Terex Titan: The American giant that once ruled the roads

When discussing the world's largest dump trucks, many initially think of names like Caterpillar or BelAZ from Belarus. Yet, one should not overlook the American company Terex, which brought into existence the extraordinary Titan 33-19. This unique model may have never seen mass production, but it continued to hold a Guinness World Record for several years nonetheless.

An article on the history of the Terex brand, published on the website 40ton.net not long ago, brings us back to the fascinating story of Titan 33-19. Even by today's standards, the specifications of the tri-axial vehicle are breathtaking—its length is roughly 67 feet, its width is 25.6 feet, and its height is 22.6 feet, clearly demonstrating its immense size.

Fully loaded, the vehicle weighed about 287 tons, with a haulage capacity reaching up to 387 tons. Remarkably, despite its substantial mass and dimensions, the vehicle boasted excellent maneuverability, thanks to its steering axles, allowing the front wheels to turn as much as 71 degrees. Naturally, such a massive vehicle required significant power to operate.

To meet this demand, the manufacturer equipped it with a robust 169-liter V16 Diesel engine from GM Electro-Motive Division. This 3300-HP powerhouse was connected to four electric motors on the wheels, producing enough energy to power over 3000 homes. It's no surprise that the Titan 33-19 had a hefty appetite for fuel—it consumed on average 5 gallons per mile, equivalent to about 303 gallons per 100 miles. This necessitated a fuel tank that could hold up to 853 gallons of diesel.

The unveiling of the prototype in 1973 was set to kick off mass production, with a price tag of $1.5 million for each unit. Accounting for inflation, that figure would be four times higher today. However, production ultimately concluded with just one pre-production model, which joined the fleet of the mining company Kaiser Steel and remained operational until the early 1990s.

After wearing out, the vehicle was restored, and its engine was removed. It has since become a tourist attraction in Sparwood, British Columbia, Canada—a testament not only to its size but also to its historic significance as one of the largest vehicles ever made. It maintained the Guinness World Record for the highest payload capacity until 1998 when it was eventually surpassed by models like the Caterpillar 797 and the BelAZ 75710.