Review: Cat CT630S

David Meredith puts the new Cat Trucks B-double specialist, the CT630S, through its paces on the inside run from Brisbane to Melbourne

As I approached the new Cat CT630S at the Brisbane dealership, my mind went back two years to when I was the first journalist to ever be invited into Volvo’s Global Trucks Technology nerve centre in Australia.

The purpose then was to see how a major manufacturer proved its products – in this instance the all-new Volvo FH16 and its components – for world markets. The experience illustrated just how much engineering effort goes into designing items from turbochargers to gearboxes, windscreens to sun visors, and all of it focused on the combination of useability and durability.

Contrasting that experience was a visit to a large and reputable Chinese truck manufacturer the previous year, where the product intended for Australia relied entirely on the pedigree of the major components, all bolted to a domestic Chinese chassis, with no Australian road time or operator feedback at all.

The result was predictable. The truck failed in the marketplace, and despite big names in the engine compartment and driveline, the thing rode like a cart and steered like a donkey. I believe most of the initial stock is still sitting on grass – somewhere.

So I was ready to meet René Bueman, part owner of Procon MRM Transport, for a test run of the first production Cat CT630S prime mover, supplied in an Extended Cab format with sleeper. Rene and his firm are contracted by Cat Trucks to manage the data recording for Cat’s local engineering people, to ensure the specified values have been met in production.

He had already worked with the brand on several prototype versions of the shorter C15-engined Cat, and noted the fleet had amassed over one million kilometres in real-time fleet work with experienced drivers, all pushing the usual deadlines.

The engineering development for the new Cat CT630S had to include serious testing and development on the ground in Australia. High ambient temperatures, heavier loads and more inclines, combined with the smaller engine compartment, meant additional heat loadings that could easily cause failures. CAT engineers raised the cab 50mm to allow a better flow-through of air, and it was also moved forward 225mm on the chassis.

With the C15’s beefy turbo now within a few centimetres of the driver’s feet, the temperature at the firewall also needed close assessment.

Apart from testing the new model, Cat needed to prove the radically simple ADR80-03 emissions control set-up. For around 18 months, soot control in the twin particulate filters was a critical measurement to ensure compliance with the emissions regulations.

Because Cat Engineering required second-by-second polling on many of the 130 different CAN bus parameters, instead of the usual minute-by-minute polling rate, the massive load of data needed to be gathered in real-time. Cat’s local engineers turned to an Australian distributor for US-based Procon Telematics.

“CAT had a number of prototypes with operators all over Australia,” said Bueman.

“Procon developed its software to enable Cat to source the prototype’s CAN bus data remotely,” he added.

Procon hardware and software now sits in all the Cat Engineering prototypes and allows the Cat engineers to alter the data-feed parameters remotely.

So before I climbed aboard Cat’s latest, René messed about plugging the recording and monitoring equipment into the truck’s data port under the steering wheel.

The new CT630S is a shortened version of the successful CT630LS – a model renowned for the low-down torque of its Cat 15-litre engine. The new model shoehorns 550hp into a frame that affords 34-pallet capability on wheelbases between 4600mm and 4800mm, shrinking the turning circle for inter and intra-city work.

A bonus is the simplest emissions control system on the market. Two in-line DPFs (Diesel Particulate Filters) do all the emissions work, with no need for EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation), SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction), or AdBlue. Plus there’s none of the huge heat build-up common to many other engine systems.

Until now, there was a mismatch in the Cat line-up. If you wanted 550hp, you had to have a long wheelbase that impacted on load lengths. If you insisted on a shorter BBC (Bumper to Back of Cab), you were restricted to the 13-litre engine, which didn’t cut it for the heavy-duty tasks.

Cat’s new MD, Kevin Dennis, is quoted as saying the CT630S is a tighter package that should have been the first Cat truck released back in 2010.

My job for the two days was to pedal the new rig from Brisbane to Melbourne pulling a B-double set with around 54 tonnes on board for a gross weight of 62 tonnes.

You know what they say about first impressions – this new Cat was in great shape, with a flawless bronze paint job that glistened in the dealer’s yard.

Most other US-built trucks I have driven flash their underwear at the driver with messy bits of fibreglass and paint blobs along the bonnet seam and acres of ripples across the top. Not so with the Cat, which except for a missing cover panel under the driver’s door, kept its modesty from any angle. The build quality was outstanding.

The truck was brand new so it was as tight as a drum, and the 18-speed Eaton manual was much the same, needing encouraging words and gentle persuasion. But this C15 felt down on power and torque, particularly on any hint of a hill, where other rigs rumbled past with monotonous regularity.

I remembered the longer CT630LS I drove a couple of years ago pulling a double road train at around 80 tonnes – it was far more responsive. There is little doubt that with a few months’ work the C15 will loosen up a bit, but in reality the standard spec 3.91:1 rear axle ratio was a mismatch in the newest Cat.

With the optional 4.1 or 4.3 rear end the truck would have cruised at up to 1650rpm and had much more punch in the lower gears. A mechanical check-up after the run revealed some air leaks in the turbo system, which also would have cost some grunt.

Cats have always lived up to their namesakes for agility on bad surfaces, so the appalling roads down the inside route to Melbourne via Dubbo didn’t trouble it at all. Precise and responsive steering managed camber changes, cross-winds, potholes and ripples, mixed in with driving rain for the last few hundred kilometres.

On the slow grind heading up Cunningham’s Gap I got to look more closely at the interior fit-out. This model isn’t designed for lots of nights away so it was pretty sparse in terms of features, but Cat has trimmed the interior with refreshing colours and surfaces.

The steering wheel is thick and comfortable, arm rests on the inside of the seats complement the side door sills, and the touchscreen is large and clear with most digital services incorporated – though without a USB port.

My 1700km run returned an impressive 1.55km per litre, verified by Procon’s data system, and helped no doubt by the tall diff. But for interstate work drivers will want more urgency, even at the expense of a bit more fuel.

With every gear change, and every full-throttle charge at a hill, the latest Cat isn’t shy about reminding you you’re driving a big-block American engine and an Eaton 18-speeder. The noise may put off new-gen drivers, but old hands will love every clunk and grind.

CAT CT630S SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE: Cat C15 15.2-litre, in-line, six-cylinder, intercooled turbo-diesel

POWER: 550hp (404kW) at 1800rpm

TORQUE: 2508Nm at 1200rpm

EMISSIONS: ADR 80/03

STD TRANSMISSION: Eaton RTLO-20918B 18-speed manual

OPT TRANSMISSION: Eaton UltraShift Plus with Hill Start Assist

CONFIGURATION: 6x4

TARE: Day Cab 7990kg; Extended Cab 8170kg

GVM: 24,500kg

GCM: 90,000kg

WHEELBASE: 4800mm

BBC: Day Cab 2855mm; Extended Cab 3515mm

BRAKES: Drum

CABS: Day and sleeper

WEB: www.cattrucks.com.au

Review: Cat CT630S

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