Cat to Stop Making On-Highway Vocational Trucks | Construction News

Caterpillar Inc. has announced that it will stop making on-highway vocational trucks. That class of vehicles includes the CT660L, which has been used with large truck-mounted aerial lifts and could be used as a platform for telescopic cranes or boom trucks.

Based on the current business climate in the truck industry and a thorough evaluation of the business, Caterpillar decided it would withdraw from the market. 

The move is in line with the company’s ongoing restructuring to align its businesses with existing conditions. Although Caterpillar will stop taking new orders for vocational trucks, it the company says it remains committed to existing truck customers and will support the existing trucks currently on the road.

Caterpillar launched its first vocational trucks for the North America market in 2011, working with Navistar on the products’ design and manufacture.

Last year, the company announced its intention to begin independently designing and manufacturing its vocational truck products at the Caterpillar plant in Victoria, Texas.

“Remaining a viable competitor in this market would require significant additional investment to develop and launch a complete portfolio of trucks, and upon an updated review, we determined there was not a sufficient market opportunity to justify the investment,” said Ramin Younessi, vice president with responsibility for Caterpillar’s Industrial Power Systems Division. “We have not yet started truck production in Victoria, and this decision allows us to exit this business before the transition occurs.”

This announcement will affect about 70 workers. The reductions will begin in March and take place over time.  

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