Proving the Value of a New Dozer — and a Strong Partnership

Pelly Construction, an established and respected Yukon-based mining and construction company, has delivered a wide range of civil projects throughout Western and Northern Canada as well as internationally. This locally owned and family-run business has experience in large-scale mine development, operation, closure and reclamation, and the company prides itself on its award-winning health, safety, and environmental practices and commitment to responsible development of the North’s resources.

Pelly works around the clock developing mines in difficult, remote areas and has more than 30 years of experience working in every corner of the Yukon and beyond. The remoteness of the area has always been a challenge.

“To live and work in the North, you have to be able to work within isolation,” says Jennifer Byram, vice president of Pelly Construction. “We’re two days away from any major city, so we need to make sure that we’re well supported.”

Having access to parts and service is especially important, and Pelly has chosen Caterpillar and Cat^® dealer Finning Canada to fill that critical role.

“As a conduit between Cat and the customer, we’re responsible for warehousing parts to support the Caterpillar equipment that Pelly currently owns,” says Jason Steele, product and services sales manager at Finning Canada. “We’re also responsible for providing service for the sales side and on the mechanical side.”

Proving a new dozer

When it came time to choose a customer to prove its new Cat D10 Dozer, Caterpillar and Finning chose Pelly not only because of their strong relationship but also because of their location.

“Of course, Pelly came first to mind,” says Steele. “They’ve been operating up here for three decades. They’ve been operating D10s, D9s and D11s for that period of time and have a lot of experience in it. And they’re also involved in a very large project in central Yukon.”

Pelly President Keith Byram says it was an interesting experience to test a machine that wasn’t yet in production ― and the company was happy to put it through its paces. “They wanted us to work it as hard as we can, which we certainly did,” he says. The Pelly team exposed the dozer to a variety of challenging conditions, working it 24 hours a day for several months in arduous conditions.

Testing products like the new D10 with customers like Pelly, supported by Cat dealers, is an important part of the Caterpillar product development process.

The new D10 dozer was previewed at MINExpo 2021 and is expected to be available mid-2023. The new model features improvements to the drivetrain, hydraulic and cooling systems that reduce fuel consumption by up to 4% while increasing productivity by up to 3%. Greater component durability, service improvements and technology integration deliver a reduction in overall owning costs.