Cat CT610 & CT630 Road Trucks
The on-highway trucks are the Cat CT610 and Cat CT630, which were developed by NC2, a joint venture between Navistar and Caterpillar. The trucks are built in Tullamarine, Victoria and sold through a newly formed Australian network of Cat dealers.
Both trucks are conventional prime movers and are available in day-cab and extended-cab options: The Cat CT610 is powered by the 470hp Cat C13 engine. With a bumper to back-of-cab (BBC) measurement of 2.72 metres, it is targeted to 19-metre applications and has a capacity of up to 57 tonnes. The Cat CT630 is powered by the 550-hp Cat C15 engine. With a BBC measurement of 3.10 metres, it is suitable for B-double on-highway roadtrain applications and is available in both 72-tonne and 90-tonne options.
According to Jeff Tyzack, General Manager, Sales and Marketing for NC2 Australia, the Cat CT610 and Cat CT630 vehicles are designed to address Australian customers requirements in a number of important ways.
"These products are powered by Cat engines, which have a legendary reputation for reliability, durability and fuel economy. The trucks offer best-in-class fuel economy, unparalleled driver satisfaction, unprecedented uptime and will deliver low cost of ownership. And they are backed by an unsurpassed dealer capability that provides a one-stop solution for Australian truck operators".
The prime movers feature sculpted fenders, a boldly sloped hood, sleek rooflines and streamlined cab-side shaping, and share an aerodynamic shape that reduces wind resistance that aids fuel economy performance.
Tom Baughman, Vice President of Product Development, said extensive product development effort went into the Cat CT610 and Cat CT630. This included extensive performance evaluations and competitive benchmarking to develop a product that uniquely addressed customers demands for improved fuel efficiency, performance and driver accommodation.
Baughman also noted out that the trucks were designed to provide an unprecedented level of driver satisfaction. In particular, Baughman said, drivers will benefit from advanced, integrated ride and handling that was designed to reduce fatigue and improve responsiveness. The seat, the cab and chassis suspensions have been integrated and tested to complement and enhance vehicle level ride and handling characteristics. From the available seat travel, to flexible positioning of the steering wheel, instrument panel gauges and steering wheel-based controls, the Cat CT610 and Cat CT630 accommodate the full range of driver sizes.
Tyzack says one critical factor in the Australian market is durability, and to that end the Cat vehicles have been designed for the performance characteristics required for the local market.
"We chose a chassis package to support the higher loads, in accordance with the Australian market's demands," Tyzack said. "We've added stronger cross members, thicker frame rails, higher capacity axles and suspensions, better routing and clipping of all hoses and wires in the chassis, and stronger suspension and cab supports."
Tyzack also noted the front axle of the CT610, by Meritor, is rated at 6.5 tonne and is mounted on parabolic springs and a proven Arvin Meritor RT-46-160 rear axle is rated at 20.9 tonne. The rear axle set utilises road friendly Hendrikson HAS-460 suspension, and is likewise rated at 20.9 tonne.
The new Caterpillar trucks are backed by an Australia-wide dealer network that offers a total trucking servicing plan that provides a one-stop solution for truck operators.
