FLEXIBLE TRACK CREATES OPPORTUNITIES

CAT'S CCE Provides the Compact Advantage

Located in the Rio Grande Valley 500 miles south of Dallas - Weslaco, Texas, typically has two types of weather – hot and hotter. The intense heat, coupled with a dry, dusty wind that sweeps incessantly through the area, create a challenging environment for construction equipment. That's one reason Joe Don Scoggins, President of JDS Construction Co. Inc. relies on CAT^® equipment. "Our CAT^® machines work very dependably in the high temperatures and dusty conditions we get around here," he says.

Variable gauge undercarriage retracted for access to tight areas. Scoggins ought to know. His equipment fleet consists of two CAT 301.8 Mini Hydraulic Excavators, a CAT 246B Skid Steer Loader, three larger CAT Hydraulic Excavators, three CAT Motor Graders, two CAT Backhoe Loaders, three CAT Wheel Loaders, two CAT Asphalt Compactors, and two CAT Water Trucks. "Just about everything we own is Caterpillar," Scoggins says. "It's because CAT equipment is dependable. That's the main reason. We just don't have any downtime."

JDS Construction started out as a general contractor in 1998, mostly installing sidewalks. Five years ago, the company began doing utility work, concrete building pads and asphalt parking lots. Today, JDS Construction has 120 employees – and has developed a specialty. "Ninety percent of our workload is public schools in the Rio Grande Valley," Scoggins says. "Because this is a rapidly growing area, we currently have $89 million in school projects underway."

Although compact in size, JDS Construction's two CAT 301.8 Mini Hydraulic Excavators have proven to be key pieces of equipment on both school and residential worksites. A recent project involved excavating parallel, curved footings for a lecture hall. "Without our CAT 301.8, we would have needed to dig the trenches by hand," Scoggins says. "A larger machine would not have been able to access the area."

"It would have taken several days to dig the footings by hand, whereas our CAT Mini Hydraulic Excavator was able to do the work in less than one day. That saves us time, and they save us money. They also save wear and tear on my employees. What we're saving in labor costs is greater than our monthly payment on the 301.8."

"What really sold us on the CAT 301.8 Mini Hydraulic Excavators was the optional variable gauge undercarriage," Scoggins says. "Hydraulically operated track frames adjust the track gauge from 2'-6" to 3'-8".

"That feature enables us to work in existing subdivisions because we can drive the machine through gates to access backyards. It eliminates the expense of taking down a gate and then reinstalling it when the work is complete. Once we're at the worksite and we spread the tracks, the machines have impressive stability and balance, and that allows us to work with greater confidence."

"The variable gauge undercarriage is perfect for that type of work," he adds. "On a recent project, we hooked up sewer lines to 600 homes in three months. In addition, because of the compact size of the machine, we're able to work under overhanging branches and canopies. All things considered, our CAT 301.8 Mini Hydraulic Excavators are timesavers and money savers."

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