The Kenworth T680 and Mack Anthem are both iconic trucks that traverse America's highways. Whichever truck you're driving, you're bound by the maximum total weight limit of 80,000 pounds -- this includes the truck itself, the trailer, and all cargo on board.
This means that all fully loaded trucks on the road will top out at this number, save for a few that have special permits that let them exceed it. Because of this, we'll find that the two trucks we're looking at have almost the same capacity.
However, Mack does make a special model that allows it to carry twice the legal limit, making it the king of the road.
To understand how we reached that conclusion, let's look at the numbers that show us what these semis are capable of. First, let's check the gross vehicle weight rating or GVWR of each semi. This is set by the manufacturer and tells you how much weight the tractor can safely carry.
Since GVWR is specific to each unit, and varies depending on its configuration, we must check specific units to know their load capacity. Thankfully, some dealers publish these numbers, and the average capacity for the Kenworth T680 is around 52,000 pounds or higher. The Mack Anthem's GVWR is also often listed at around the same number.
So, if we're going to base our comparison on just the tractor alone, both trucks have essentially the same capacity. That's because both are Class 8 trucks, meaning truckers depend on these vehicles for the most demanding jobs. However, there's another metric with which we can compare these two semis -- their theoretical overall maximum weight limit.
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Which Truck Has The Higher GCWR?
This number, called the Gross Combination Weight Rating, adds the semi's GVWR to the maximum weight, including the weight of the trailer and its cargo that it can pull. Even though there's an 80,000-pound federal limit for highways, trucks can go higher. That way, they can be used for special jobs, as long as they have permits from the government.
Kenworth says that the T680 has a GCWR of around 80,000 to 82,000 pounds. This applies to the standard diesel truck, as well as the more advanced hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) and the zero-emission T680E.
The regular Mack Anthem commercial truck also has a GCWR of around 80,000 pounds. However, the company also makes special variants of the anthem that allow it to push the semi to its limits. One such example is the Mack Defense Line Haul, which is based on the Mack Anthem, but is designed for military use. This truck has a much higher 86,000-pound GVWR and a massive 160,000-pound GCWR. The company says that it's designed to carry up to 60 tons, allowing military units to carry a lot more weight.
So, technically, if we're going to base our comparison on this special model, then Mack takes the crown from Kenworth for the truck with the largest load capacity, and it's also the Mack truck with the highest towing capacity. Despite that, the Kenworth T680 is still one of the most reliable trucks out there, which is why many truckers still consider it a good truck to buy.
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