Caterpillar successfully demonstrated the fully autonomous operation of its 777 off-highway truck at Luck Stone’s Bull Run Plant in Chantilly, Virginia.
Cat and Luck Stone partnered nearly two years ago on the project, aiming to deliver an autonomous hauling solution for the aggregate industry.
According to Cat, the deployment of a 777 truck with Cat MineStar Command for hauling at Luck Stone’s Bull Run Plant is its first at an aggregate facility. From here, Cat intends to expand its autonomous truck fleet to include the 100-ton-class 777.
“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,” says Charlie Luck IV, chairman and CEO of Luck Companies. “Our mission is to ignite human potential and positively impact the lives of others, and this project does just that by providing opportunities and experiences for our associates to grow and learn.
According to Caterpillar, it already has autonomous trucks on three continents that have traveled more than 200 million miles and moved more than 9.5 billion tons at some of the world’s largest mines.
“Congratulations to both the Luck Stone and Caterpillar teams for this outstanding achievement,” says Denise Johnson, group president of Caterpillar’s Resource Industries. “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. This hands-on collaboration has accelerated our ability to scale our proven mining solution for this sector.”
As Luck describes, the benefits of autonomy will be wide-spreading for aggregate producers.
“Caterpillar’s innovative technology will also improve safety and be a tool for attracting the next generation of mining professionals,” Luck says. “We’re excited for the future and what’s next for autonomy, and thankful for our continued, collaborative relationship with Caterpillar.”
