Alternatively powered construction equipment and tools continue to be the talk of trade shows with more new prototypes and models rolling out at every event. ConExpo 2023 served as the catalyst for many of these announcements, with nearly every major manufacturer teasing or showcasing their battery or hydrogen construction equipment, along with charging and fueling solutions. This year’s CES, World of Concrete, ARA Show and World of Asphalt also saw their share of headlines – from Cat debuting its battery-powered R1700 XE LHD underground loader and 301.9 electric compact excavator to Crat ..read more

Boeing’s outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun will also exit Caterpillar’s board of directors, according to a report from Reuters. Calhoun informed Caterpillar of his decision to forgo re-election to the board at the company’s 2024 annual shareholder meeting, the company said in an April 3 regulatory filing. “Mr. Calhoun’s decision was not the result of any disagreement with the Company. The Board of Directors is very grateful to Mr. Calhoun for his valuable contributions and many years of dedicated and excellent service,” the statement said. Caterpillar’s Board of Directors currently has 10 members. Cal ..read more

To help businesses promote their efforts in sustainable and more environmentally friendly practices, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has launched the Diesel Emissions Identification Program. It is a voluntary emissions control labeling program for owners and operators of non-road and on-road construction equipment, including excavators, concrete mixer trucks, and dump trucks. Labels are provided to identify the engine exhaust emissions profile for each piece of equipment at a construction site. “As Oregon’s population continues to grow, we are seeing more housing and c ..read more

An Oregon man is lucky to be alive after a runaway saw blade struck the wall of a convenience store, moments after he walked inside. Surveillance footage shows Shane Reimche, 43, walking into the Quick Trip Market in Eugene, Oregon, on March 28, when a large concrete saw blade shoots across the parking lot from a nearby construction site. (Check out footage of the incident in the video below.) The blade lodged itself deep into the store’s wall, just inches away from the main entrance that Reimche had walked in seconds earlier. Reimche told OregonLive that as he approached the door, he hea ..read more

At the ARA Show in New Orleans in February, Equipment World caught up with Leandro Lecheta, CNH Industrial’s head of construction equipment for North America. Lecheta oversees both the Case Construction Equipment and New Holland Construction Equipment brands and the CNH Industrial Aftermarket Solutions business — the company’s parts and service organization. Below he shares his thoughts on the state of the industry, the possible impact of the presidential election, if more heavy machine launches are on the horizon, and where the company is placing its technology bets. CNH IndustrialEquipment W ..read more

After 2022, the construction industry’s deadliest year since 2005 for trench collapses, at least 18 more workers have died in trenches, according to online safety records and media reports. The deaths have been reported across the U.S., from Georgia to California, with the most common OSHA citation being failure to use proper cave-in protection – primarily, a trench box. Some states had more than one fatal collapse during that time. Oklahoma and New York each had three deaths since 2022. Texas and California each had two fatalities. (A brief description of each of the 18 fatalities is provided ..read more

Despite a stack of evidence to the contrary, Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu sees continued room for pessimism in his 2024 economic outlook. According to his forecast, a recession is forthcoming in very late 2024. Having maintained that pessimistic outlook for the past couple of years, Basu has acknowledged that he’s likely going to be wrong, much like he was in 2023. “There’s too much momentum for the economy, and until I see the stock market lose some of this value, there is so much wealth flowing in right now, the U.S. economy just cannot ..read more

Cat has unveiled “the largest track loader in the industry” with its new 973. Designed to clear, load, dig, carry, fill and more, the 65,901-pound do-it-all machine is powered by a 275-horsepower Cat C9.3B diesel engine. It replaces the 973K worldwide and joins the 160-horsepower 953 and 202-horsepower 963 in the Cat track loader line. Cat says the new machine is packed with upgrades, including better fuel efficiency, more productivity, an improved cab, and optional Payload technology. Inside the updated cab, operators will find a suspension seat with adjustable armrests/controls, a 10-inch to ..read more

Caterpillar’s PM300 series cold planers have been updated with multiple design enhancements designed to improve machine performance, operating comfort, and milling power.  The PM310, PM312, and PM313 cold planers are designed for small to medium-size applications where a more compact, maneuverable machine is required. These updates mark the third generation of this series since its debut in 2018.  According to Jameson Smieja, Caterpillar sales support consultant, there are more than 20 improvements overall. One of the changes was the integration with the Cat C9.3B engine, a ..read more

Skanska has expanded its use of zero-emission electric equipment on its project to extend a Los Angeles subway line, becoming one of the first in North America to deploy Hamm’s new battery-powered HD 12e VV compact roller. The company, which is part of the design-build team on the $2.9 billion Section 1 of the West Side Purple Line Extension, reports that it is operating one of the five pre-production models in North America of the tandem-drum vibratory compactor. It is among the first all-electric compactors to be used on an ongoing U.S. project, Skanska adds. Skanska was also among the first ..read more