Caterpillar^® announces full commercial production release of the CX31 automatic transmission for on-highway vocational applications. This release comes after completion of an extensive field testing program of more than 100,000 hours and 1.8 million miles with successful operation in a varied range of applications including cement mixer, aggregate, bulk material, and fuel haulers, pick-up & delivery, RV, and motor coach. The field-testing program demonstrated high product reliability that customers expect from Caterpillar products. This testing also illustrated performance advantages, including faster acceleration and better fuel economy, over other available transmissions in similar applications.

In concurrence with the production release of the CX31 transmission, Caterpillar is prepared to provide Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) with a fully integrated engine and transmission power train package using 2007 EPA compliant Cat^® C13 and Cat C15 ACERT^TM engines. This integrated power train package is available for Class 7 & 8 truck, RV, Motor Coach, Fire Apparatus, and other on-highway vocational chassis.

The combination of the proven performance of the Cat Engine coupled to the CX31 transmission provides users with the most advanced power train package available today. Field support is available through the Caterpillar dealer network, the same support network that has helped Cat earn six straight JD Power awards for customer satisfaction. Cat transmission users will further benefit from single source product support for the power train package, unparalleled in today’s marketplace.

“We see tremendous opportunity in the on-highway business segment for dependable, high-quality systems integrating Cat Engines and Transmissions,” stated Mak Mirhakimi, General Manager, Power Systems Marketing and OEM Solutions Group. “We are dedicated to providing superior products that meet the needs of OEM manufacturers and are built on the high quality standards established through Caterpillar’s core business segments.”