by Nick Drew | Tue 18 Aug 2026
Taking a Closer Look at the Cat D11
When I was a young earthmoving equipment enthusiast, the most iconic dozer for most of my generation was the Caterpillar D9G, but that machine was eclipsed in 1977 with the launch of the mighty D10, Caterpillar’s first elevated sprocket design tracked type tractor.
The D10, along with its various upgrades, was eventually shoved into second place in the Big Cat dozer line up by the D11N in 1986, followed by subsequent upgrades with the D11R 10 years later, the D11T in 2008 and the Next Gen D11 model in 2019.
During numerous visits to Caterpillar’s Demonstration & Learning Centre in Malaga, Spain, the D11T has always been a spectacle worth waiting for as it appears on the horizon during the Malaga “Big Push” finale, I have longed to get a shot in the seat of that dozer for a long time, sadly, due to changes in staff, I have not been invited back as a member of the press since 2019, so its looking unlikely I will get that chance, but we live in hope!
Photo: Up close and personal with the 'Big Fella', D11T at Cat's Malaga facility in 2013.
The most recent upgrade for the big Cat is the D11 (O7B) model and in the video below, we can find out some fascinating facts about the new model and the history behind this behemoth dozer, courtesy of Cat’s Application Specialist Luke Fischer.