50,000th Truck Roles Off Line At Caterpillar Plant

Caterpillar recently produced its 50,000th rigid-frame off-highway truck—a milestone achieved at the Decatur, Illinois, plant where such trucks have been produced since 1963. Number 50,000 is a 777F, a versatile 100-short-ton-capacity (91-metric-ton-capacity) truck that sees application in heavy construction, quarry and aggregates, and mining.

“Today, our off-highway trucks move more than 50 percent of the rock in the quarry and aggregates industry,” said Bill Springer, Vice President Quarry and Specialty Industries Division. “Cat® trucks have worked on projects from thelargest hydroelectric power plant in the world at Three Gorges Dam in China to the construction of the Eastside Reservoir in California, which provides another water source to Los Angeles. Caterpillar is proud of its association with the many global projects that have brought progress through improving infrastructure. Reaching the 50,000-truck milestone shows the Caterpillar commitment to being a part of growth and development around the world.”

Caterpillar started its nearly 50-year history of off-highway truck manufacturing with the 769, which had a target payload of 35 short tons (31.8 metric tons) and was powered by a 400-horsepower (298-kilowatt) Cat engine. That single model offering has expanded to 10 models currently, and the Cat power and truck capacity has expanded beyond that tenfold increase. The biggest of the bunch is the 797F, which will be commercially available later this year. The 797F has 400 short tons capacity (363 metric tons capacity), and the C175 engine produces 4,000 horsepower (2983 kilowatts).

The original 769 model is represented in the current line by the 770, which has a target payload of 40 short tons (36.5 metric tons) and 476 net horsepower (355 kilowatts). The 50-short-ton-capacity 46-metric-ton-capacity) 772 joins the 770 in featuring a center-mounted cab for enhanced visibility and ride comfort. The 773F and 775F have 60- and 70-short-ton capacities (55- and 64-metric-ton capacities), respectively.

The 777F that marks number 50,000 is representative of the new generation of Cat trucks being manufactured in Decatur—with designs to enhance operator comfort and safety and to reduce cost per ton through superior performance, reliability and durability. The new models also feature Cat engines with ACERT™ Technology, an advanced system that combines technologies to produce responsive power while reducing exhaust emissions.

Introduced in 1974, 777 shipments represent more than 20 percent of the 50,000 milestone.
The 777 shipments follow the trend of the more recent truck models. While Caterpillar began producing off-highway trucks in the early 1960s, it wasn’t until the 1980s when production began to quickly outpace the competition. Cat produced nearly 36,500 trucks between 1980 and 2007—three times as many as the nearest competitor.

Decatur plant
All 10 models of Caterpillar® off-highway trucks are produced at the Decatur, Ill., facility—one of Caterpillar’s largest plants. The facility covers nearly 350 acres and includes 25 buildings.

Caterpillar has been manufacturing products in Decatur since the1940s, when the company supported U.S. efforts in World War II by producing engines to power tanks, then manufacturing engines and power trains for Caterpillar D7 track-type tractors. A new 908,000-square-foot plant built in 1954 was used to produce motor graders and wheel tractors. Major additions completed in 1958 and 1965 increased its size to more than 2 million square feet.

In the mid-1980s, a complete modernization led to the unique Assembly Highway, which is still used today to produce trucks. Decatur also produces motor graders and wheel-tractor scrapers.

Looking forward
The 777F that marks the milestone achievement is destined to Colombia to work in a coal mine. The Caterpillar dealer in Colombia, like all Caterpillar dealers, has developed product support capabilities that are unrivaled by competitors and will see to it that the 777F and the entire fleet continue to deliver lowest cost per ton.
“Cat is committed to remaining the leader in the off-highway truck market,” Springer said. “We’ll build on our strong foundation and leverage the technologies of today to build new trucks that offer our customers more. We’ll continue to support our existing trucks through our unrivaled global dealer network. And we’ll use the knowledge and expertise that went into our first 50,000 trucks to carry us forward as we build the next 50,000.”

Tags: 000 Trucks, 50000 Trucks, Caterpillar, Dcatur, Decatur Illinois, Illinois, Milestone, Off-Highway Truck