This October, Caterpillar’s Demonstration and Learning Center in Malaga, Spain, will become the stage for a major international competition in which dozens of construction machinery operators from across Europe and the Middle East are set to take part in what has been dubbed ‘the toughest competition on earth.’

Marking its ninth year, the Caterpillar Operator Challenge will again set the scene for a gritty contest of man and iron. In all, 60 participants from 28 countries are expected to take part in the finals held from October 2 to 6.
The best operators from Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia-Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE and UK will be competing for the championship of construction equipment.
To reach the Malaga finals the participants must first win a series of local and national events. Back in May, Mohamed Abdel Rahman Al Bahar, Cat dealer in the area, selected the three best operators based on their scores in the local Operator's Challenge competition.
Champion Mohamed Arshad will now travel to Malaga to represent the dealer and the country.
The local Cat dealer events were open to anyone with the skills necessary to participate.
The Caterpillar Operator Challenge is the world’s only international competition bringing together construction equipment operators from very different backgrounds and specialties into a standardised contest that measures operator skills.
To win the event, a participant must perform generally well in all tests, which are carried out on a range of different Cat equipment, testing the diversity of the individuals’ skills from production loading to precision work tool control. The personal scores from each separate test are added and the person with the highest overall score wins.
The tests provide a fine opportunity for showcasing the skill and commitment to excellence of those who, day in and day out, bring out the best from Cat equipment.
 In the past four years, the winners of the competition have come from the Netherlands: Ton Verdam obtained the title for three consecutive times 2002, 2003 and 2004 and scored second last year right behind his countryman Peter van Schaik. This year’s competition is expected to be tougher than ever with the 60 most skilled operators of Europe and the Middle East gathering in Malaga.