HEAVY-DUTY TRUCKS
With at least 23 markets seen
as applicable for the CT660,
the ability of Caterpillar deal-
ers to customize the back of
the truck for myriad uses is
critical to the new line suc-
ceeding in the competitive
North America vocational
truck markets, Cat said.
whole lot of reinforcement that’s not
on the PayStar. The beltline on the
door is totally different for two reasons — to meet that curve and how it
accents the door, plus it gave us better flexibility with the mirrors.
“Every panel we changed — the
dog house, the back panel causes
you to flow into other parts of the
truck, cab mounts, how you mount it,
where you place the air suspension.”
He noted that the cab ergonomics
was about a 50/50 split between what
the market required and what Cat
thought they could bring to the design.
“We went with all rocker switches —
that was voice of the customer input
— our machines don’t have toggle
switches or buttons,” Blood said. “They
needed to have positive detents that
the driver can feel even if they’re wear-
ing a glove. Plus, they have to be wide
enough for big fingers.
“With the instrument panel, not
too many truck drivers operate off-
highway equipment, but if they did
they would recognize the heritage.
If you looked at a model 950 wheel
loader and our truck, you’d see it —
black face, white fonts, red needles.
That was a carry-through. We use a
few off-the-shelf parts that were in
Navistar’s inventory, but for the most
part, it’s an all-new interior.”
Maybe the thing that shouts
“Caterpillar” the loudest with the new
trucks is the front hood of the CT660,
which bears a striking resemblance to
Cat’s 755k front end loader. This is no
accident, Blood said. The truck hood
design is based on the loader’s design,
reconfigured for on-highway use. To
underscore that linkage, Cat parked
a 755k loader next to the CT660 at its
ConExpo-Con/Agg exhibit.
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