The 40,000th large dozer manufactured by Caterpillar will find a home with Canada’s Teck Resources.

In October, representatives from Caterpillar, Finning Canada and Teck Resources gathered in East Peoria, Illinois to celebrate the 40,000th large dozer rolling off the production line.

Denise Johnson, Caterpillar group president responsible for Resource Industries, handed the keys of the 40,000th large dozer to Louis DeLuca, director of supply management for Teck Resources, during the ceremony held Oct. 25.

The celebration included employees in Caterpillar’s Building SS, where all 40,000 Cat D9, D10 and D11 dozer models have been manufactured.

“Caterpillar transformed the track-type tractor with the introduction of the suspended undercarriage with elevated drive sprocket,” said Greg Hepler, Cat’s product manager for large dozers. “This innovation, along with a long history of others, enabled Cat large dozers to set the standards for efficiency, productivity and durability. These iconic machines continue to define who we are and play a key role in building a better world.”

For more than a decade, Teck Resources has been one of Cat’s biggest customers for large dozers.

“This milestone is important, not just because of the sheer number of Cat machines sold, but also because it represents the many long-lasting and mutually beneficial business relationships established with customers like Teck,” Hepler said. “We are honoured to celebrate this achievement with Teck, and we are grateful that their Elk Valley mines have counted on Caterpillar.”

The 40,000th large dozer — a 102,058 kg D11T — will operate in the Elk Valley Region of British Columbia, where Teck Resources produces steelmaking coal at five mining operations.

As the world’s second-largest seaborne exporter of steelmaking coal, Teck Resources operates a significant numbers of Cat dozers that log up to 7,000 operating hours each year in the mines.

Teck’s newest D11T will be used for production dozing, dump area support, mining shovel support and haul road development.

The milestone D11T is equipped with a powerful Cat C32 engine, producing 850 horsepower and capable of moving up to 900 loose cubic metres of material per hour.

Teck Resources purchased the milestone dozer through Finning Canada.

“We are very proud to celebrate this milestone with Caterpillar and our long-time customer Teck, as the D11T is a true workhorse in the fleet of products we service and sell,” said Allan Potzold, Finning Canada’s branch manager for the Elk Valley region. “We look forward to providing leading-edge service and innovative solutions to our customers to keep their equipment on-line and operating at peak performance and are honoured that the 40,000th dozer will be put to work here in the Elk Valley.”