“Everyone's in awe of this truck.”

Jason Donaldson recently went out on his own and bought a Metro-Liner. He’s never been happier in a truck.

After eight years driving a company’s 2008-model Metro-Liner delivering concrete around the building sites of Auckland, Jason Donaldson decided to become an owner-driver. He never thought twice about any other pand, but went straight for the 2016 Mack Metro-Liner.

“With this truck I can carry 50-100 cubic metres more each week”

“I saw the market starting to open up,” says Jason, “so I thought the time was right to go out on my own. With this truck I can carry 50-100 cubic metres more each week than the smaller trucks, and that means I can cater to the big commercial jobs all over the city.”

Having built up a relationship with the local Mack dealer over the previous decade, Jason knew what he wanted and where to get it: the biggest Mack he could find.

“They put me straight into a 10x4 Metro-Liner, and that gives me the capacity to deliver up to eight cubic metres at a time,” says Jason. “In concrete it’s all about payload, and the 10x4 gives me the maximum allowed. Plus, the more wheels you have on the road the lower the usage charges.”

Reliability is key, but fuel economy’s a bonus

Jason went to for Mack because of the reliability he’d experienced with the 2008 model. The 2016 Metro-Liner has an unexpected bonus though: fuel economy.

“I generally only fill up once a week,” says Jason, “I don’t know the exact figures, but this truck’s way more fuel-efficient than the one I was driving before. It wasn’t the cheapest agitator on the market, but with fuel economy like that it’ll pay for itself in no time.”

All the power and comfort he needs

With a 360 hp engine and all the optional extras he could fit into the cab, Jason simply loves driving his Metro-Liner.

“It’s a really comfortable truck to drive. It’s got plenty of power, the cab layout is user-friendly and you can be in it all day without an issue.”

Cab comfort is important, as Jason’s day can start anywhere between 1am and 6am, depending on when the concrete is needed, and can last 12-14 hours, depending on the speed of the pour.

“I can unload in three minutes or three hours, depending on how quickly they need it,” says Jason, “and I typically do six or seven loads a day, although it can sometimes get up to 10 or 11 if there’s a lot on.”

“The truck pays me back. It’s reliable, economical and comfortable”

Clearly a proud Mack owner, Jason keeps his Metro-Liner in full trim.

“I polish it every day,” he says, “and the truck pays me back. It’s reliable, economical and comfortable, and it carries a profitable load, so I’m pretty happy with that.”

Jason’s care and attention mean that he and his Metro-Liner have an impact everywhere they go.

“When I turn up to a building site, everyone stops to look; they’re all in awe of this truck, next to the other trucks it looks like a Rolls-Royce.”