We are celebrating one full year of Beyond the Bulldog, and this episode is a highlight reel of the moments that defined the first season. Over the past year, the show has featured 44 guests and more than 38 hours of conversations across trucking, safety, maintenance, business leadership, history, and the people who keep the industry moving.

Mile Marker 52 is a compilation of standout clips and quotes that capture what the podcast is really about: authentic stories, practical lessons, and a deeper appreciation for trucking and the community around it. From the pride of seeing a new truck design on the road, to hard-earned business lessons, to why training and accountability matter, this episode is a quick tour through the best of year one.

In this episode, you will hear memorable moments from guests discussing:

-Building and designing Mack trucks with a focus on simplicity, purpose, and real-world function

-Growing a business the right way, including customer service, relationships, and steady expansion that matches demand

-Safety lessons that protect lives, including driver training, accountability, and the value of tools like dash cams

-The pride, culture, and legacy behind the Bulldog, and why trucking remains a strong career path for the next generation

Thank you for watching, listening, and supporting the show. We are excited for what is next, and we are just getting started. What’s next?

Tune in weekly for new episodes!

Visit the Mack Shop to use your discount code:

https://mackshop.com/

Book a virtual truck tour!

https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/

Following the launch of the all new Mack Granite and Mack Keystone, we sit down with Lukas Yates, Chief Designer at Mack Trucks, to go behind the scenes of what it takes to design a truck from the ground up. Lukas explains how Mack design is built around real world function, not styling for styling’s sake, and how every exterior decision has to deliver on visibility, durability, cooling performance, and a truck that still looks right a decade later.

Lukas shares how his passion for design started early, from Hot Wheels and Pinewood Derby cars to transportation design school, and how internships with heritage brands shaped his approach to bringing legacy forward without copying the past. He also describes the constant collaboration between design, engineering, suppliers, and leadership to balance performance, cost, and quality without losing what makes a Mack a Mack.

Lukas discusses:

-What the Chief Designer role covers, how Mack exterior and interior teams work together, and why the guiding light is always function, including visibility, ingress and egress, and cooling performance

-His path into design, from early obsession with anything on wheels to learning the craft through intense design programs and internships that pushed skill, collaboration, and creativity

-How Mack design language is built, including bold, honest surfaces, strong architecture inspired structure, and creating a timeless look that is unmistakable from a distance

-The major challenges behind Granite and Keystone, including designing for extreme vocational versatility, packaging constraints like tire sizes and lighting, integrating sensors and driver aids cleanly, and the moment of seeing a truck you designed finally launch and hit the road

This episode is a look into the mindset and teamwork behind Mack’s newest vocational lineup, and why great truck design is equal parts identity, engineering, and relentless attention to the details drivers touch every day. What’s next?

Tune in weekly for new episodes!

Visit the Mack Shop to use your discount code:

https://mackshop.com/

Book a virtual truck tour!

https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/

We sit down with Alexander Long, CEO and co-founder of Topia, a post-industrial plastics recycling company building a major operation in Burlington, North Carolina. Alexander explains what post-industrial recycling really means, why manufacturing waste is far larger than most people realize, and how Topia helps companies turn material that used to go to a landfill into something valuable again.

Alexander shares his unconventional path into the industry, from learning on the fly in a warehouse environment to building and managing sustainability programs for large manufacturers. Along the way, he lays out a clear mindset: sustainability does not have to be economically painful. In many cases, doing the right thing is also the most profitable option when you design the system correctly.

Alexander discusses:

-What Topia does and why post-industrial waste is the real hidden volume problem, including how a 216,000 square foot facility scales impact and how waste streams can become reusable products

-How he found his way into plastics recycling unintentionally, and how curiosity about process, economics, and employee ownership shaped his approach to building a business

-Why trucking is the biggest cost in a pennies-per-pound industry, how Topia relies on drop trailers, swaps, local partners, and broker relationships, and how just-in-time manufacturing demands fast, reliable service

-Practical sustainability ideas that apply to trucking and beyond, including reusable packaging, reducing disposable habits, maintenance and repair culture, and why mindset and long-term thinking are the foundation of an enduring legacy

This episode connects the dots between manufacturing, recycling, and the trucking networks that make modern logistics possible. It is a conversation about building systems that work financially, reduce waste, and still deliver on speed and reliability. What’s next?

Tune in weekly for new episodes!

Visit the Mack Shop to use your discount code:

https://mackshop.com/

Book a virtual truck tour!

https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/