Caterpillar relaunches Global Operator Challenge

After a two-year hiatus, Caterpillar has announced its Global Operator Challenge is back and will be bigger, better and more competitive.

First held in 2019, the competition was designed to test the skills of machine operators in a series of tasks including loading an articulated truck, navigating obstacle courses in a skid steer and playing golf in a mini excavator.

Of course, all tasks are performed in Caterpillar branded machines and thoroughly test operators’ agility, mental toughness, versatility and competence in using integrated technology in Cat machines.

In the first ever 2019/2020 event, over 10,000 operators from over 30 countries took part, with nine regional winners selected to participate in the finals at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG event in March 2020.  

Ultimately, Jaus Neigum from Canada was named the world champion and winner of Cat’s inaugural Global Operator Challenge.

In 2019, when the event was announced and the regional heats were held, 67 Cat dealers were involved in hosting local competitions for the Operator Challenge. For the 2022/2023 competition, over 80 Caterpillar dealers have signed up to host the heats, making it Caterpillar’s largest construction industry event.

“Whether their expertise lies in digging a trench, moving aggregates, or managing demolition, our Global Operator Challenge will be demanding for even the most experienced operators,” said Caterpillar Inc Construction Industries group president, Tony Fassino.

“We can’t wait to see what they can do with our machines.”

The first round of the Global Operator Challenge consists of local qualifiers, hosted by Cat dealers starting in March and running through September 2022. To make this year’s competition even more challenging, Caterpillar has added the requirement that every event must feature three different challenges on three separate pieces of equipment. Therefore, operators must master a broad assortment of equipment in order to qualify for the next round. 

Those who qualify in the local dealer events will then move onto regional semi-final competitions in October 2022. Nine finalists will emerge from the regional semifinals and participate in the global finals competition in Caterpillar’s outdoor Festival Grounds exhibit F4455 during CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas, March 2023.

The winner of the competition will receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to one Caterpillar facility worldwide. 

“I’ve been operating Cat machines for more than 15 years, and having the opportunity to demonstrate my skills and compete against peers from around the world was one of the most rewarding experiences in my career,” said reigning world champ, Jaus Neigum.

“If you’re an operator of heavy equipment, this is a contest you don’t want to miss. And, if you’re a business owner like me and my partners, I encourage you to put forward your best operators, because this competition is going to be even bigger and better than the last one.”

During each portion of the Global Operator Challenge, participants execute a variety of tasks such as digging a trench, loading a precise amount of dirt, and hauling or maneouvering the equipment through a variety of obstacles. Scoring is based on the operator’s skills, efficiency, as well as his or her competence in using integrated technology to enhance the machine’s performance.

Cat next generation machines feature a plethora of integrated technologies such as Cat Payload, Grade and Command; Return To Dig and Return To Carry which are available for operators to take advantage of to help them get ahead in the competition.

For more information about the Global Operator Challenge or to express interest in participating in the competition, go to www.cat.com/operatorchallenge.