Luck Stone and Caterpillar embarked on a journey in 2023 to explore the possibilities for hauling autonomously in aggregates.
Two and a half years since that journey began at the Bull Run Plant in Chantilly, Virginia, the companies reached a production milestone: 1 million tons hauled autonomously.
“This autonomous journey with Caterpillar has been one of the most powerful and transformative projects in our 100-year history,” says Charlie Luck, president and CEO of Luck Companies. “What once felt like a dream at our Bull Run site is now a reality – thanks to the trust, collaboration and shared commitment between our teams.
As Luck describes, reaching the 1 million-ton mark was a team effort that engaged every part of its operation.
“At Luck Stone, our mission is to ignite human potential, and this project is an example of what’s possible when people, purpose and progress come together,” Luck says. “We’re grateful to Caterpillar and confident that operators across the country will have a similar experience.”
The 1 million-ton achievement is a first for Caterpillar in aggregates. The Bull Run Plant became the first site producing aggregates to deploy autonomous Cat 777 trucks that are supported by a full autonomy technology stack and site integration services.
“This milestone is a powerful demonstration of what’s possible when we collaborate with our customers to deliver solutions for their critical needs,” says Denise Johnson, group president of Resource Industries at Caterpillar. “Reaching 1 million tons hauled autonomously at Bull Run shows that autonomy isn’t just for mining – it’s scalable, reliable and ready to transform the aggregates industry. We’re proud to collaborate with Luck Stone to lead that transformation.”
Related: Look back at the start of Luck Stone’s journey with Caterpillar
