Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/58364
Scan this QR code or visit http://www.truckers news.com/testdrives to view a photo gallery of this truck. Find a QR reader in your device's app store. Flash back to this time last year in Las Vegas, when and where Cat gave the world the fi rst sneak-peek at its new truck. It is well-documented that Cat takes what it calls a "donor truck" from Navistar as the basis for its CT Series. But Cat offi cials at the time stressed that from the frame rails up, their truck was essentially all new. Under the hood, the engine block once again gleams with that old, familiar Caterpillar yellow paint. The engines, too — the Cat CT13 and CT15 — are International MaxxForce diesels. But it's worth noting that there's an awful lot of Cat DNA present in that engine block. International and Cat have collaborated on engine designs for years. And the fuel system on the MaxxForce series of engines is a Caterpillar design. In a time when it seems news stories are all too of- ten about companies leaving the truck market, it's ex- citing to see a major player like Cat inject some new energy into the big rig universe. Cat didn't get where it is in the world today by cutting corners. Clearly the company knew an intense spotlight would be focused on it when it decided to enter the on-highway truck market. The resulting vehicle would have to be excep- tional to withstand all the scrutiny. How would the new Cat truck perform in the real world? I found-out during one of the fi rst extended test drives. DOWN TO THE SWAMP For once, I get to drive a route I know like the back APRIL 2012 | TRUCKERS NEWS | 27 MAX HEINE