Mastering the Giants:

There is one load and haul truck that is resoundingly synonymous with mining, and that is the yellow giant the Cat 797.

This truck is not the truck of choice by accident, it was actually built for life in the oil sands. Originally designed in 1997 to handle tough underfoot conditions with high torque and durable frame, it was improved again in 2002 and a decade later in 2012.  

Finning played a crucial role in introducing the 797 to the Alberta oil sands in the early 2000s and those trucks are still adding value today. In 2023 alone, we delivered 33 797 haul trucks to our customers.

What makes this monster the perfect fit? 

• Unparallel Safety for Conditions in the oil sands: The sophisticated braking system employs retarding and braking over front and rear wheels, and a superior Traction Control System provides the ultimate in stopping power, even under the harshest conditions. If there was ever a piece of equipment to improve operator confidence, this is it.  
• The Epitome of Productivity & Efficiency: This sets the benchmark for effectiveness and output. While the colossal payload capacity is set at 400 tons, it is the genius of the mighty 4,000 horsepower engine and drivetrain design that makes all this possible. This kind of power and capacity makes this is the truck of choice when it comes to minimizing cost per ton. 
• 797 Haul Trucks are Built to be Rebuilt: Ingrained in its design and engineering the 797 is constructed to be resilient and durable, it withstands tough environments and operations. The high-quality materials ensure longevity and structural integrity. For these reasons many of the machines are rebuilt to maximize value for their owners. Using new, remanufactured, or rebuilt parts and components have allowed the trucks to go well over their expected 100,000 hours of usage. 

It’s no wonder oil sands industry leaders trust their operations with this mighty machine.

The key to success in the oil sands is production and productivity. One of the critical ways to maintain productivity is to ensure the trucks are always ready to work. But keeping a truck up and running, can be challenging considering how many hours they operate.  

Time saving features like long service intervals are a good start, but there are three key factors that help keep the trucks running: 

• Partnership with Caterpillar: Caterpillar has spent time and energy engineering and improving this truck for its customers. The design and the build have been crafted especially with customers in mind. 
• Pre-emptive Monitoring for Issues & Maintenance: There are several ways a customer might monitor their fleet of trucks. In addition to pro-actively planning preventative maintenance and regular inspections as recommended by Caterpillar, there are other indicators of performance including onboard monitoring which tracks many important key performance indicators (KPIs) like fluid levels, engine performance, etc. In addition, telematics systems allow for remote monitoring of the condition of the truck and help anticipate potential issues that could result in downtime. 
• Improving Operator Confidence & Quality: While the quality and maintenance of these trucks is an absolute must, the operators in the seats are a strong consideration machine uptime as well. Investing in training programs that develop operating proficiency is just as important. 

To explore more about how the Cat 797 is elevating operations in the oil sands check out these other articles on Finning.com

Finning is the world's largest Caterpillar dealer, selling, renting and providing parts and service for equipment and engines to customers across diverse industries, including mining, construction, petroleum, forestry and a wide range of power systems applications. We operate in Western Canada, South America, and UK and Ireland.