Recently, Caterpillar successfully demonstrated the fully automated operation of the Cat® 777 off-road mining truck. This latest model equipped with the Cat® MineStar™ Command autonomous transport system debuted at Luck Stone's Bull Run Quarry in Virginia. This is an important milestone in Caterpillar's goal of providing automated solutions for the quarrying and aggregate industries, as well as Caterpillar's cooperation with Luck Stone, laying the foundation for its continued testing and verification of automated technologies in the aggregate industry.
In December 2022, Caterpillar and Luck Stone reached a cooperation agreement to accelerate the development of automated solutions for quarries and aggregate industries. This latest development is the first time Caterpillar has deployed automated technology in the aggregate industry, and the addition of the 100t Cat 777 unmanned mining truck has further expanded the unmanned truck fleet.
Denise Johnson, president of Caterpillar's Resource Industry Group, said that as new technologies are developed and applied, they are of great significance to customers of all sizes in the quarrying, aggregate and construction industries that Caterpillar serves. This practical cooperation will accelerate Caterpillar's ability to promote proven mining solutions to the industry.
Charlie Luck, president and CEO of Luck Stone, said that the successful implementation of autonomous transportation solutions at Bull Run Quarry is a major achievement for Luck Stone and the entire industry. Luck Stone is full of expectations for the future of the mining industry and the next development of automation.
Caterpillar is committed to helping customers build a better and more sustainable world and contribute to a low-carbon future. To date, Caterpillar's unmanned truck fleet equipped with the Cat Command autonomous transportation system has traveled a total distance of more than 325 million km on three continents, and has safely transported a total of more than 8.62 billion tons of materials. In addition, some of the world's largest mines are achieving productivity improvements by adopting Cat Command technology.