54 10-4 Magazine / February 2025 The phrase “Built Like a Mack Truck” is not just a slogan, it’s a bold statement. From the time British soldiers in World War I nicknamed the Mack AC model of trucks as a “Bulldog” due to its robust design and durability, the terms tough, rugged, and venerable have since become synonymous with Mack Trucks and their prowess in the vocational market of the trucking industry. One of the most iconic, durable and popular trucks ever produced by Mack was the R-Series line of trucks. Introduced in 1965 as a replacement to the famous Mack B-Series, the R-Model was available until 1989, when it was replaced by the CH600. While the initial R-Model (R600) production had ended, other variants of the R-Model lived on and were produced over the years. Some of which include the RL (Western R with an L designating “lightweight” aluminum frame), the RS (a Western Mack with a steel frame, known as the “Value-Liner”), the RB (set back front axle version), the RD (heavy duty R model), and the RW, another Western model that replaced the RL in 1977, known as the Super-Liner. Production of the RD ended in 2003, and the RB was the last R-Series truck in Mack’s lineup until production of this model ended in 2006. For Oconto Falls, Wisconsin Milk Hauler Jerry Schroeder, Mack Trucks are not just the trucks he runs, but the trucks he loves and has operated for 42 years since he purchased his first Mack – an RS686 in 1983. “I had been operating a tri-axle 1980 Chevrolet Titan 90 with a 5,000 gallon milk tank on it that was capable of hauling 43,000 lbs. Needless to say, the truck’s specs caused me to get overweight and over axle with it pretty quick and pretty easy, so I was looking to make a change.” As Jerry continued, “I knew what I needed and knew what I wanted, but was having trouble finding a dealer that could help me spec and build the truck I needed.” After going to several dealerships in the area and talking to Kenworth, Western Star and others, Jerry made a trip down to Karstaedt’s Garage, the Mack Trucks dealer in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, at that time. “From the first moment I began talking to the salesman there, it was as though he was reading my mind and knew exactly what I wanted, which was a quad-axle set-up with a pusher and a tag axle,” said Jerry. He was so impressed with the salesman’s knowledge, Jerry ordered his first Mack, a black 1983 RS686 Value-Liner. Known as America’s Dairyland, Wisconsin ranks second in the United States in dairy production. The state has over 7,000 dairy farms that produce over 2.5 billion pounds of milk annually. Truckapedia: By Mark Harter While California is the largest producer in the U.S. based on volume, Wisconsin is the largest dairy producer in the entire country per capita. With deep roots in the Wisconsin dairy industry, Jerry’s family has been involved since the 1940s. His grandfather owned and operated a cheese factory and was also president of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association for many years. After serving in the U.S. Military and coming home from Korea, Jerry’s father James began his chapter in the dairy industry, as well. Initially he began driving a truck for his father at the cheese factory, but in 1959 he went out on his own and began hauling cream, which is a byproduct, and composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. But in 1965, James purchased his first milk route and thus began the Schroeder family’s foray into milk hauling. BUILT LIKE A MACK TRUCK
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