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Mack enhances remote over-the-air update software
Drivers will be able to leave trucks unattended during updates
Drivers can take their breaks while remote updates continue. (Mack Trucks)
Key Takeaways:
- Mack Trucks plans to launch Lock & Leave from fall 2026, allowing eligible over-the-air software updates to finish without a driver in the truck.
- The feature aims to maximize fleet uptime as connected trucks become more sophisticated and remote software updates become a standard capability.
- Pending final validation, Lock & Leave will debut on Pioneer, Anthem, Granite and Keystone models as part of Mack’s AutoSend deployment suite.
Mack Trucks plans to enhance over-the-air software updates by enabling drivers to complete revisions while no human is in the truck.
Volvo Group division Mack’s Lock & Leave enhancement is intended to maximize uptime by allowing drivers to take their breaks while remote updates continue. Updates could also be carried out overnight or at the end of a shift under the development, the company said.
Lock & Leave is scheduled to be available from fall 2026 onward, pending final validation. It will roll out first on Mack’s new or revamped models — the Pioneer, Anthem, Granite and Keystone.
Remote software updates are becoming more standard as tractors grow more sophisticated and the ability to maximize fleet uptime through the advances becomes a key selling point, particularly on new or redesigned models.
Mack is in the middle of a refresh of its entire heavy-duty on-highway and vocational truck portfolio. The overhaul is expected to be completed in 2027.
The refresh has included the launch of the Pioneer and Keystone models, plus revamps for the Anthem and Granite.
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Lock & Leave will roll out first on Mack’s Pioneer, Anthem, Granite and Keystone models. (Mack Trucks)
Mack’s ambitions for the trucks are part of Volvo Group plans to win a 25% share of the North American heavy-duty truck market by 2030. Volvo Trucks North America captured a 9.1% share of U.S. Class 8 retail sales in 2025, while Mack held an 8.7% share, according to Omdia Automotive.
Lock & Leave is part of the AutoSend automated software deployment suite. When a driver initiates an eligible software update through Driver Display Activation, he or she can exit the truck, lock it and leave. The vehicle stays on only long enough to finish installing the update, then shuts itself down.
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Mack customers began to receive remote software updates for their vehicles as standard in March 2025. AutoSend is part of the Mack Over The Air service. Over The Air was introduced in 2017.
“Mack customers measure success by how much time their trucks spend on the road,” said Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. “Lock & Leave removes another barrier to remote software updates. Drivers can start the update, finish their day, and let the truck take care of the rest.”
In June, VTNA announced similar plans to enhance over-the-air software updates for unattended VNL and VNR models in 2026. It introduced remote software updates through its Volvo Connect portal in 2025.
