• Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About Us
    1. Earthmoving

    Caterpillar Debuts Autonomous Cat 777 Off-Highway Truck

    Nov. 11, 2024
    The deployment at Luck Stone's Bull Run plant in Virginia lays the foundation for ongoing autonomous mining technology.
    Related To: Caterpillar Inc.
    Caterpillar
    Caterpillar Autonomous Cat 777 Off-Highway Truck at Luck Stone Quarry

    By: Caterpillar

    Caterpillar has debuted its 777 off-highway truck at Luck Stone’s Bull Run plant in Chantilly, Virginia, marking a milestone in the company's objective to deliver an autonomous hauling solution for the quarry and aggregates sector. 

    This deployment of machinery and technology highlights the progress being made between Caterpillar and Luck Stone, a large family-owned and operated producer of crushed stone, sand, and gravel, according to the companies. In December 2022, Luck Stone and Caterpillar announced an agreement to accelerate the development of Caterpillar’s autonomous solutions for quarry and aggregate applications.

    This marks Caterpillar’s first deployment of autonomous technology in the aggregates industry and will expand the company’s autonomous truck fleet to include the 100-ton-class Cat 777. 

    Caterpillar has autonomous trucks on three continents having traveled more than 325 million kilometers and autonomously moving more than 8.62 billion tonnes as of 2024, according to the company. For two years, Caterpillar has been embedded with Luck Stone to build expertise in quarry operations, aiming to develop a system that is scalable and economically viable for customers across the quarry industry while also helping them to achieve a step change in safety and productivity.  

    “Congratulations to both the Luck Stone and Caterpillar teams for this achievement. It’s meaningful not just for Bull Run operations, but for our customers of all sizes as we develop new technologies to serve the quarry and aggregates as well as construction industries,” said Denise Johnson, group president of Caterpillar’s Resource Industries, in a statement. 

    This deployment lays the foundation for ongoing testing and validation of assumptions and technology before making autonomous technology commercially available in the aggregates industry, according to a statement from Charlie Luck, chairman and CEO, Luck Companies. 

    “The successful implementation of an autonomous hauling solution at our Bull Run Plant is a major accomplishment for Luck Stone associates, for Caterpillar, and for our industry," he said. "Caterpillar’s technology will also improve safety and be a tool for attracting the next generation of mining professionals.  We’re excited for the future and what’s next for autonomy."