Caterpillar Launches 789D Autonomous Water Truck

Irving, Texas - Caterpillar Inc., a construction and mining equipment manufacturer, introduces the 789D Autonomous Water Truck (AWT), designed to optimize mine site water usage by preventing overwatering and underwatering. Fully integrated into Cat Command autonomous haulage fleets, this industry-first AWT helps control haul road dust while enabling digital water tracking. Built on the 789D mining truck chassis, it combines the truck, tank, and Cat Water Delivery System (WDS), all connected through Cat MineStar technology for seamless operation.

The fully autonomous truck enhances efficiency by minimizing shift changes, meal breaks, and delays. Integrated with MineStar, the water truck coordinates with other autonomous equipment and mining operations. The 789D, Cat’s largest water truck, holds up to 165,000 liters (43,588 gallons) based on tank configuration. Its AWT system detects low water levels, automates refills, and prevents overfilling with an auto-shutoff feature.

Cat's MineStar Command integrates with WDS for seamless truck-to-console communication, ensuring reliability with built-in system checks. The exclusive WDS adjusts water flow based on speed, optimizing dust control and conserving water. Automated spray patterns enhance efficiency, while remote tank fill control boosts safety by reducing worker exposure.

The 789D AWT offers flexible operation, switching between autonomous and staffed modes for tasks like front water cannon use. The cannon delivers up to 2,839 liters/min (759 gallons/min) with a 60-meter (200-foot) spray range. Even in staffed mode, Auto Mode optimizes water flow for efficient dust control.

Mr. Corey Wurtzbacher, General manager and vice president of technology and global sales support at Caterpillar, said, “To meet contractor requirements for dust control, Caterpillar implemented a MineStar-integrated watering model based on many years of site watering studies and Cat WDS performance data. This model allows the truck to monitor traffic, weather, and road conditions, prioritize what areas need to be watered, when the areas need to be watered, and how many passes it should take to apply the correct amount of water saturation, for the given conditions.”