The Packer is a two-door industrial truck that appears in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online. It is manufactured by MTL in the HD Universe.
Design
3D Universe
In all of its appearances, the Packer bears resemblance to a 1986 Peterbilt 379 Car Carrier, with a single body setup (without a dedicated trailer to transport cars) and a 10-wheeled design layout.
In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the cab design is strongly similar to that of the Linerunner (albeit with larger headlights), while the rear section consists of the main chassis with side fuel tanks, guard rails with yellow-black warning patterns, various marker lights on the sides, and a set of square tail lights and license plate on the rear end. The Packer is unable to transport vehicles, as they cannot be attached, and remain stationary while the Packer simply rolls out from beneath them. However, it can be used as an ideal portable ramp to set up for stunts, as players usually approach it at speed to jump and clear walls, fences and low buildings, and to drive onto rooftops (either by jumping from or driving up the ramp to climb them) and other high places.
In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, its appearance is similar to GTA Vice City's rendition, except that it has circular headlights, vents on the sides of the hood, and four tall frames on the back, where the ramp is holding. It is possible to safely store one car on the Packer due to its ability to move the upper ramp up and down; this is done by driving it onto the bottom ramp and slowly closing the top ramp down. If the ramp goes too far down, however, the car will get crushed and explode. It can transport up to three vehicles due to the ability to elevate part of the ramp; however, cars can still roll off at sudden stops, so the player must operate it with high sensitivity to keep the cars safely in place. The truck can unexpectedly suddenly stop as if it were hit by the car(s) being carried.
Both renditions can spawn in a variety of single colors applied to the cab and rear section.
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Packer in Grand Theft Auto IV is based on a Kenworth K-100, although it shares details from 2000-era Freightliner cab-over trucks, mainly the square-shaped radiator grille.
The truck assumes a cab-over-engine design and a similar layout to its previous rendition, where the front end features a large heavy-duty bumper with a single vent in the center and numerous black details around it. The upper area is mostly predominated by a tall grille with the MTL badge on top and "V24 SUPERCHARGED" badging around the lower left corner, while the headlight units can be seen on either side of the grille, consisting of dual main units and single amber indicators below them. The uppermost area of the cab features a split windshield with black wipers and silver trim around, a central vent detail and what seem to be grab handles below, together with silver strips on either side of the grille, running down the whole cab. The sides of the cab feature long access steps and grab handles, while the doors bear silver handles and badges displaying the truck's manufacturer and name. On the upper area, the truck has large rear-view mirrors and square windows, as well as a silver detail next to the windows. The roof area features a silver visor above the windshield, dual marker lights and single trumpet horns on the frontal corners.
The rear section is predominated by the main chassis, with large fuel tanks mounted on either side and gray platforms above, while the rear end features a set of circular tail lights and large mudguards with silver badging displaying the truck's manufacturer and name. On the underside, the truck has two long exhaust pipes mounted below the chassis, while the gearbox and drive shaft can be seen connecting the rear axles, also visible from above.
The truck spawns with the traditional flatbed configuration, or with a large tanker (whose content is unknown) and the ramp configuration similar to its previous iteration, with articulated frames around the front quarters and rear. However, the ramp configuration has no utility for transporting cars or even perform stunts, as there is no extension reaching to the ground.
The Packer spawns in a variety of primary colors for most of the cab and secondary colors for the lower portions of the same. It uses a set of industrial wheels that are also shared with the Benson, the Mule and the Phantom.
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
The Packer returns to Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online; however, it assumes a completely different appearance. The Packer becomes a semi truck as oppose to a regular truck unit. The initial cab design resembles the International 4700 series as does the Stockade, although the sleeper cab configuration resembles a Mack Vision CX613. With the additional cab-mounted air deflector, the truck resembles the Mack Pinnacle CXU613, a variation of the Vision with improved roof aerodynamics. The overall model also appears to resemble a 1994 International 9000/9200.
The majority of the design is based around two existing vehicles: the Brute Stockade and the JoBuilt Phantom. A large portion of the front area of the vehicle, particularly the hood, lights and fenders are identical to the Stockade. The hood and grille lacks any badging, and the grille itself has comparatively less vertical elements than the Stockade, but the general shape remains the same. The truck also sports a new commercial bumper, and sees the removal of the hood mirrors, hood catches and the arch cladding present on the Stockade. The area surrounding the bulk head of the truck is altered, as the front is merged with the cab section of a Phantom; the split windscreen, mirrors, the cab roof, including the sun deflector, lights and horns, and the side steps and are all carried over to the Packer; however, several changes and removals have been made to the cab too: the side tanks have been removed, although the connection hole remains (albeit covered over), smaller windows have been added to the lower half of the driver and passenger doors, and the door windows have also been changed. The chrome portion beneath the doors has been made paintable, although it still has the original marker lights and rivets. Much of the sleeper cab has also been carried over, albeit having been made slightly shorter in length and raised to accommodate a new sleeper roof. Unlike the Phantom, the Packer's exhaust stacks are mounted behind the sleeper cab. A new sleeper roof also houses a small window on either side. Fuel caps have been added to the side fuel tanks. The rear bumper and fifth wheel mounting is identical to the Phantom; however, additional rear fenders have been added behind the rear tag axle.
The truck shares its cab with the Flatbed and Pounder, both also badged as MTL. The original GTA IV Packer appears as a semi-truck as the Hauler in GTA V. The truck is fitted with a CB radio, and occasional trucker chatter can be heard regardless of whether the main radio is turned on or off. The chatter will only play if playing as Trevor and in Blaine County.
The Packer spawns in a variety of single colors applied to the main body, front bumper and rear fenders, and it uses a set of industrial wheels also shared with the Benson, the Mule and the Phantom.
Current Design Gallery
Version History Gallery
Performance
3D Universe
The Packer has overall bad handling and acceleration. Unlike most other trucks, however, it has good durability, surviving many crashes but not so many explosions. It can push small cars away without restraint, but it is slow and hard to control due to its long body and wheelbase.
The Packer is powered by a large diesel engine, coupled to a 5-speed gearbox in a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. It shares the high-pitched engine sound from the Linerunner and trucks such as the Tanker and the Roadtrain.
3D Universe Overview
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 93 / 150 | 5 | Diesel | RWD | 8000 / 17637 |
| N/A | N/A | 5 | N/A | RWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Packer returns in the HD Universe, albeit much faster thanks to its powerful engine and possessing better handling due to its relatively short wheelbase. Having a good chassis, it can withstand a fair amount of crashes, and at least 2–3 head-on explosions before exploding. Having a low top speed and a lot of weight, the vehicle is very slow and is not helped by its rear-wheel-drive layout; however, it is acceptable considering its load and purpose.
The Packer is claimed to be powered by a 24-valved supercharged engine (mistakenly stylized as "V24 supercharged"), which powers the rear wheels through a 7-speed gearbox (a considerably high-yet-accurate amount), where the gear shifts are very low and ratios seem almost equal (apart from the last gear).
The 7-speed gearbox seems to be a rare use of an auxiliary gearbox in-game; a secondary gearbox working very similarly to twin-geared bikes – the secondary gearbox having less gears than the primary one, but giving the primary gearbox more potential by allowing a higher combination of gears. The same feature is found on the Phantom.
The Packer's engine sound is shared with the Fire Truck, the Trashmaster and the Ripley, not being as smooth as the Mule's nor as loud as the Phantom's.
GTA IV Overview
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engines | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 65 / 105 | 7 | N/A | RWD | 12000 / 26455 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | 24-Valved Supercharged (Badging) | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | 7 | FR | RWD (rear 4) | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
The performance of the Packer this time is stellar. The top speed is above average and the acceleration is the best out of all semis. However, like a typical semi, handling requires some braking, but not as much as one would think.
The Packer is claimed to have a 24-valved supercharged engine, according to badging, but its in-game model appears to be a single-cam V8 engine due to the spark-plug textures. It powers the rear wheels through a more conventional 5-speed gearbox, and uses a similar sound from trucks such as the Fire Truck, the Trashmaster and the Ripley.
GTA V/GTA Online Overview
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
Fuel Tank Size (litres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 75 / 120 | 5 | N/A | RWD | 12000 / 26455 | 65 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | 24-Valved Supercharged (Badging) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 9.8 Seconds | 95 / 152 | 5 | FR (rear 4) SOHC V8 (Spark-Plug Textures) | RWD (rear 4) | Cannot be observed | Cannot be observed |
 |
Speed | 64.386162% | ||||
| Acceleration | 52.499996% | |||||
| Braking | 26.666668% | |||||
| Traction | 46.969696% | |||||
Image Gallery
Variants
HaulerGrand Theft Auto V & Grand Theft Auto Online |
 (Rear quarter view) |
Although the Hauler does not appear in GTA IV, the Hauler shares a large portion of the cab with the Packer in GTA IV. |
Special Variants
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- A unique light green colored Packer appears in the mission Cop Wheels in GTA San Andreas. See this page to view the trick of getting the vehicle.
Prominent Appearances in Missions
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Just Business - A full immune Packer (although tires can still be burst) appears sometimes during the mission's chase. It explodes all touched vehicles (except a Coach) and is destroyed by riding the BF-400 on the ramp.
- Cop Wheels - CJ must steal 4 police bikes and must put them in a Packer that drives along Julius Thruway.
The Lost and Damned
- Gang Wars - A Packer may appear as a target to destroy, protected by members of the Albanian Mob.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Minisub - A Packer is used to carry the Submersible that Trevor retrieved from a ship. It comes in a black color.
- Pack Man - A red Packer is used to carry the six stolen sports cars from previous missions. Trevor, Lamar and Franklin were the occupants of the vehicle, with Trevor on the steering wheel. After the cops shows up, Trevor must evade the police while Franklin protects them in an armed JB 700.
- Driller - Any of the three protagonists must steal a Packer that is carrying a trailer loaded with the Cutter. The vehicle is parked inside a secured area, so the protagonist must be stealthy.
- The Big Score (Subtle approach) - Two Packers are used as getaway vehicles in the final part of the heist. Protagonists and a second gunner (depending on whether they were arrested by the police or not) must drive their Gauntlets inside Packers to escape.
Grand Theft Auto Online
Locations
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Parked at the InterGlobal Studios in Prawn Island.
- In front of the Vice City Port Authority in Viceport.
- Next to the eastern gate of Terminal A of Escobar International Airport.
- Very rare in Vice Point and very common in Viceport.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Usually spawns in the countryside or desert.
- Usually parked in a gas station on the western outskirts of Las Venturas near Octane Springs
- Usually seen in Ocean Docks and its vicinity, besides of other industrial areas in the state (Fallen Tree, Easter Basin, Octane Springs, LVA Freight Depot, around Hunter Quarry and Spiny Bed).
- Parked behind a building in Spinybed, Las Venturas.
Grand Theft Auto IV
- The Packer spawns at industrial areas.
- Parked near the old Sprunk Factory on Niblick Street in Tudor, Alderney.
The Lost and Damned
- Occasionally appears in Gang Wars in The Lost and Damned as a target vehicle to destroy, used by the Albanians. The truck usually appears with the ramp or tanker bed. Sometimes, during a glitch, it will generate with both tank and ramp on board.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Spawns at the Harmony Truck Stop on Joshua Road in Harmony, Blaine County.
- Commonly found on the Great Ocean Highway and eastern highways.
- Always spawns in front of Beeker's Garage in Paleto Bay.
Rewards
Grand Theft Auto IV
- After collecting all thirty cars for Stevie in GTA IV, he agrees to purchase cars from Niko Bellic, with the Packer fetching $4,000.
Trivia
General
- The Packer plays the following radio stations by default when entered:
- GTA San Andreas: K-DST
- GTA IV: Liberty Rock Radio 97.8
- GTA V & GTA Online: Blaine County Radio
- If the player is not in Blaine County, however, the car's radio randomly selects which radio station to tune into.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- The Packer can be used as a mobile car crusher. Just park a car on the lower ramp, get in the Packer, and lower the top ramp. This will crush the car parked under it, causing it to explode.
- Be careful not to place the car too close to the cab, or the Packer will explode, too. Also, be careful not to place the car too far back, as it might slide off, or cause many unexpected (and unwanted) glitches to occur.
- During the mission Just Business, the Packer is explosion proof and has unlimited weight.
- Cars being transported will flip out or fall when the player turns or brakes the truck too sharply. The reason is because the cars cannot be attached on the truck. During the mission Just Business, the truck appears hauling Sultans and in the mission Cop Wheels, it can haul four HPV-1000s. They won't fall because they are attached and scripted.
- Players can transport cars and unload them with the help of a Tractor either towing or being carried by the Packer hooked to a car that is already on the Packer. To prevent cars from immediately rolling backwards when the Packer starts moving, the upper ramp can be used to clamp the cars in place.
Grand Theft Auto IV
- A Packer with the ramp down exists in the TLAD game files, but does not spawn. [citation/verification needed]
- In GTA IV, there is a different unused ramp component for the flatbed Packer that exists in the game's internal files. This ramp component attaches to the back of the flatbed Packer. If spawned in the game, this incomplete model's solid area does not match its physical appearance because its collision detection is not properly lined up.
- If the player damages or shoots the front bumper from a Packer with the ramp attached, the bumper will not be seen hanging because of the support beams mounted on it. Instead, the turning lights will be seen moving as if they are part of a damaged front bumper. This is probably an oversight.
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
- Despite the Packer's 2-person capacity, in the mission Pack Man, it seats three people (Franklin, Trevor, and Lamar).
- The Packer's badges incorrectly refer to the engine as a "V24", where it actually means "24 valve", which is supposed to be written as "24v". This also applies to the Flatbed, Brickade and Phantom.
