Historic First: Australia and New Zealand Teams to Compete Together in Mack Masters Global Finals

Round three of Mack Trucks’ global aftersales competition, Mack Masters, has wrapped up, with two Australian teams and one New Zealand team earning their place at the Global Championship Finals in Allentown and New York this November.

In a milestone year, 2025 also marked the launch of Mack Masters in New Zealand, extending the competition’s reach across the Tasman for the very first time.

“It’s a privilege to have a New Zealand team included in this Global competition,” said Scott Holt, General Manager for Mack Trucks in New Zealand.

“Our service network through Truckstops has embraced Mack Masters, to not only showcase their passion for the brand and to compete on the world stage, but to improve knowledge and skills to better support our customers. Thus, affirming the strength of the brand and the depth of aftermarket support in New Zealand.”

This year’s competition proved fiercer than ever, with 23 teams achieving perfect scores at the conclusion of Round 3. To determine the finalists, a high-pressure sudden death round was introduced, where both accuracy and response time determined the ultimate finalists.

Barking Mack_NZ_MACKMasters.jpg ( left to right): New Zealand Barking Mack Finalists: Rainer Wichman, Posie Watts, Abbey Lewis.

Designed to sharpen aftersales expertise, foster teamwork, and enhance customer satisfaction, Mack Masters brings together dealership service, warranty, and parts professionals in a series of rigorous knowledge-based challenges. The competition culminates in the global finals, where the top teams from around the world face off in demanding, hands-on workshop tasks.

After weeks of intense competition, Australian teams, VMAC_IV+ from VCV Sydney Prestons and Night Riders from VCV Brisbane North have emerged victorious and will represent the nation on the global stage. They will be joined by Barking Mack, the inaugural New Zealand champions from Truck Stops - Whangarei, who will make their debut at the finals.

Night Riders_AUSTRALIA_2_MACKMasters.jpg (left to right): Australian Night Riders Finalists: Simon Nendick, Wanxin Lyu, Jeremy Corfield, Nitesh Chand .

Martin Jerresand, Vice President Service Market and Retail, Volvo Group Australia, said he was thrilled to see the competition continue to grow in strength and reach.

“Mack Masters is more than a competition — it’s an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to showcase the incredible depth of knowledge and teamwork across our dealer network. This year we had record registration numbers ever in Australia, and now, with New Zealand joining the competition for the first time, the excitement has reached new heights.”

Night Riders_AUSTRALIA_MACKMasters.jpg (left to right): Finalist, Wanxin Lyu; Finalist, Simon Nendick; Finalist, Jeremy Corfield; Vice President Service Market & Retail, Martin Jerresand; Vice President Mack Trucks Australia, Tony O’Connell; Finalist, Nitesh Chand.

Tony O’Connell, Vice President, Mack Trucks Australia, echoed the sentiment and expressed his pride in the finalists.

VMAC_IV+_AUSTRALIA_MACKMasters.jpg (left to right): Vice President Mack Trucks Australia, Tony O’Connell; Finalist, Christopher Powers; Finalist, Nathan Alando; Finalist, Aaron Powers; Finalist, Babu Kantamneni; Vice President Service Market & Retail, Martin Jerresand.

“Our dealerships are home to some of the most skilled and dedicated professionals in the industry, and Mack Masters is the perfect stage to showcase that. Having two Australian teams and our very first New Zealand team heading to the U.S makes this year particularly special. We’ll be cheering them on every step of the way, and we’re confident they’ll do us proud.”

VMAC_IV+_AUSTRALIA_2_MACKMasters.jpg (left to right): Australian VMAC_IV+ Finalists: Nathan Alando; Babu Kantamneni; Christopher Powers; Aaron Powers.

The Global Championship Finals will take place in Allentown and New York in November 2025, bringing together the best aftersales professionals from across the globe.