Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/85089
Cat's stealthy CT660 cuts loose A Company's CT Series a fine fit with its equipment lines recent test drive was a momentous one – the first time Caterpillar had turned a CT660 loose for an extended run. The route picked for the dual-axle dump filled with a load of pea gravel was a mix of interstate and two- lane highways through the swamps and hills of western Alabama, which provides a good mix of road conditions. Cat wanted to integrate the overall look of its CT Series trucks into that of its construction equipment lines – insofar as that was possible. To that end, the CT660 borrows many styling cues from Cat's wheel loaders, and the overall effect is a tough yet modern- looking truck. Its highly aerodynamic hood and front fenders with distinct styling cues make it stand out. Climbing into the Cat, the first thing that jumps out is the The overall effect is a tough yet modern- looking truck. brawny interior. Everything in the cab – from the burnished aluminum panels and dash covering to the armrests and gauges – screams "testosterone."Cat has a lot of experience keeping operators comfortable and productive on loud vibrat- ing pieces of construction machin- ery, and its engineers leveraged that know-how when they laid these truck cabs out. All instrumentation is exceptionally well-lit, while switch and control placement is logical and ergonomical. From the driver's seat, views to the front, sides and rear all are outstanding, with the sight angle over the dramatically- sloped front hood clearly designed with safety foremost in mind. Firing up the big 13-liter Cat CT13 engine confirms that the cab is extremely quiet. But beyond engine noise, Cat 30 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | MARCH 2012 engineers feel strongly that any unintended noise is a productivity- draining distraction; their efforts to completely eliminate "pop, squeak and rattle" from the cab – even at highway cruising speeds – are to be commended. Another nice in-cab touch is Cat's CX31 six-speed automat- Caterpillar's CT13 diesel engine, based on Navis- tar's MaxxForce 13, pro- vides 475 horsepower to get the CT660 up and moving in a hurry – even with a full load in the dump. ic transmission. While an Eaton-Fuller manual transmission is available as standard equipment, the CX31 is worth a look. This transmission began life in Cat's line of off-highway ar- ticulated haul trucks slogging through gumbo mud or doing light quarry work. It's robust enough to manhandle any hill start while engaging and shifting smoothly on the highway. Even better, the CX31 has been programmed for both power and fuel economy; shift points are logical throughout the power curve, and even on hilly backroads, the transmission doesn't spend a lot of time searching back and forth for the right gear. With 475 horsepower sitting under the hood, the CT660 gets up and moving in a hurry – even with a full load in the