Caterpillar 740 GC Articulated Dump Truck

The 40-ton 740 GC ADT has a 452-horsepower C15 ACERT engine and operates in a 6x6 drive configuration.

Automatic retarder-control system requires no input from the operator, which Caterpillar says provides greater operating efficiency. A “wait-brake” temporarily applies the service brakes during pauses in the work cycle, reducing operator effort and fatigue, and a hill-start system automatically holds the machine on grades, allowing the operator to move from the service brake to the throttle with no roll-back on slopes.

A rear-quarter glass in the cab eliminates a structural pillar for enhanced rear visibility, and interior sound levels rate at 72 dB(A). A lighting system illuminates the cab's entry steps and hitch area, and the switch is at ground level.

Advanced Automatic Traction Control (AATC) system proactively applies differential locks to avoid wheel spin. The AATC feature is designed to enhance operator productivity and to lower owning and operating costs by protecting tires from unnecessary wear. A terrain-based, throttle-smoothing system prevents throttle input surges as the ADT travels over rough ground, avoiding a situation in which the operator has difficulty maintaining a steady pressure on the throttle pedal.

A combined transmission-and-hoist lever allows the operator to control gear selection and body-hoisting functions. Operating modes include manual or assisted-hoisting control, the latter selection allows the automatic application of the wait brake, shifting of the transmission to neutral, and raising of the body to maximum angle at engine high idle when the hoist is momentarily flicked to the ”raise position.” The assisted-hoisting mode also allows automatic return of the body to the lowered position, when the hoist control is momentarily flicked to the “lower position.” Both raise and lower functions feature automatic speed reduction and cushioning of the body at the limits of its movement, reducing forces that could cause shock loads.