How To Slot Your Dozer

Now you know why you should slot doze, but how exactly do you get started?

Most slot dozing begins with an operator dozing from front to back. When selecting a place to start, make sure you are deciding where you are going to carry the windrow.

“One of the most important parts of dozing is making sure you are using every push to its best potential,” said Sam. “Don’t push uphill, as this will wear the machine and may hinder the grade of your slope. To best keep your material on the blade, you should keep your machine in first gear when cutting and second gear while carrying, using the walls of the slot to prevent spillage.”

For new and seasoned dozer operators alike, Cat dozers are equipped with many tools to assist in everything from fuel efficiency to getting a fuller blade.

• To get the best cut length: Cat Grade with 3D allows an operator to find the best cut length when beginning a dozing job. Sam advises the best way to work is to create slots with a 1/3 slot width berm between each slot and cut front-to-back to work towards the dump site to be the most efficient.
• To get a fuller blade: Full 3D grade control manipulates the grade vertically and tilts the blade to a target design enabling the operator to hit passes as he or she works their way through the job site.
• To keep ground smooth: Cat Grade with 2D helps an operator find the target grade.
• To maneuver through the slot with ease: Blade steer allows an operator to steer with the blade by titling the blade and creating drag. This not only enables the greatest control over the dozer’s movements but also prevents track slip by maintaining power to both tracks.
• To reduce track slippage: Automatic traction control monitors how much power is going to the tracks when moving dirt, improving fuel efficiency and reducing track slippage. When paired with auto-carry, the power adjusts to the dozer’s cleats, maintaining stability, and the blade raises to maintain your grade.
• For easy grading: Slope assist monitors the slope of the blade and provides an operator with uphill and downhill dimensions so the target grade can be hit with greater ease.
• To maintain the perfect slope: Blade control is industry-first technology that monitors main fall, cross-slope angles, and grade slopes as directed by operator input, allowing for less fatigued, smoother movements.
• To control blade loading: Available for D1-D4 dozers, adjustable blade pitch controls the aggressiveness of blade loading, which allows the operator to hydraulically adjust blade pitch for the best dozing and carrying.