In December, Caterpillar, Irving, Texas, announced every Cat® Customer Value Agreement (CVA) will have an opportunity for an upgraded services commitment for customers, starting in 2026. CVAs that include dealer labor provide a two-day repair commitment on common repairs to get the equipment back to work, or the customer gets paid. Additionally, parts next-day availability with the new services commitment includes maintenance, wear and repair parts, available for pickup at the customer’s requested dealer location.
Cat also announced in late December, the addition of a joystick option to new next generation Cat 140® motor graders. As of early 2026, customers globally will have the option of choosing either joystick (JOY) or lever/steering wheel (LVR) controls for the new 140. Pablo dos Santos, the Global Product Application Specialist for Cat, said: “Rather than having separate JOY or LVR models for the next generation 140, customers will choose between joystick or lever steering configurations similar to other options like tandem or all-wheel-drive, technologies and attachments.”
In early January, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) unveiled Cat AI Assistant. With Cat AI Assistant, Caterpillar is making it easier for customers to buy, maintain, manage and operate their equipment no matter where they are. Cat AI Assistant unifies Caterpillar’s diverse portfolio of digital applications and vast amounts of data into one conversational experience. It operates against the entire Caterpillar knowledge base and serves as a proactive partner for customers, providing personalized data and insights, and enabling faster, smarter decisions.
For fleet managers and business owners, Cat AI Assistant is an extra set of eyes on their equipment—evolving alongside their operations, continually refining insights and recommendations to help turn unplanned incidents into planned maintenance.
For a technician, Cat AI Assistant is a partner that can, with a voice command, and without interrupting the task at hand, access the right section from a library of thousands of instruction manuals. It provides step-by-step guidance on repairs, highlights common issues and suggests additional parts needed to complete the job.
For an operator, Cat AI Assistant connects every step of the workday from machine startup to shift handoff. It can function as a coach in the cab, providing operators with information to work smarter and safer without switching screens, returning to the yard or losing focus. Cat AI Assistant leverages the NVIDIA Jetson Thor platform to run speech recognition and advanced AI models and can even assist with directing the machine.
With industries facing talent and skills gaps, and customers managing increasing job site complexity, Cat AI Assistant can help a less experienced operator improve productivity.
Caterpillar plans to bring the off-board Cat AI Assistant live in the first quarter of this year and was in the final stages of validation for in-cab applications in January.
For more information, visit your local Cat dealer.