Cat truck deal for Scottish Coal

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Finning UK has received an order from Scottish Coal, part of the Scottish Resources Group, for 10 Caterpillar 785D off-highway haul trucks and has finalised a deal for a seven year, 36,000 hour equipment support package.

The contract represents an investment of nearly US$36 million and takes Scottish Coal’s total investment with Finning on new equipment alone to over US$70 million. The company has delivered over 125 pieces of Caterpillar mining equipment to Scottish Coal since the beginning of 2008.

With the first of the 785D trucks set to be delivered to the Broken Cross surface mine in Ayrshire, Scotland, Scottish Coal will be the first company in the UK to operate the new D-Series version of the 136t payload off-highway truck.

The new trucks will be serviced and maintained by a dedicated team of Finning engineers who will operate from a new purpose built workshop and parts facility at the Broken Cross site.

Andrew Foster, Scottish Coal’s managing director commented: “With the introduction of the new Caterpillar 785D trucks, we are now well on the way to completing what is probably the most comprehensive fleet renewal programme the UK mining industry has ever seen.”

“We have made a real statement of intent in what is the worst recession we have seen in recent times. In going through the process of determining which manufacturer to help us make this significant step, it has been the ongoing assistance from Finning, the proven performance of Caterpillar products and the support of Cat Financial that has made this whole deal possible.

“I personally am very excited about the prospect of welcoming these machines to our mining operation at Broken Cross. However, what is more significant to me is the seven year support deal that Finning have put together to ensure we get the maximum output from our investment.”

Gary Agnew, Finning general sales manager said: “It is over 15 years since we last welcomed trucks this size into the UK and it underlines the improved outlook and the important role that coal production is playing in supporting the country’s energy requirements.

 “This is a really important deal for Finning and one that we have worked extremely hard to pull off. It reflects the importance of building long term relationships based on trust and excellent service support and shows that if you invest in service capability and infrastructure, even during difficult times, that investment will be recognised and rewarded.

“Although it is fantastic to sell the machines themselves, the really exciting part of the deal is the service agreement that will secure local jobs and allow us to continue to improve our support for this customer in what is an important sector for our business”.

In addition, Finning International has announced that its Canadian division has secured a key mining equipment and product support agreement with Imperial Oil. The company has chosen Finning as a mining mobile equipment supplier for the Kearl oil sands project.

The ten-year agreement includes the supply of Caterpillar equipment, parts, specialised maintenance labour and training.