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"It's almost like an automatic-style transmission in a dozer," Drescher comments. "You don't have to think about shifting gears. It's always going to be at its maximum productive level, and you can focus on adjusting the load or maneuvering the tractor."

Fingertip functionality
The growing shift from pilot to electrohydraulic controls is enabling suppliers to further simplify dozer operation. Gone are most of the manual control levers in favor of multi-functional joysticks.

"Rather than steering levers and transmission levers, we have incorporated all the steering functions, as well as all the transmission and shift functions, into the joystick," Winker points out. "This has been enhanced by the addition of electrohydraulic systems. Before, our controls were all purely pilot-operated hydraulics. Now, we've added electronics to the systems so that we can effect a gear change by just pushing an upshift or a downshift button."

Hydrostatic transmissions readily lend themselves toward joystick operation. But even traditional torque converter powertrains have evolved, says Winker. "Before, the operator relied on an average of three levers for motion control, forward and reverse, left and right steering and transmission speed changes," he notes. "That's pretty much all combined into one now."

Steering clutches and brakes have been virtually eliminated. "Most machines are controlled with a single lever for direction, steering and speed in one hand," says Drescher. "Your other hand would be on your hydraulic control for your dozer blade.... So you really have a control system that allows you to run mainly with your hands. You don't need three hands and four feet, like you might have in the past. It's very simple and more operator friendly."