Mack's online partners connect with important audiences

Mack^Ò trucks have been going where the work is for over a century, whether that’s moving ag equipment, hauling cross country, going into mines and quarries, and so much more. But in the 21^st century, meeting customers where they are means going into a truly untamed space — social media.

To that end, Mack Trucks has partnered with a diverse group of truck owners and enthusiasts with online presences. Their ages and occupations vary, but they have one critical thing in common — a love for Mack trucks and a desire to share that love with the world.

"By partnering with real truck owners, Mack's brand message is conveyed through voices that resonate with our audience," according to Casi McDaniel, campaign optimization manager for Mack Trucks. "These influencers bring credibility and authenticity, helping us reach real drivers and enthusiasts who value genuine connections."

The road to partnering with Mack is unique for each influencer. For example, Jamie Hagen (@hellbenthagen) never imagined he would become known for his online presence. The president of Hell Bent Xpress only signed up for social media initially to keep an eye on his then-teenage daughter’s online activity.

But as an active truck driver with plenty of free time between shifts, Hagen found himself on social media more and more, connecting with other drivers. Occasionally, he says, “I’d take a picture, think of something witty for the caption in 10 seconds, and post it.” And to his surprise, he attracted a sizable audience of fellow drivers.

Eventually, one of his followers — a member of Mack’s marketing team — messaged him and asked if Hagen would be interested in partnering with them.

“He looked at all my impressions and said, ‘You don’t have a huge following, but every single person who engages with you is a truck driver. You’re reaching a real audience; there’s no fake accounts.’ And Mack didn’t want fake numbers. They wanted to reach real drivers,” Hagen remembers. “So it was a good fit.”

Hagen says partnering with Mack has been great for business. His partnership with Mack helped give Hell Bent Xpress an added layer of validity when dealing with customers.

“When I started working with Mack, I was leased to a carrier,” Hagen says. “I struck out on my own four years ago, and my connection with Mack has always lent me a little more legitimacy. When people find out you’re affiliated, they take you more seriously. The opportunities opened up more, and that allowed me to go from having one truck when I first started with Mack to having 12 in my fleet now.”

Grayce Emmick (@thefarmergrayce), an eighth-generation farmer in Lewisport, Kentucky, says her partnership with Mack grew from a little initiative on her part.

“We’ve run Macks on our farm for as long as I can remember,” she says. “My family bought a Model R in 1991 — before I was even born — and we still run that Model R today. In fact, we just bought a second one a couple years ago so I could run one. It’s what I’ve known my whole life. They’re good trucks. And most importantly for farming, they’re never down. I guess you could say Mack’s in my blood.”

Like many other young adults, Emmick shares snippets of her daily life on social media. On a whim, Emmick reached out to Mack’s Instagram account to see whether they’d be interested in partnering with her, but she didn’t seriously expect a reply. She was stunned, then, when @macktrucks messaged back and said they were interested.

Since then, Emmick has become one of Mack’s most popular influencers, with hundreds of thousands of followers across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. It’s also grown her platform; she says her audience and content expanded from the agricultural space into the trucking industry as a result of the partnership. Emmick describes it as a dream come true to work with one of her favorite companies.

“Growing up, I was always into big equipment. When I see a Mack truck, I see power. I see strength,” Emmick says. “I mean, just looking at a Mack makes me feel powerful. And honestly, they’re just cool.”

Juan Ibarra’s partnership with Mack began when he needed to build two brand-new trucks for upcoming seasons of his Discovery Channel series Gold Rush: Mine Rescue With Freddy & Juan. He met with Chuck Wissinger, Mack’s director of field sales operation, to discuss build ideas. He was immediately impressed by the level of knowledge Wissinger brought to the conversation.

“I’ve come to see that a lot of the people involved with Mack Trucks are genuinely truck people,” Ibarra says. “When Chuck and I started talking shop—what I wanted in a truck and how I wanted it done—he was very understanding and knew exactly what I was talking about. He even presented some good ideas of his own.”

Ibarra was blown away by the resulting trucks—and he’s not the only one.

“I got new tires put on the trucks recently. Afterward, the guy at the tire shop told me that no less than 20 people stopped just to look at my trucks,” Ibarra says. “I’m very pleased with the way the trucks perform. They’re not just show trucks; they’re workshops. They perform excellently, they get great economy, and the look of the truck itself is just beautiful. They’re showstoppers.”

Ibarra, who is also the owner of Ibarra Industries, says the key to his partnership with Mack has been their shared values. He calls it a “no-brainer” to work with such a quality organization.

“Mack takes a lot of pride in what they do, what they build, and the product they produce. And that’s what we do at Ibarra Industries as well,” Ibarra says. “That’s why this partnership is a good thing. Each other’s values come out in how we operate and do business. In my book, partnering with Mack is a win-win.”