For Release in North America: September 2012
Release Number: 318PR12
Early response to the new Cat® CT660 Vocational Truck, introduced in 2011 and on display at MINExpo 2012, has been positive. According to some of the truck’s first buyers and drivers, the new heavy-duty Class 8 truck is surpassing expectations for reliability, productivity and comfort.
Kevin Medford, owner of Medford Trucking -a mining industry company in Charleston West Virginia, has bought two Cat Trucks thus far and is planning on purchasing six more in the near future. He said, “Our drivers love them, they’re comfortable and have a lot of room. I believe if customers drive the truck, they will like it and they will buy it.”
One of the most popular aspects of the Cat Truck, according to drivers, is the Cat CX31 automatic transmission. Jimmy Fernatt, a driver for Medford Trucking, uses the CT660 to haul coal in a mountain-top mining application. He and his fellow drivers previously were manually wrestling trucks up and down eight percent grades.
“The Cat Truck rides much more smoothly and can travel the mine haul roads five to 10 miles per hour faster,” Fernatt said. The Fleet Director at Medford Trucking, Dale Medford said, “I’ve got a 70 year old driver. He says when he gets out of it at the end of the day, he feels no fatique at all.”
With its eye-catching style, rugged components, exceptional visibility, driver comfort features and easy-to-service design, the CT660 is proving to be a natural extension of the Cat product line—a reliable, durable, fuel-efficient truck that helps customers succeed.
“Everything’s worked as well as the other equipment we’ve bought from Caterpillar,” said Mike Hitchcock, owner of Hitchcock Scrap Yard in Canton, Illinois, who purchased eight Cat Trucks to transport scrap and recyclables. Hitchcock opted to be an early adopter of the CT660 because of his experiences with the longevity and reliability of Cat equipment. Support from the local Cat Dealer was also a factor in his decision.
“They understand if we have an issue, and they react quickly,” Hitchcock said.
Drivers in the Hitchcock organization are working productively in their new trucks, specifically praising the CT660’s cab comfort and layout, easy-to-see instrument panel and easy-to-reach gauges and switches.
“It rides well, handles well and the turning radius is awesome,” Hitchcock said. “There’s nothing like it. It’s just an awesome piece of equipment.”
For more information about the Cat Truck, visit the Caterpillar MINExpo exhibit, booth 6229 in Central Hall, or go to DriveCat.com/testimonials.
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Note to Editors: Caterpillar rolls-out products and services in each of its territories at different time intervals. Although every effort is made to ensure that product information is released only after Caterpillar has received confirmation from our dealer network, our plants, and our marketing subsidiaries that products and services are available in the relevant region, editors are kindly requested to verify with their local dealer for product availability and specifications.
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