Are you confident that is the case today? I know it used to be the case like 30 years ago, but I thought that was fixed since. Or did the advent of GPS trackers allow them to go back to The One Key? :-)

Oh 50/50. I know for a fact that the fleet of haul trucks on my current project all share the same key, and the bulldozers and excavators from the same manufacturer do as well.

I expect that equipment in rental fleets are keyed differently, though.

Interesting, thanks. I've long since become a software dev with tender, callous-free hands so I have no idea what the current state is.

For a lot of cat equipment this is true.

Go to a caterpillar dealer, and you can ask for a new key by model number. They don't need serial numbers.