In the first week of July, the first Morooka MST-3000VDR rubber track carrier, with enhanced hydraulics and a larger bed, rolled off the line at the manufacturing facility in Ashland, Va.

Morooka's VDR models all feature an upper structure that can rotate 360 degrees in either direction independently from the undercarriage and tracks. This helps users reduce surface damage that occurs when turning the machine, as well as aiding users that have limited operating space, according to the manufacturer.

The new MST-3000VDR is powered by a 300 hp Caterpillar C7.1 engine and can handle a maximum load of 36,000 lbs. Even so, it has a top speed of 8 mph and yet only exerts a ground pressure of 3.6-8.0 psi.

Ken Byrd, founder and president of Morooka USA, recounted just how the new machine came to be. When Morooka customer Bobby Ross of Rosscapes Inc., in Canonsville, Pa., needed something with a bit more capacity than the MST-2200VDR, he turned to his local dealer, Anderson Equipment.

Anderson Equipment, Rosscapes and Morooka America worked closely together to develop the MST-3000VDR, the largest U.S.-built rotator to date.

The carrier's power and carrying capacity allow Rosscapes to move dirt nearly twice as fast as before, according to the company.

Rosscapes, which specializes in environmental restoration services such as wetland and stream restoration, currently has a fleet of five Morooka rotators and is looking to add more MST-3000VDR units in the future.

The MST-3000VDR is currently available by special order only.

For more information about Morooka, visit www.morookacarriers.com.

For more information about Rosscapes, visit https://www.rosscapes.com/.