The Packer is a two-door industrial truck that has appeared 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.
Designed as a car transporter in the 3D Universe, it has changed in GTA V, and was designed as a semi-truck trailer. In GTA V, it can tow any truck trailer, while in GTA IV it will appear with a ramp, a fuel tank or a flatbed.
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 the games it appeared, its cab design is strongly similar to that of the Linerunner
In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, it is 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 said rooftops) and other high places. The Packer is, however, unable to transport vehicles in Vice City, as they cannot be attached, and remain stationary while the Packer simply rolls out from beneath them.
In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, its appearance is similar to Vice City's rendition, except 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 were hit by the car(s) being carried.
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Packer in Grand Theft Auto IV has a cab over engine design and is manufactured by MTL. It is based on a Kenworth K-100, although it shares details from 2000-era Freightliner cab-over trucks, mainly the square-shaped radiator grille.
In addition to the ramp that was available on previous versions of the Packer, it now comes with flatbed and tanker variations (the tanker's content is unknown). The ramp does not touch the ground, and as so, cannot be used for transporting cars, nor performing stunts. However, third-party trainers can be used to spawn in a variant with a ramp touching the ground, but performing a stunt with a non-motorcycle vehicle is nearly impossible.
Grand Theft Auto V
The Packer returns in Grand Theft Auto V. However, this time as a normal tractor trailer resembling a 2004 Freightliner Century Class 112 or the 1999 International 9400i. While the original model still appears in the game, the Hauler assumes the GTA IV Packer's appearance.
Just like the Phantom, the engine model features 8 spark-plug textures, suggesting the truck is petrol, untypical for a vehicle of this kind. The 8 spark plugs suggests the engine could only be a petrol single-cam V8.
In the game, the Packer is one of the few semi trucks available in the game, along with the Docktug, Hauler, Barracks Semi, and Phantom. It appears to be the most recent and popular civilian semi truck and is often depicted with multiple trailers attached to it.
Current Design Gallery
Version History Gallery
Performance
3D Universe
The Packer has overall bad handling, and bad acceleration, but, unlike most other trucks, has a 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.
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 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Packer returns in the HD Universe, albeit much faster and better handling. It is claimed to be powered by a 24-valved supercharged engine (mistakenly stylized as "V24 supercharged"), making it faster and much more powerful. Having a good chassis, it can now withstand a fair amount of crashes, and at least 2 - 3 head on explosions before exploding. The vehicle has 7 gears, a considerably high-yet-accurate amount. The gear shifts are very low and ratios seem almost equal (apart from the last gear). Having a low top speed and heavy weight, the vehicle is very slow and isn't helped by its rear wheel drive layout, however, it is acceptable considering its load and purpose.
The 7 speed gearbox seems to be a rare use of an auxiliary gearbox in-game; a secondary gearbox working very similar to twin-geared bikes - the secondary gearbox having less gears than the primary gearbox, but giving the primary gearbox more potential by allowing a higher combination of gears. The exact same feature is found on the Phantom in GTA IV.
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
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. It is claimed to be a 24-valved supercharged engine, according to badging.
GTA V 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
Add a photo to this galleryVariants
HaulerGrand Theft Auto V |
|---|
 The Hauler in Grand Theft Auto V. |
Although the Hauler does not appear in GTA IV, the Hauler shares a large portion of the cab with the Packer in GTA IV. |
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.
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 Spiny Bed, 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: TBA
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- A unique light green colored Packer appears in the mission Cop Wheels in GTA San Andreas.
- In GTA 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 in GTA San Andreas, 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're 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 doesn't 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 moving because of the support beams mounted on it. Instead, the turning lights will be seen moving as if were a damaged front bumper. This is probably an oversight.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Despite the Packer's 2 person capacity, in the mission Pack Man it seats 3 (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.
- The Packer has a CB radio attached, and occasional trucker chatter can be heard.
