It should be noted that not every dozer has tracks, but for ones that do, the design of a tracked undercarriage provides a number of advantages. As compared to wheels, a few advantages of tracks are:
Better Traction When Pushing Materials
If you look at tracks and wheels, you’ll immediately notice just how much more surface area in which a track has contact with the ground. All of that extra surface contact is put to use when a dozer is pushing a heavy load or really digging into the ground and the tracks are maximizing the machine’s traction. The dozer’s tracks and its often heavy weight mean that when a bulldozer is pushing forward it will keep going forward, even when the forces pushing back start building up.
Less Slippage in Loose and Soft Materials
All of the ground contact a track has also allows it to stay in place or move when the ground is less than trustworthy. Unlike a tire that only comes into contact with a small part of the ground, a track is touching enough ground that even as the ground moves or erodes the machine can remain steady and maneuverable. Sandy surfaces, muddy ground, and loose hills that no wheeled machine would ever mount are often no problem for a tracked dozer.
Less Impact to the Ground in Certain Conditions
If you’ve ever had a tracked machine cross your perfectly maintained lawn, you know they can do a lot of damage to the ground. But under the right conditions they can be much less destructive or impactful to a surface.
Picture a wet field on a warm morning just after a rain and a narrow wheeled machine heading across it. You’d quickly see deep ruts and maybe even stuck equipment. But now, swap in some tracks and you’d notice that since the tracks distribute the weight across a much wider area they can prevent the machine from sinking into the ground and allow it to better float across the surface.
