After Caterpillar’s Q4 2025 announcement on the launch of four next-generation articulated trucks for global market customers, Aggregates Business was among a small number of construction and quarrying representatives invited to the company’s world-class Peterlee factory and nearby truck demo and testing quarry to get the full lowdown on the new models, including how they are designed, manufactured and assembled.
Michael Miller is enjoying watching Cat 735 and Cat 730 next-generation articulated trucks working with a Cat 350 excavator during a trade media trip to the off-highway machine giant’s demonstration and testing quarry, just off the busy A1 highway in County Durham.
Miller, a strategy manager for Cat Technology, hails from nearby Peterlee, which is home to Caterpillar’s impressive 60-acre, nine-building articulated truck manufacturing and assembly facility, the only one of its kind globally. Miller has worked at Caterpillar for 25 years, after four years as an engineering and parts-purchasing contractor. He is also the second generation of his family to work at Caterpillar Peterlee, following his father, who worked there for 20 years as a shopfloor welder/fabricator. Multi-generational employment and long-service milestones are common at the Peterlee facility, and we meet several employees throughout the day who share the same dedication to the company.
“It’s great to see the steel coming in one end and finished trucks coming out the other. It’s also great to see the trucks here working in the quarry. My role is to give customers the technology they need to extract information from their machines, enabling them to get the most out of them. They want to know how their fleet is being utilised, answering questions like ‘What are the cycle times?’ and ‘Is this machine being overloaded?’ There could also be leading safety indicators that technology can help identify. Perhaps an alarm on a machine is being repeatedly triggered, and you want to determine when and where it occurs on-site. We can also help customers with their servicing and maintenance task planning.
“We are always working to advance Caterpillar machine technology on our products. That’s been the case with ‘Operator Coaching’ for the next-generation articulated trucks, which is already available for the latest Cat excavators.”
After talking to Miller, Aggregates Business was taken around a section of the demonstration and testing quarry in a next-generation Cat 735 by Scott Thomas, a Caterpillar product application specialist for articulated trucks, who was demonstrating many of the new features and benefits available in next-generation Cat articulated trucks. The machines were launched in Q4 2025 and are scheduled to enter full production in Q1 2026.
“We’re very blessed to have this just a 25-minute drive from the [Peterlee] facility. We have an excavator out here loading the truck, and we can do everything the truck would be expected to do on a jobsite. It’s unique to have such a site so close to a manufacturing hub. It helps so much,” says Thomas.
In addition to its four new next-generation articulated trucks, Caterpillar also produces three larger-platform models: the Cat 740, with a 40-tonne payload and a Cat C15 engine; the Cat 740EJ (ejector body), with a 42-tonne payload and a Cat C18 engine; and the Cat 745, with a 45.2-tonne payload and a Cat C18 engine.
Earlier in the day at Caterpillar’s vast 1,500-employee Peterlee articulated truck facility, Thomas, Sherrie Williams, Caterpillar’s global product application specialist, and Adam Freeman, director of product value stream for articulated trucks, had given presentations on the next-generation Cat articulated truck range and the Caterpillar Peterlee site and its linked demonstration and testing quarry to Aggregates Business.
“Any Caterpillar articulated truck you see anywhere in the world was built right here,” stresses Freeman.
As Thomas explains, Caterpillar’s 725 (24-tonne payload), 730 (28 tonne), 730 EJ (27.1 tonne), and 735 (32 tonne) models feature a ‘smarter’ articulated truck design, with a range of automatic features integrated into the trucks. The upgraded interior puts control at your fingertips, with all functions accessible through a sleek touchscreen or a smooth, responsive keypad. The touchscreen is easy to navigate using the integrated jog dial for added convenience. New push-to-start with operator ID stores up to 50 operator IDs to quickly get to work and safeguard against unauthorised use.
The new Cat C13 engine powers the latest trucks with ratings from 257 to 316 kW, depending on the model. Designed to meet global emission standards—including U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final, EU Stage V, Japan 2014, and Korea Stage V—the C13 features a compact, lightweight design that requires no exhaust gas recirculation. The machine is available in configurations suitable for all regions worldwide, ensuring reliable performance across a wide range of applications.
Williams highlights the percentage improvements of the next-generation Cat articulated trucks compared to the current range: 725 (14% more productivity, 10% more fuel efficient); 730 (12% less fuel burn, 16% more fuel efficient); 735 (10% less fuel burn, 11% more fuel efficient).
Freeman explains that most of those gains are attributable to improvements in engine and drivetrain efficiency and to technological advances that enhance operator performance.
With no operator input required, the advanced automatic traction control on the Cat next-generation articulated trucks prevents wheel slippage in poor underfoot conditions, providing maximum traction and productivity. The new engine overspeed control works seamlessly with Automatic Retarder Control (ARC) to manage braking and automatically adjust engine speed—enhancing truck handling, improving steering response, and building confidence for newer operators in challenging conditions. Machine speed limiting supports safe operation by allowing the operator to set ground speed in service mode—ideal for uneven terrain, high-traffic areas, or sites with strict speed regulations. Additionally, the integrated body height limiter promotes safety by helping ensure the machine operates within a jobsite’s height restrictions.
Williams highlights that the Cat 725, 730, and 735 models’ redesigned dump bodies offer easier loading than previous designs and help to maximise payload. The redesigned body features a rerouted exhaust heat system that helps minimise material carryback, improving load efficiency and reducing cleanup time. Improved payload technology enables operators to view real-time load weights on the integrated display, thanks to the system’s updated software and sensors. External payload indicator lights alert the loading operator when the rated payload is approached and when the target payload is reached.
Thomas notes that Caterpillar’s innovative Dynamic Rollover Protection feature supports rollover prevention and works in parallel with the field-proven Stability Assist, which prevents hoisting on uneven terrain. Configurable to material and jobsite conditions, this new feature monitors conditions to detect when the truck is experiencing high lateral acceleration, provides a visual and audible alarm, reduces fuel and then finally the machine will cut off fuel supply to the engine and apply the service brakes automatically if no corrections are made manually by the operator. It reduces the risk of machine rollover during high-speed cornering, helping minimise downtime and safety repairs. Additionally, Stability Assist software reports information via VisionLink to increase awareness of when an event has occurred.
“For me, of all the features we’re introducing with our next-generation articulated trucks, Dynamic Rollover Protection is the most exciting and provides the most value in terms of safety,” says Freeman. “It lives up to the level of safety we want to provide to our customers and also highlights the level of systems integration we have. The fact that engine, transmission, and driveline controls are all designed and built by Caterpillar gives us the ability to better control potentially dangerous situations by incorporating features like Stability Assist with Dynamic Rollover Protection and Automatic Retarding and Traction Control, to name but a few.”
Thomas explains that Auto Wait Brake (AWB), another next-generation truck feature, reduces operator fatigue by automatically applying the service brakes when the shift lever is in any position other than park and the ground speed reaches 0 km/h. The service brakes apply within one second of the truck stopping, and after eight seconds, the transmission shifts to neutral with AWB engaged. Simply using the throttle re-engages the transmission and releases the service brakes. This new feature eliminates the need to shift to park for short-duration stops and saves fuel when shifting to neutral. This feature also works with the truck’s Hill Assist by applying the service brakes to prevent rollback.
Thomas notes that a new dump body height limit feature for next-generation Cat 725, 730 and 735 models allows the bed raise height to be set to meet jobsite conditions. The operator can quickly increase the height limit by raising the bed to the desired height and holding the keypad button. Alternatively, it can be set through the display service mode to meet site-wide limits. This feature helps prevent the dump body from contacting overhead objects and increases cycle time by limiting full-body travel.
The Cat 730 EJ is an ejector model. This means trucks can be emptied without raising the body, helping maintain machine stability. This unique design allows load dispersal on inclines, side slopes, and in very soft underfoot conditions, such as those found on landfill sites. By virtually eliminating material that can stick to the body, the truck can operate in areas with low overhead clearance, such as around overhead lines or in tunnelling and underground operations. As Thomas notes, with faster cycle times, the versatile 730 EJ can eject and spread material on the go, reducing the need for additional spreading and dozing equipment.
Safety is a key advantage of the ejector body models, as the truck body’s hydraulics push the material onto the ground as the operator passes. This is ideally suited to lighter materials that can be left in the truck body during body tipping.
Providing front- and rear-proximity detection, all next-generation articulated trucks offer an optional object detection and multiview camera via a separate secondary monitor. Thomas explains how the system’s radar sensors, mounted fore and aft, provide visual and audible alerts when objects are within the truck’s travel path. Four discrete camera views, configurable to the operator’s preference, are mounted at the front, rear, and sides to enhance the operator’s view around the truck.
Williams demonstrates how the onboard, optional interactive training tool, Operator Coaching, measures and reports on individual operator behaviours that affect efficiency, safety, and machine health. Operator Coaching identifies opportunities to improve operating behaviour for both inexperienced and experienced operators by monitoring 14 activities. Tips are available on a summary page on the main touchscreen display, while animated video tutorials provide operator instructions. For fleet managers, the GPS feature includes maps that show where tips are triggered during the work cycle. Among the 14 coaching tips are: Hoisting without articulation; Hoisting with transmission in neutral; Hoisting on level ground; Reducing cornering speed; Using a lower gear when retarding; Reducing speed in rough conditions; Approaching grade in lower gear.
Opening the day at the impressive Peterlee articulated truck factory, Freeman noted that the story of articulated truck manufacturing in Peterlee dates back to 1972, when David John Brown (DJB) began developing articulated truck concepts to improve traction, flotation, and manoeuvrability on tough job sites. “He did it using Caterpillar truck engines, transmissions, and axles, with the trucks branded DJB. In 1973, DJB started manufacturing trucks at this facility [in Peterlee]. We celebrated 50 years of [articulated truck] production here a couple of years ago.”
In 1985, Caterpillar and DJB entered a formal business partnership, creating Artix Limited (Artix). The launch of Caterpillar-branded articulated trucks soon followed. Caterpillar bought the Peterlee site from the Brown family in 1996, with the first machine built under Caterpillar ownership being a D400, 36-tonne truck. Over the years, the lineup expanded to include multiple three-axle models, with innovations such as the 740 EJ for efficient unloading. Continuous design improvements in power, capacity, and operator comfort mean the factory is well on its way to achieving a key build milestone of 70,000 trucks in the first half of 2026.
“Our articulated truck range continues to evolve towards offering the best cost per tonne of material moved for our customers,” concludes Freeman.
Asked by Aggregates Business about the current global market demand for articulated trucks, he replies: “It was around 10,000 units this year, with the biggest demand coming from North America.”
As our party was led through the factory’s administrative offices, we saw component-ordering teams at work. “There are more than 10,000 parts to each articulated truck. We have more than 200 suppliers of articulated truck components, based in various parts of the world. It’s crucial to have an efficient component ordering and delivery system so that we can reach our machine-build targets,” explains Jason Maw, director of manufacturing operations at Caterpillar Peterlee.
Our tour is fronted by Stuart Plant, senior quality manager and a second-generation Caterpillar professional with nearly four decades of experience. Plant’s journey from apprentice to senior leadership reflects the factory’s commitment to nurturing talent and passing on deep technical knowledge. His team oversees more than 100 quality checks across two assembly lines, ensuring that every truck meets Caterpillar’s rigorous standards before leaving Peterlee.
Plant and Maw lead the factory tour, explaining how it operates under the Caterpillar Production Systems (CPS) model. Staff safety is of paramount importance, and factory worker feedback, including suggestions to improve daily operations, is encouraged. Each shift starts with factory workers reviewing the previous 24 hours of production before the shift targets are communicated.
Maw highlights that the factory operates a day-back-night shift system Monday to Friday, with some additional flexibility to meet customer demand.
Three thousand tonnes of steel are cut and processed each month, producing 75,000 articulated truck parts. A third of the factory’s employees are welders/fabricators, and the site also houses 20 robotic welding machines. More than 150 miles of sheet metal are welded each month.
After walking through the factory’s large front- and rear-frame assembly section, we reach the paint plant. Dump truck bodies are robotically spray-painted, in part, states Plant, to protect staff health and safety and ensure consistency. Components are manually spray-painted. The assembly line uses between 12,000 and 15,000 litres of paint per month.
More than 100 production aspects are analysed on the two assembly lines. Sub-assembly of certain components is performed in other on-site buildings and delivered to the assembly line. “Our assembly line engineers work in pairs, and we try to keep those pairs together so that they form a partnership over many years. It takes around three months to become fully certified to work as an assembly line operator,” explains Maw.
Other elements of assembly line production include putting each truck through a decay test, an oil particle count, and an ultraviolet lamp-based inspection. Plant highlights how the many blue-taped floor areas around the factory are ‘quality check’ areas, ensuring rigorous quality standards are maintained throughout production.
Each fully-assembled articulated truck is driven 12 laps, around nine kilometres, around the Caterpillar Peterlee test track before undergoing further static tests. After a thorough wash, the articulated truck undergoes a comprehensive pre-delivery inspection (PDI) before being booked for dispatch to its purchasing customer.
There is a well-staffed Research and Development Centre on the Peterlee factory site, staffed by Caterpillar engineering talent from around the world.
Caterpillar Peterlee has an active apprentice recruitment programme dating back to DJB’s ownership of the site. More than 50 apprentices are currently part of the programme, which combines practical work at Peterlee with university-based learning over a 3-4-year period. Plant himself joined the site through the apprenticeship scheme 39 years ago, working his way up the seniority ladder to a role on the senior management team.
“Workers like Stuart who have had a successful career at the company are a symbol of deep expertise and commitment – understanding every step of the process and the level of detail required to produce a world-class product. Our dedicated operatives are always striving for excellence in our processes, understanding the importance of what we produce for our customers,” stresses Maw.
As the tour concludes, our group enters and takes in the well-lit, spacious PDI area. “End-to-end quality and attention to detail are at the heart of the factory’s work,” says Plant.
Freeman enthusiastically adds a final comment. “The three key takeaways I want you to have today about our articulated trucks operation are its commitment to safety, quality and productivity improvements that improve our customers’ bottom lines.”
Those final thoughts from Plant and Freeman are fully echoed throughout the visit, including by Caterpillar’s Michael Miller, whom we rejoin in the main site meeting room before heading to the nearby Cat demonstration and testing quarry. It is safe to say his father would approve of them, too.
