Cat® dealer WesTrac has reached a significant milestone by delivering its 100th Cat Next Generation Medium Wheel Loader, 18 months after its introduction to the Australian market.
The delivery was made to MGM Bulk, a well-established haulage company headquartered in Bunbury.
MGM Bulk has a long-standing relationship with WesTrac, having integrated Cat products prominently in its operations over the past six decades. Cat machinery constitutes approximately 90 per cent of MGM’s fleet and is extensively used across various industries for diverse services including haulage, quarrying, and port loading.
MGM Bulk Fleet Manager Allan Thomas says the full spectrum of Cat wheel Loaders are a key part of MGM’s operations from the Pilbara to the South West, helping meet ever evolving productivity targets.
“Over the years we’ve had all sorts of machines,” he says. “The smallest one we currently have is the Cat 924K going all the way up to Cat 988s and 992s.
“The latest and main purchase we make these days are the Cat 982s, which are part of the Next Generation range. We are up to our eighth of those in our fleet.”
The most recent Cat 982 purchased in August 2023 is destined to be put to work with 11 others filling ultra quad road trains carting iron ore in the Pilbara.
The machines average 7000 hours per year (almost 20 hours per day), giving them a front-line lifecycle of roughly two and a half years.
According to WesTrac Construction Product Manager Lawrence Hayles, a long list of features means Cat Next Generation wheel loaders are ready-made for operator comfort.
“We’re rich in resources and construction activity in WA,” he says. “These machines are ideally suited for the construction market as well as resources in loading road trains, feeding hoppers and crushers on mine sites.
“It’s the most advanced machine in its class in terms of operator comfort, ergonomics, and safety.
“It’s easy to access and egress the cab and once you’re in the cab, the gear, the amount of adjustments in the seat – that’s heated and cooled by the way – dash layout touchscreens and seat mounted controls make it a very safe and controllable machine.”
For more information, visit: www.westrac.com.au