Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) today announced it has successfully demonstrated the fully autonomous operation of its Cat® 777 off-highway truck. The debut of this latest model of Cat® MineStar™ Command for hauling at Luck Stone’s Bull Run plant in Chantilly, Va., marks a significant milestone in Caterpillar’s objective to deliver an autonomous hauling solution for the quarry and aggregates sector.
This successful deployment of machinery and technology highlights the progress being made between Caterpillar and Luck Stone, the largest family-owned and operated producer of crushed stone, sand, and gravel in the United States. In December 2022, Luck Stone and Caterpillar announced an agreement to accelerate the development of Caterpillar’s autonomous solutions for quarry and aggregate applications.
This marks Caterpillar’s first deployment of autonomous technology in the aggregates industry and will expand the company’s autonomous truck fleet to include the 100-ton-class (90-tonne-class) Cat® 777.
Caterpillar has long been recognized as an industry leader in autonomy, with autonomous trucks on three continents having traveled more than 325 million kilometers and autonomously moving more than 8.62 billion tonnes.
The current fleet of Caterpillar’s autonomous trucks with Command for hauling moves more tons per year worldwide than the total annual U.S. crushed stone production. Some of the world’s largest mines are using Cat Command technology to achieve performance improvements.
For two years, Caterpillar has been embedded with Luck Stone to build expertise in quarry operations, aiming to develop a system that is scalable and economically viable for customers across the quarry industry while also helping them to achieve a step change in safety and productivity.
“Congratulations to both the Luck Stone and Caterpillar teams for this outstanding achievement. It’s meaningful not just for Bull Run operations, but for our customers of all sizes as we develop new technologies to serve the quarry and aggregates as well as construction industries,” said Denise Johnson, group president of Caterpillar’s Resource Industries. “This hands-on collaboration has accelerated our ability to scale our proven mining solution for this sector.”
The success of autonomous hauling at Bull Run plant marks the initial milestone in the collaboration between Caterpillar and Luck Stone. This achievement lays the foundation for ongoing testing and validation of assumptions and technology before making autonomous technology commercially available in the aggregates industry.
“The successful implementation of an autonomous hauling solution at our Bull Run Plant is a major accomplishment for Luck Stone associates, for Caterpillar, and for our industry. Our mission is to ignite human potential and positively impact the lives of others, and this project does just that by providing opportunities and experiences for our associates to grow and learn. Caterpillar’s innovative technology will also improve safety and be a tool for attracting the next generation of mining professionals. We’re excited for the future and what’s next for autonomy, and thankful for our continued, collaborative relationship with Caterpillar,” said Charlie Luck, Chairman and CEO, Luck Companies.
About Caterpillar
With 2023 sales and revenues of $67.1 billion, Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. For nearly 100 years, we’ve been helping customers build a better, more sustainable world and are committed and contributing to a reduced-carbon future. Our innovative products and services, backed by our global dealer network, provide exceptional value that helps customers succeed. Caterpillar does business on every continent, principally operating through three primary segments – Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation – and providing financing and related services through our Financial Products segment.
About Luck Stone
For over 100 years, Luck Companies has been about people. Four generations of family leaders have built a business on the idea that every one of us has the potential to be a leader, that if we live and lead in alignment with our core values of Integrity, Commitment, Leadership and Creativity, we can all make a positive impact on the lives of other people.
Luck Companies’ three business units make the products that serve as the foundation for the bridges, roads and buildings that keep our economy moving and protect our environment. We have become the nation’s largest and fastest-growing family-owned and operated producer of crushed aggregates and environmental performance products by propelling a culture where people can thrive. We will continue to grow, powering possibilities for associates and communities, ensuring an exceptional experience for our customers, and broadening the impact of our mission for generations to come.
With locations across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, and over 1,000 associates, Luck Companies is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, where it was founded by Charles Luck Jr. in 1923.
SOURCE Caterpillar Inc.
