Caterpillar has delivered its 50,000th articulated truck from the Peterlee manufacturing facility in the UK.

Trader Construction Company of North Carolina, US, received the unit during a ceremony recently held at the facility. Carl Huddle, president of Trader, and Gregory Poole Cat dealer representatives were on hand to receive keys to Trader’s newest Cat 745, 41-tonne articulated truck.

Brent Losey, product manager for articulated trucks, said: “The articulated truck has been a key member of Caterpillar’s core product line since it was developed in Peterlee, which has always been its proud home.

“Cat articulated trucks are helping our customers meet their objectives on construction and mine sites around the world. We are proud to see the 50,000th truck drive off the assembly line and look forward to the next 50,000!”

Trader and Cat dealer Gregory Poole have enjoyed a longstanding relationship dating back to the 1960s, and Trader has owned or leased a total of 500 36-t class articulated trucks over the years, according to Anthony Pollock, articulated trucks marketing manager for Caterpillar.

Featuring the recently re-engineered cab, the Cat 745 offers improved ease of operation, uninterrupted rear-quarter visibility and in-cab operating sound levels 7 dB lower than previous designs.

Its gear range selector delivers efficient single-lever control over truck speed and body hoisting functions to improve cycle times.

Featuring economy mode operation for an average 5% fuel consumption improvement, the truck’s power train is driven by the Cat C18 ACERT™ engine, rated at 504 net horsepower (375 kW), with a range of emissions control platforms to meet global environmental standards.

The Cat 745 articulated truck features a host of standard integrated technologies, including Product Link™, Cat Production Management and Cat Detect with Stability Assist, to monitor, manage and enhance job site operations.

Cat’s family of articulated trucks features six, three-axle models with rated payloads ranging from 24-41 t and heaped capacities from 15-25 m³.