A recent celebration of the 40,000th Cat® large dozer to roll off the production line brought together the mining customer that will put the new dozer to work, the Cat dealer responsible for supporting it, and some of the Caterpillar employees responsible for building it.

The legacy of the Cat® large dozer began a little more than 40 years ago, with a revolutionary elevated drive sprocket and undercarriage design that looked unlike any dozer of its day. Core to the manufacturer’s global identity, the current Cat large dozer line includes the D9T, D10T2 and D11T models — all produced at the Caterpillar SS Building in East Peoria, Illinois, USA.

The 40,000th dozer is a D11T that will go to work at one of Teck Resource’s coal mines in British Columbia, where it will be supported by Cat Dealer Finning Canada. Representatives from both organizations attended the official milestone ceremony on Oct. 25 in East Peoria.

A Caterpillar customer for more than 20 years, Teck Resources has purchased more than 160 D11T dozers over the last 10 years — more than any other Cat dozer customer. The 40,000th large dozer will operate in the Elk Valley Region of British Columbia, where Teck produces metallurgical coal at five mining locations.

The largest metallurgical coal producer in North America, Teck Coal currently operates more than 70 D10T2 and D11T dozers. Each of these high-production machines logs up to 6,000 operating hours per year in the mines. Teck Coal’s newest D11T will be used for production dozing, dump area support, mining shovel support, and haul road development and maintenance for the Cat 793 and 797 mining trucks used in the mines.

The 40,000th dozer is significant to Caterpillar for a number of reasons. “This milestone is important, not just because of the sheer number of machines sold in a market led by Caterpillar, but because it represents the many long-lasting and mutually beneficial business relationships established with customers like Teck Coal,” said Product Manager Greg Hepler. “We are honored to celebrate this achievement with Teck, and we are grateful that they have counted on Caterpillar, Cat equipment and their dealer, Finning Cat, for more than 20 years to help them reach their production goals.”

The milestone D11T is equipped with a single-shank ripper and 55-yd3 (42-m3) blade, capable of clearing a 9.7-ft (3-m) path in a single pass. Its rugged mainframe is designed to provide maximum availability through multiple life cycles, even in Teck Coal’s demanding, high-production application, to efficiently move more material at a lower cost per ton. A host of standard and optional Cat technologies, including VIMS™ 3G, Automated Blade Assist, Enhanced Auto Shift, Advisor Monitoring System and Cat MineStar ™, increase operating efficiencies, advance safe operation and lower costs.

“Caterpillar transformed the track-type tractor with the introduction of the suspended undercarriage with elevated drive sprocket,” said Hepler. “This innovation, along with a long history of others, enabled Cat large dozers to set the standards for efficiency, productivity and longevity. These iconic machines continue to define who we are and what Caterpillar makes possible globally.”