Caterpillar Begins Production of New Class 8 Truck
Caterpillar Inc. announced it has begun full production of its new Class 8 CT681 vocational truck.
The axle-forward truck is being made for Cat by Navistar International Corp. at Navistar’s Escobedo, Mexico, plant under a contract manufacturing agreement.
The CT681 “can work for any vocational application, but customers who are affected by bridge [weight] laws in their states will find that this truck meets their needs,” said Dave Schmitz, product manager in Caterpillar’s on-highway truck group.
This truck follows the 2011 launch of Caterpillar’s heavy-duty CT660, which has a set-back front axle. The company said it plans to offer a new Class 8 vehicle next year.
The CT681’s set-forward axle near the front bumper helps spread the weight of the truck, which was initially unveiled in March.
“We waited until November . . . so we could give all of the detailed features and benefits about the product once it was in full production,” Schmitz told Transport Topics.
The new truck is targeted for applications such as dump, super dump, mixer and snow plow, Schmitz said.
