Empire Truck & Trailer Sells First CAT CT660!

It is official: Empire Truck & Trailer (ET&T) was the first dealer in North America to sell the new Cat CT660 truck to an end-user.

Davis Salvage Company, a Phoenix scrap metal and metal recycling company, ordered the unit this spring, not long after the CT660 went on the market. The truck chassis is scheduled to arrive in July and will be outfitted with a Spartan roll-off body before being delivered to the Davis operation, where it will be used primarily to haul bulk loads of iron and other metals.

“We are extremely excited about being the first dealer in North America to deliver this truck to a client,” said ET&T Sales Manager Mike Shannon. “We have put years into building Empire Truck & Trailer and partnering with trailer manufacturers, parts distributors and body and truck manufacturers. The Cat truck is a revolutionary product, and it is icing on the cake for our group!”

Davis Salvage has a long-standing relationship with Empire: the company has Cat machines and runs Cat-powered trucks, which are serviced by ET&T. Over the last two years, Shannon shared details of the new truck’s evolution with company owner Dave Barker. However, when Barker needed a quick replacement for his old truck, the CT660’s release date was still more than a year away.

Barker bought a good used truck from ET&T to bridge the gap. When the new Cat truck became available, ET&T sold his old truck and used the proceeds as a deposit on a CT660. As it happened, the truck was the first in the U.S. to be sold to a client, rather than a dealership.

“I knew that the CT660 would be perfect for Dave’s business,” said Shannon, “and he trusted my ideas on building it to fit his needs.” 

The Cat reputation for durability and reliability definitely factored into the sale, he added. So did the  new Cat transmission, which eliminates the need for clutch replacements or adjustments, provides better fuel economy, and allows drivers to keep both hands on the wheel at all times.

Details about the CT660’s arrival at ET&T and photos of the official delivery to Davis Salvage will be published when available. Watch for them!

Learn more about Empire Truck & Trailer at www.empire-tnt.com or about Cat Vocational trucks at www.drivecat.com.