STEVENS Equipment Rental has taken delivery of its 1,000th new machine while also becoming the first UK company to deploy the Cat 980 with AEB new automatic emergency braking technology.
The business recently invested in two Cat 980 30.9-tonne medium wheel loaders. A commemorative livery has been included to mark the 1,000th and 1,001st new machines and also represents early adoption of AEB technology to help increase safety.
Finning UK & Ireland delivered both loaders with a full suite of Cat technology including Cat CPM Weighloader, surround vision cameras, object and people detection, and Cat Detect collision mitigation system with AEB function.
Andrew Stevens, MD of Stevens Equipment Rental, said, “Over 50 years we have continually expanded our national fleet to ensure we can offer our customers the latest in low-emission, high performance machines. We are pleased to mark our 1,000th machine milestone with the Cat 980, which brings increased efficiency and ease of operation to customers working in the most demanding applications.”
After positive feedback from the purchase of a Cat 972 with object detection and mitigation in 2025, Stevens Equipment Rental specified the new Cat 980s to include the recently launched AEB.
“Safety is embedded in our ethos at Stevens Equipment Rental and we are proud to be the first in the UK to offer the Cat 980 with Cat Detect featuring the new AEB technology function,” Andrew Stevens added. “This innovative function will actively intervene and halt machinery to prevent struck-by incidents on site and is something we saw as an essential investment for improving site safety for our customers.”
As a new function within the Cat Detect collision mitigation system, AEB utilises an integrated sensor and smart camera to track obstacles and people on site. If an obstacle or person is detected in the critical zone, AEB automatically engages the service brakes should the operator fail to take evasive action.
The Cat Detect system also features a Motion Inhibit function that prevents any attempt to shift into gear from a stationary position if a person or object is detected in the critical zone by preventing gear engagement and notifying the operator.
Neil Baxter, key account manager at Finning, commented, “We are thrilled to share this milestone moment with Stevens Equipment Rental who have consistently chosen to make investments in both their fleet and technology to ensure the very best for their customers, both in machine productivity and safety.”
