Caterpillar Inc. will unveil the first model in its full line of Cat Vocational Trucks, the Cat CT660, at CONEXPO on March 22, 2011. The Class 8 trucks will be sold and serviced exclusively through the Cat North American Dealer network, with production beginning after the show for customer delivery later in the year.
The trucks will offer custom solutions for a large variety of job applications—from moving rock and hauling trash to logging and pouring concrete.
Before Caterpillar engineers started designing, the company asked vocational truck owners and drivers what they wanted and needed from their trucks. “Our design and manufacturing has been focused squarely on making the customer input we gathered a reality,” says George Taylor, director and general manager of the Cat Global On Highway Department.
Taylor adds, “We coupled customer input with our knowledge learned from years of experience working closely with different industries to meet their heavy equipment needs to identify the ideal standard options for various industry applications. As a result, we’re proud we will deliver a line of vocational trucks that our customers want, knowing they are built for a wide variety of jobs.”
Caterpillar will offer the heavy-duty Cat vocational day cab trucks with a full range of engine ratings and torque capability options. The specs are designed for customers’ demanding applications and include a Cat CT11 engine with ratings from 330bhp to 390 bhp, a Cat CT13 with ratings from 410 bhp to 475 bhp and, coming in 2012, a Cat CT15 with ratings from 435 bhp to 550 bhp.
The Cat CX31 torque converter style automatic transmission, with three standard locations for Rear Power Take Off drive positions, will be an option for the new line of trucks. Caterpillar also offers a complete line of other OEM vocational transmission options, including Eaton manual and automated manual transmissions.
“Over the years, Caterpillar and our dealers have provided unsurpassed product support to our customers who operate our truck engines. We will continue to support the 1.6 million truck engines in operation today and leverage this support with our new vocational trucks,” says Product Support Manager Tom Eberlin.
Strategy/Dealer Development Manager Ed Cullen has been working with Cat dealers as they’ve been gearing up to support the new trucks with bumper-to-bumper service. Cullen also has been communicating truck options and features and benefits to dealerships, so they are said to be well prepared to consult with customers during the sales process.
