twin steer and tridem drive options will
be coming with the Cat truck family,
Blood said.
Like just about everything else Cat
manufactures, Cat emphasized the
strength and durability of the truck.
The frame is constructed of heat-treated alloy steel with a 12 in. rail
size and 110,000 and 120,000 psi
yield strength. The frame length is
variable in 2 in. increments with inner
rail reinforcements available. In addition, Cat said the truck will offer a
superior turning radius.
Blood said that trucks have been in
active testing for months, but that “we
went incognito and disguised the pre-production CT660 models so no one
recognizes them as Cat Trucks.” He
said the CT660 supports a wide range
of body types, making them suitable
for applications such as aggregates,
agriculture, asphalt, concrete, civil construction, forestry, governmental, heavy
haul, landscaping, lease/rental, manufacturing, mining/quarrying, oil and
gas, paving, pipeline, public services,
recovery, road construction, refuse and
sanitation, transportation, utility, and
wholesale and retail.
“We’ve put them through a gamut
of demanding tests to validate that the
CT660’s actual performance lives up to
the high standards Caterpillar has set
for the trucks,” Blood said. “That means
testing the entire truck, from the trans-
mission and cooling system to the pow-
ertrain and suspension, and everything
in between, including steering dynam-
ics, and assembly and disassembly. So
far we’re thrilled with the CT660’s test
results. For example, cooling system
tests showed extremely positive results,
with cooling capacity exceeding the
margin the 13 L engine requires.
INDUSTRY NEWS & ANALYSIS
segment in which its brand image
is already well established and in
which it already has a passionate
customer base;
• Caterpillar’s dealer network, which
now has a range of complementa-
ry new products to sell and more
importantly service and support in
the aftermarket;
• and Navistar, which through the NC2
venture gets a lot of manufacturing
business, as well as engine exper-
tise that it can leverage in its own
engine and vehicle developments.
Nothing is guaranteed, of course,
and the other competitors in the vocational truck markets — some with
brand identities just as (bull)doggedly
iconic as Caterpillar — aren’t going
to just roll over and concede anything. Actions, as physics teaches us,
invariably prompt reactions.
More information on the new Cat
work truck will be included in an
upcoming issue of Diesel Progress. In
the meantime, ladies and gentlemen,
start your engines … dp
www.mycattruck.com
For a look at the hoopla behind
the launch, read
“PSST, HEY BUDDY, WANNA
BUY A WORK TRUCK?” at
www.dieselprogressreport.com
