PEORIA, IL - Caterpillar Inc. has received a J.D. Power and Associates Award for ranking highest in customer satisfaction for its Pickup and Delivery Heavy-Duty diesel engines as part of the 2007 Heavy-Duty Truck Engine/Transmission Study. This award is the tenth Caterpillar has received from J.D. Power and Associates for heavy-duty truck engine customer satisfaction.

Caterpillar received the highest numerical score among pickup and delivery (day cab) heavy-duty diesel engines in the study, which was based on 2,677 primary maintainers of two-year-old heavy-duty trucks (Class 8 - weighing 33,000 pounds or more). Pickup and delivery vehicles usually return to their home base each night and are used in on-road applications, such as package delivery, beverage processing and distribution, food processing and distribution, and petroleum distribution.

Four vital engine factors were measured (in order of importance): engine quality (30 percent); engine performance (26 percent); engine cost of ownership (22 percent); and engine warranty (22 percent). According to the study, Caterpillar rated highest in customer satisfaction in the heavy engine pickup and delivery segment with an index score of 754, and particularly well in the “engine quality” and “engine performance” factors.

The truck engines use Caterpillar ACERTTechnology. A systems approach to emissions reduction, it relies on advanced technologies in four key areas: improved air management, precision combustion technology, advanced engine electronics, and a simple after-treatment process.