An axle assembly comprising: a drive pinion that is rotatable about an axis ; a transmission that includes: a set of drive pinion gears that is spaced apart from the drive pinion and is rotatable about the axis ; and a first countershaft gear set that is rotatable about a first countershaft axis , wherein each member of the first countershaft gear set meshes with a different member of the set of drive pinion gears ; and a shift collar that is rotatable about the axis with the drive pinion and moveable along the axis with respect to the drive pinion to selectively connect a member of the set of drive pinion gears to the drive pinion ; wherein the first countershaft gear set includes first, second, third, and fourth countershaft gears that are fixedly positioned with respect to a first countershaft such that the first, second, third, and fourth countershaft gears are rotatable about the first countershaft axis with the first countershaft ; and the set of drive pinion gears includes first, second, third, and fourth gears that are rotatable about the axis and that mesh with the first, second, third, and fourth countershaft gears of the first countershaft gear set , respectively; and the shift collar has a first shift collar gear and a second shift collar gear that is spaced apart from the first shift collar gear , wherein the first shift collar gear is engageable with the second gear or the third gear to selectively connect the second gear or the third gear to the drive pinion and the second shift collar gear is engageable with the fourth gear to selectively connect the fourth gear to the drive pinion . a drive pinion that is rotatable about an axis ; a transmission that includes: a set of drive pinion gears that is spaced apart from the drive pinion and is rotatable about the axis ; and a first countershaft gear set that is rotatable about a first countershaft axis , wherein each member of the first countershaft gear set meshes with a different member of the set of drive pinion gears ; and a set of drive pinion gears that is spaced apart from the drive pinion and is rotatable about the axis ; and a first countershaft gear set that is rotatable about a first countershaft axis , wherein each member of the first countershaft gear set meshes with a different member of the set of drive pinion gears ; and a shift collar that is rotatable about the axis with the drive pinion and moveable along the axis with respect to the drive pinion to selectively connect a member of the set of drive pinion gears to the drive pinion ; wherein the first countershaft gear set includes first, second, third, and fourth countershaft gears that are fixedly positioned with respect to a first countershaft such that the first, second, third, and fourth countershaft gears are rotatable about the first countershaft axis with the first countershaft ; and the set of drive pinion gears includes first, second, third, and fourth gears that are rotatable about the axis and that mesh with the first, second, third, and fourth countershaft gears of the first countershaft gear set , respectively; and the shift collar has a first shift collar gear and a second shift collar gear that is spaced apart from the first shift collar gear , wherein the first shift collar gear is engageable with the second gear or the third gear to selectively connect the second gear or the third gear to the drive pinion and the second shift collar gear is engageable with the fourth gear to selectively connect the fourth gear to the drive pinion . <EOS>