Detailed report on why Caterpillar stepped away from dominating the truck market. I think a few of you will enjoy it.

[TooMuchHair]

880K views · 14K reactions | Why Caterpillar Quit the Trucking Industry | Heavymatic

Why Caterpillar Quit the Trucking Industry

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[marklg]

Same information for those that can't stand long videos and can read fast:

Why Caterpillar Stopped Making On-Highway Diesel Engines | Highway and Heavy Parts | Diesel Engine Parts

Highway and Heavy Parts | Diesel Engine Parts | Why Caterpillar Stopped Making On-Highway Diesel Engines

highwayandheavyparts.com

TL;DR Increasing emissions standards made it unprofitable.

Regards,

Mark

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I had a truck with a CAT. The engine was the worst part of the thing.

 

[Kajtek1]

From my understanding, when Caterpillar makes very robust and heavy engines, they have troubles with making them burning clean.
For comparison, my Mercedes OM651 was passing NV smog tests on rolls with DPF delete.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

From my understanding, when Caterpillar makes very robust and heavy engines, they have troubles with making them burning clean.
For comparison, my Mercedes OM651 was passing NV smog tests on rolls with DPF delete.

Manifestly, Nevada was not testing for particulates.

 

[Kajtek1]

Manifestly, Nevada was not testing for particulates.

Clark County, NV smog stations report differently.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Clark County, NV smog stations report differently.

And you believe the government?

 

[Kajtek1]

And you believe the government?

They took my money for it

 

[Green Maned Lion]

They took my money for it

My case rests.

 

[EBS-P]

Read between the lines….. the emissions regulations affect every manufacturer. They didn’t have a competitive product for the 2010 regulations because they didn’t start developing one 5 - 10 years earlier. As a company their approach was small incremental changes. ACERT was a bandaid for not developing a new engine. The development costs were going to be greater than the profit for on highway engines.

 

[Kajtek1]

The development costs were going to be greater than the profit for on highway engines.

But on other hand, truck engines are "bread and butter" in engine manufacturing.
When Caterpillar builds robust engines for heavy equipment, it is semitruck industry, who sells volume.
That is why CAT jumped on bandwagon in the past in the 1st place, but could not stay on it.
Can't find statistics, but I know about that time Mercedes entered US semitruck industry.

 

[wet_coast]

I had a pair of CAT 3208T Diesels in my last boat (Grand Banks 42). They were excellent engines as long as the scheduled maintenance was faultlessly performed;
just like Mercedes Benz.

 

[Kajtek1]

I think it was 3208 I had in my diesel pusher. The only technical problem I had was leaky fuel filter around the glass gasket.
That was killing the engine at idle and it would not restart without ether.
But, when towing a boat at Lake Tahoe 7000' elevation, you did not want to stop behind me.
Moving at green light, I smoked whole block.
That was 30 ya when "running the coal" was normal thing.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

But on other hand, truck engines are "bread and butter" in engine manufacturing.
When Caterpillar builds robust engines for heavy equipment, it is semitruck industry, who sells volume.
That is why CAT jumped on bandwagon in the past in the 1st place, but could not stay on it.
Can't find statistics, but I know about that time Mercedes entered US semitruck industry.

I wish to point out, stary Kajtek, that Mercedes-Benz is in the US semitruck industry, they just call them Freightliners and Western Stars.

I have read quite a few rumours that MB is considering entering the market under their own marque again, eying Volvo.

I had a 3126 in my box truck. I had nothing but trouble with that thing. None of it was emissions related. The HEUI went out twice, the engine had a constant tendency to enter self protection mode due to faulty sensors, and I don't even remember what all went wrong with that things engine.

I also have a relatively low opinion of Allison transmissions, too.