum to keep history not just polished, but running. Tom discusses: -Growing up “just a normal kid” in a very not-normal family. Playing spot-the-truck on road trips instead of punch buggy and realizing later how deep the Mack driving and mechanical instincts run. -How a Marconi wireless radio, similar to the Titanic’s set, pulled his grandfather into ham radio and Tom into electronics, leading to work on high-power vacuum tubes and radio stages for Air Force One and global semiconductor supply chains. -Coming to Mack via a job fair after a layoff. Starting on the line installing visor labels and speakers, then stepping into the “flex technician” role, filling in across the cab line and learning how an entire truck really goes together. -Moving into product quality auditing: bringing trucks back from the yard, road-testing them, chasing down odd noises and brake behavior, and using data on repeat defects to drive continuous improvement while safeguarding the Mack name. With a mix of humility, technical depth, and genuine pride, Tom shows that Mack heritage isn’t just a family story, it’s baked into how the trucks are built, audited, driven, and preserved for the next generation.

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