The Terex King of the Dirt Media Days, held Nov. 13-15 in Memphis, Tenn., were all about playing in the dirt, or Memphis mud as it turned out. The rain and cool temperatures, however, didn't dampen the fun of getting to see and operate more than 15 new products from the Westport, Conn.-based company.

Beginning the field day at the historic Peabody Hotel, Dean Barley, director of product support for Terex Construction Americas, outlined the company's current dealer network and its plans to move into the Latin American market.

“Our true commitment to the end customer can only be supported by a dealer network,” says Barley, who explains that the company is looking for the “dealer of the future.”

The company currently has 215 dealers with more than 400 locations in the United States and Canada. Its new Southaven, Miss., distribution center features 500,000 square feet of working space and can accomplish 24- to 40-hour turnaround on all parts orders, because of its close proximity to the FedEx hub in Memphis. This location also helps the company achieve a 98-percent parts fill rate, according to Barley.

The equipment demonstrations were held at the Memphis Motorsports Park where, weather permitting, attendees could take a few laps around the track riding shotgun in a NASCAR stock car.

At the park, the day continued with the well coordinated and choreographed “Terex Diggin', Movin' and Groovin' Show,” presented by Lowell Stout, senior product manager, and Richard Ghent, product demonstrator. Later, product managers were on hand at eight equipment stations to introduce and demonstrate equipment including the TXL300-2 wheel loader, the TX870B tractor loader backhoe and the GTH842 telehandler.

Since July 2003, more than 600 design improvements have been made to the company's loader backhoe line. The new TX870B features a long backhoe boom for an increased reach of 24 feet and a digging depth of 20 feet, 4 inches. A flow-compensated, closed-center control valve on the backhoe is designed to provide unmatched controllability. In addition, high ground clearance provides better operation over rough terrain in construction areas.

The new Terex TXL300-2 wheel loader is engineered to provide exceptional breakout force and generous engine power that shortens cycle times and increases bottom-line productivity. It comes standard with a load-sensing steering system that features a flow amplifier, a priority valve and a powershift transmission that can be used in manual or automatic modes to give operators reliable performance. The TXL300-2 has a standard bucket capacity of 3.9 cubic yards and a breakout force of 36,419 pounds.

The GTH842 telehandler is designed for pick-and-place applications in the construction, landscaping and agricultural markets. It comes standard with 4-wheel drive and three steering options: 2-wheel, 4-wheel coordinated and 4-wheel crab. Engineered with smooth joystick controls, the GTH842 can handle a wide range of attachments, including pallet forks, buckets and a truss boom. It features an operating weight of 21,500 pounds, a maximum lift capacity of 8,000 pounds and a maximum lift height of 42 feet.

Though the rain and wet track prevented me from realizing my NASCAR dream, it didn't take the fun out of getting dirty operating Terex' latest product innovations.