The approval keeps the truck’s warranty intact and lets North American dealers order K-Tec scrapers, hitches and parts directly
For contractors moving dirt over long distances, the choice between haul trucks and scrapers has usually meant running two different fleets. Komatsu is now offering a way to blur that line. The manufacturer has approved the K-Tec 1237 ADT scraper for use with its new HM460-6 articulated dump truck, creating a mass earthmoving combination that needs only one operator and can be turned back into a conventional dump truck when the job changes.
The ADT scraper concept, in which a tow-behind scraper is hitched to an articulated hauler instead of a dedicated scraper tractor, has built a following on large earthmoving sites. What often holds fleets back is the question of support: who stands behind the truck when it is pulling equipment it was not sold with?
Komatsu’s answer is that its engineers have tested the pairing for jobsite conditions, and the HM460-6 keeps its one-year unlimited warranty when running with the K-Tec unit. Optional extended coverage of up to 60 months or 10,000 hours remains available for the truck.
The agreement also simplifies the buying process. Effective immediately, Komatsu dealers across North America can order K-Tec scrapers, hitches and parts directly from K-Tec.
The combination
The HM460-6 was introduced at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 as the replacement for the HM400-5. It is rated at 518 hp and delivers 23 percent more torque than its predecessor. Its new DBA127 diesel engine does without exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), which Komatsu says reduces overall fuel consumption and puts it entirely towards the working effort of the truck.
Behind it, the K-Tec 1237 ADT carries 37 cubic yards of material.
Traction matters more than usual when a truck has to load a scraper. The HM460-6 pairs a new nine-speed Komatsu transmission and intelligent gear control with the Komatsu Traction Control System and cross-axle differential locks. Standard hydro-pneumatic suspension is designed to keep the ride comfortable and stable, and the powertrain is tuned to balance performance and fuel efficiency on soft and wet ground.
Why it matters on site
“Mass earthmoving provides many machine combinations to get the job done right, all guided by the size of the jobsite and the distance between the cut and final grade to the primary dumping site,” said Bruce Boebel, Director of Construction Product and Service at Komatsu. “An articulated truck chassis matched with a tow-behind scraper delivers serious advantages in long-distance hauling applications, as well as the ability to handle soft and complex ground conditions, and travel at a relative high rate of speed.”
For K-Tec, the appeal lies in how contractors can use their capital. “They can run the HM460-6 as a traditional haul truck or put a K-Tec scraper behind it when that’s the better tool for the job,” said Shaun Eidse, Director of Product at K-Tec. “That gives them a lot of flexibility in how they use the truck and where they put their capital.”
In practical terms, a fleet manager can keep one asset working through different phases of a project: scraping during mass excavation, then hauling once the cut-and-fill work is done.
The approval applies to Komatsu’s North American dealer network. For contractors already running Komatsu articulated trucks, it removes the warranty question that often stands between them and a scraper setup. Whether the combination pays off on a given job will depend, as Boebel points out, on the distance between the cut and the dump site.
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