Caterpillar Autonomous Trucks Hit Milestone in Virginia Quarry Operations

Caterpillar Inc. (no ticker mentioned) has achieved a significant milestone in its autonomous mining truck technology, transporting 3.5 million tons of quarry production at Luck Stone's Virginia operations. The company partnered with Luck Stone to launch an 18-month pilot project in November 2024 at the Bull Run Quarry, which exceeded expectations and paved the way for expansion to two more sites.

The collaboration between Caterpillar and Luck Stone has demonstrated the potential of autonomous hauling solutions to create value for both operations and workforce development. According to Denise Jordan, group president for Resource Industries at Caterpillar, 'By working together, we've gained insights that help us refine and scale autonomous hauling solutions that create measurable value for both operations and workforce development.'

Caterpillar will now deploy its autonomous haulage technology on the Cat 775 trucks at the Boscobel and Bealeton rock quarries. This project marks a significant expansion of Caterpillar's autonomous truck operations, which have hauled over 13 billion metric tons at various quarries and mines through the years.

Luck Stone has been producing crushed stone and other materials from its quarries for over 100 years. The company sees autonomy as a means to create a safer workplace, improve consistency for customers, and give associates opportunities to develop new skills in an evolving industry.