Jalopnik: dump truck

Dang Detroit Kids Push Abandoned Dump Truck Out Packard Plant Window

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Remember the dump truck hanging out the side of the Packard Plant in our Feral Factories of Detroit story? Well, some kids decided it was time to push it over the edge. Check out the crashing-to-Earth result below.

[Wall Street Journal]

The Biggest Pickup Truck At SEMA, Maybe Galaxy

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Dunkel Industries' Luxury 4x4, built on a Ford F-650/F-750 chassis, measures an astonishing 32 feet long! It's designed to transport the space shuttle to the launch pad, tow battleships into dry dock and house a family of nine. [Pickuptrucks.com]

Giant Dump Truck Tries Sledding, Fails Miserably

Andrew Didorosi — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:40:00 EST

Wanting to take part in the winter festivities, this 47,000 pound articulated CAT rock truck goes sliding down a snowy hill and promptly eats it. No folks, Snowpocalypse is not the new Carpocalypse.

Internet V-Dubber Isgro was on the scene at his company's HQ when one of the machines tasked with relocating snow lost it off of a small embankment on the side of the parking lot. No word on how or why this pricey device flew off into the snowy wastes, but stay posted for the extraction pictures if they turn up.

[VWVortex]

Caterpillar 793, World's Coolest Dump Truck, Now With Electric Drive

Mark Arnold — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:45:00 EDT

The colossal Caterpillar 793 is one of the coolest pieces of heavy machinery on the planet. Traditionally powered by immense 16-cylinder engines churning out over 2000 HP, we're now being told by Caterpillar that a new electric-drive version is on the way. But don't think that means it's going soft. The new 793F AC can carry about 250 tons of junk in its trunk, and that's just the entry-level model. The burly 795F AC can take about 400 tons. That's like having Arnold Schwarzenegger possessed by Al Gore...all while on horse steroids. Press release below the jump.
To clarify, the original photo (which you can still see below, since it's so awesome) is actually a Komatsu, not a Caterpillar. The above photo is now an actual Cat 793.

PEORIA, IL - Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) is unveiling the next generation of mining trucks at MINExpo 2008 in Las Vegas, NV. Along with improved safety features, Tier 2 compliant engines and new integrated technologies in the existing Cat mining fleet, the company has developed electric drive mining trucks that will debut at the expo September 22-24, 2008.

"When our customers asked us for improvements to our mining trucks, we responded by making a record investment in every single truck in our line, as well as the increased capacity to produce more of them," said Caterpillar Group President Stu Levenick. "New technologies have allowed us to make trucks more reliable, easier to maintain and more friendly to the operator and to the environment".

While Caterpillar believes mechanical drive is the best solution for the vast majority of situations, the company listened to its customers and explored the situations and conditions where electric drive would be the preferred option. As the only manufacturer of 200-ton and above mining trucks with both drives, Cat is able to offer trucks that address all of its customers' preferences.

"Cat will produce mining trucks for every application—uphill, downhill, flat or extreme conditions—and now with electric as well as mechanical drive," said Chris Curfman, president of Cat Global Mining & vice president of Caterpillar Inc.

At MINExpo 2008 Caterpillar will introduce four new trucks. The 793 series in the 240- to 250-ton class will be available in both mechanical (793F) and electric (793F AC) versions. The 345-ton 795F AC, a new size for Caterpillar, will be available in electric drive only, while the flagship 797B is replaced by the new 797F mechanical drive, maintaining its 380- to 400-ton target payload. The 797F and 795F AC, along with the recently introduced 777F, will be displayed on the exhibit floor. Completing Caterpillar's new mining truck line will be new versions of the 785 and 789 mechanical drive trucks, upgraded to meet customer requirements for safety, serviceability, operator comfort and emission standards.

"The breadth of our product line puts our customers in a unique position to evaluate and select the best fit for their operations," said Curfman. "Every machine is designed, built, serviced and supported by Caterpillar and the Cat dealer network, so customers get higher availability and a lower cost per ton—from one reliable source."

In the late 1960s Caterpillar was one of the first manufacturers to commercialize electric-drive trucks but elected to focus its design and development efforts on mechanical drive. With advances in AC drive technology, coupled with proven components and technologies from existing Caterpillar products, the company concluded it was the appropriate time to make electric drive available to its customers as a complement to its highly successful mechanical drive.

The next generation of trucks will be phased into production over the next two years, with the Cat AC drive models expected to go into production in late 2010.

[via Caterpillar]

Tokyo Motor Show: Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Eco-D Concept Dump Truck

bwojdyla — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:15:00 EDT

Well, that's not a headline you get to write every day. Our youths of digging holes to China and racing Tonka Trucks with a little brother in the dump bed have instilled a quiet respect for the rugged and purpose built nature of dump trucks. We could never have imagined one looking so hot. Unfortunately, the presser is all in Japanese, so we can't regale you with tales of whatever brand of hybrization that's going on under all that shiny metal, but I know that's a 10.6 liter diesel closely related to one I'm working with right now. Go ahead and ogle the gallery pics, you know you want to. There's a bonus surprise to follow after our triumphant return to the welcoming arms of Detroit, stay tuned.