On-highway trucks and new heavy equipment from Caterpillar

Caterpillar's ConExpo-Con/Agg stand will feature the first of its all new vocational truck line. These on-road vehicles are the first fruits of the joint venture agreement signed with Navistar in June 2008. The machine on display will be the Cat CT660, a 'Class 8' truck, meaning the gross vehicle weight is above 33000 lbs (14.7 tonnes), for the US market.

Caterpillar says the trucks design is based on customer input, and that the trucks are suited to a wide variety of work. Options include a choice of cat engines to deliver between 330 hp (246 kW) and 550 hp (410 kW), and other company components on-board include the Cat CX31 torque converter style automatic transmission.

In the construction equipment sphere, many of the company's new introductions will be at the heavier equipment as a result of the new Tier 4 Interim engine emissions laws that came into force at the start of the year for 130 kW to 560 kW engines.

However, also on show will be a 64 tonne capacity G series 775 rigid dump truck, featuring an engine that complies with the next stage of regulation, the Tier 4 final laws. Also new is the H series 627 scraper, which features an interim Tier 4 engine.

The company has renewed its mid-sized wheeled loader range, and will display five new models in the K series from the 950K to the 980K, which cover bucket classes from about 2.5 m3 to 6.0 m3. These feature a brand new, more comfortable cab as well as improved fuel efficiency from the new engines.

Mid- to large-sized excavators are also affected by the new laws, and one of the new Caterpillar machines on display will be the 36 tonne class 336E, while in the grader segment, one of the latest models on display will be the 140M2 all-wheel drive unit. The latest in pavers meanwhile will be represented by the AP1055E asphalt finisher, which again features a more fuel-efficient Tier 4 Interim engine.