Caterpillar is celebrating the success of its elevated sprocket design in the medium dozer class by producing three commemorative 175,000 units.
With travel and gathering restrictions as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Caterpillar cancelled in-person celebrations to mark the historic 175,000-unit milestone for its medium dozers. However, three customers took possession of the commemorative units, which feature special decals on the fenders denoting the 175,000-unit milestone. The 175,000 image appears inside the cab as well, where it is embroidered on the headrest and printed on a plaque denoting each unit’s limited-edition status.
Built in East Peoria, Ill., the first two commemorative units were Cat D6 XE electric drive dozers, featuring a sleek dark gray and black paint scheme. The third unit, a D6 dozer with 4-speed, fully automatic transmission, is finished in traditional Cat yellow with special black tracks and blade.
Symbolic of the medium dozer line’s long history of innovation, the Cat D6 XE is the world’s first electric drive dozer to offer the elevated sprocket design. It boasts a strong, yet light, structure, providing optimum machine balance for grading without the need for a rear implement or counterweight. Integrated Cat GRADE technologies, such as standard Slope Assist and available Cat GRADE with 3D, help to increase overall jobsite productivity by up to 50 percent. Offering up to 35 percent improved fuel efficiency, the dozer features a durable design with updated components, long service intervals, and extended scheduled maintenance to reduce service and maintenance costs by up to 12 percent.
Long-time Caterpillar customer and multiunit Cat dozer owner, Goodfellow Bros., a fourth-generation, family-owned contractor based in Wenatchee, Wash., received one of the D6 XE units. Before being put in the dirt in Hawaii, Goodfellow plans to feature the new commemorative dozer in the company’s 100th anniversary celebration, planned for 2021
Holt Cat of San Antonio, Texas, took possession of the second commemorative D6 XE dozer. The Caterpillar-Holt longstanding relationship dates to the company’s origins when Benjamin Holt invented the Caterpillar track-type tractor in 1904. The D6 XE dozer design embodies 116 years of continued innovation since Holt’s original Caterpillar. The dealership plans to use it to help promote Cat Next Generation Dozers at future customer events.
The commemorative D6 dozer was shipped to Canadian dealer, Finning Cat, where it was sold to Midwest Pipelines Inc., based in Spruce Grove, Alberta. The legacy of Cat MTTT ownership can be traced back 39 years to Midwest’s sister company, Pidherney’s Inc. of Alberta, when founder Merv Pidherney purchased his first dozer, a Cat D6D. Today’s combined dozer fleet is nearly 100 strong, and the companies remain family owned and operated, specializing in oilfield, civil and hauling projects.
