Introducing two on-highway vehicles designed to live up to the performance characteristics required in the Australian market, Caterpillar demonstrates its commitment to the on-highway sector. “For the first time ever, the power of the Cat brand is being delivered in on-highway vehicles,” says George Taylor, General Manager of Caterpillar’s Global On-Highway Division. “The launch of these trucks opens a new chapter in the history of Cat products.”
The new Cat CT610 and CT630 were developed by NC2, a joint venture between Caterpillar and Navistar. The trucks are being assembled in Tullamarine, Victoria and will be sold through a newly formed dealer network that spans Australia with more than 50 sales and service locations.
“We are proud to be bringing these new trucks to Australia, leveraging the potent combination of Navistar’s truck manufacturing expertise and Caterpillar’s powerful global network,” says Al Saltiel, president of NC2.
“The Cat CT610 and Cat CT630 vehicles are designed to address Australian customers’ unique requirements,” says Jeff Tyzack, General Manager, Sales and Marketing for Australia, referring to Cat’s “legendary reputation for reliability and durability”.
Tom Baughman, Vice President of Product Development, confirms the extensive product development effort that went into the new models. “We conducted extensive performance evaluations and competitive benchmarking to develop a product that provides improved fuel efficiency, performance and driver accommodation.”
Styled with sculpted fenders, a boldly sloped hood, sleek rooflines and streamlined cab-side shaping, the two vehicles share an aerodynamic shape that reduces wind resistance and provides an added dimension of fuel economy performance.
“These are vehicles that owners are proud to own and drivers are proud to drive,” Baughman predicts. “Owners will love the way the vehicles save money and generate profits, and drivers will love the drivability and comfort we’ve packed inside.”
In particular, he says, drivers will benefit from advanced, integrated ride and handling that is designed to reduce fatigue and improve responsiveness. Seat, cab and chassis suspensions have been integrated and tested to complement and enhance vehicle level ride and handling characteristics. In-depth ergonomic research, including detailed measurement of hundreds of truck drivers, was used to design a cab with maximum comfort, safety and productivity.
As productivity goes beyond the driver, the goal of best-in-class reliability drove every design and process improvement. “Our engineers spent a lot of time with customers mining their maintenance records and discussing the top causes of downtime,” Baughman recalls. “Every targeted system improvement has been tracked on an ongoing basis, from component testing through to vehicle testing. The goal is to ensure we provide customers a product that stands up to the gruelling and time-sensitive demands synonymous with line haul applications.”
Since durability is a critical factor in the Australian market, Tyzack has personally driven both vehicles in both single trailer and B-double configurations. “We’ve chosen a chassis package to support the higher loads, in accordance with the Australian market’s demands,” Tyzack says. “We’ve added stronger cross members, thicker frame rails, higher capacity axles and suspensions, better routing and clipping of all hoses and wires in the chassis, and stronger suspension and cab supports.”
In addition, the CT models are based on Cat’s experiences gained in comparable markets like South America, where the roads are rough, the loads are heavy and the temperatures are high. “These choices will surely be beneficial to Australian operators.”
The new vehicles are both conventional prime movers and are available in day-cab and extended-cab options.
The Cat CT610 is powered by a 470-hp Cat C13 engine. With a bumper to back-of-cab (BBC) measurement of 2.72 metres, it is targeted to 19-metre applications and has a capacity of up to 57 tonnes.
The Cat CT630 is powered by a 550-hp Cat C15 engine. With a BBC measurement of 3.10 metres, it is suitable for B-double on-highway roadtrain applications and is available in both 72-tonne and 90-tonne options.
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