Western Edition
Published Nationally ® September 30 2018 Vol. IX • No. 20
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
Cat Hosts Autonomous Haul Truck Demo in Ariz. By Aaron Witt
Aaron Witt photo
CEG CORRESPONDENT
ASCO Celebrates Grand Opening of Facility in San Antonio...12
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Takes on $204M Dam Project...19
Brawny Off-Road Trucks Keep Jobs Moving Along..30
$3.00
The future is here. In the most remote places on earth, trucks hauling an upwards of 400 tons — about the weight of 200 cars — roam from pit to crusher with no humans in sight. These trucks are part of Caterpillar’s Cat Command for Hauling system, commonly referred to as autonomous trucking. Cat recently hosted a demonstration and learning event on the latest autonomous and Minestar technology at the Tinaja Hills facility in Southern Arizona. The technology and products were explained to a group of mining Every truck has an professionals from array of sensors on around the world in the front and back to detect objects and the morning and then stop within a single a live autonomous truck length fully demonstration was loaded at top speed held in the afternoon. if necessary. Autonomy is a misunderstood and a disliked topic within the mining and construction industries. Operators view the technology as a threat to their life’s work. Understandable, which is why Cat is continuously educating industry professionals about the technology instead of allowing the rumor mill to churn. Autonomy is best suited for remote areas like the Pilbara region of Australia where operators
are hard to come by due to a regular commute by aircraft, known as fly in fly out or FIFO. It’s a hard sell to the younger generation and mine operators are struggling to fill seats. Retirements are only accelerating.
This is why Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), whose mine manager presented to the group in person, ordered an autonomous fleet provided by Caterpillar. Its existing 793 trucks were retrosee TRUCKS page 44
Table of Contents ................4 California Section.........19-25 Off-Road Trucks Section ........ ......................................29-44
$1B Chase Center Tops Out Colo. Ballot: ‘Fix Our Damn Roads’ Chase Center photo
Snow Section................51-53 Parts Section......................56 Paving Section..............61-70 Auction Section ............73-79 Business Calendar..............74 Advertisers Index ..............78
On Sept. 14, the Golden State Warriors, Chase Center and Mortensen/Clark Joint Venture held a topping-out ceremony as the last piece of steel was lifted into place at the arena. FULL STORY on page 20
By Lori Tobias CEG CORRESPONDENT
Coloradans will vote on seven ballot measures in the upcoming November election, two of which are expected to significantly improve transportation around the state if passed. Proposition 110 (formerly Initiative 153 or “Let’s Go Colorado”) would increase the state sales tax by .62 cents to increase transportation investment, sunsetting in 20 see COLORADO page 58