Estimation of large open pit haulage truck requirements

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 92, No. 1028, 1999

G.H. Blackwell, Department of Mining Engineering, QueenÕs University, Kingston, Ontario

Open pit mine management must ensure that sufficient trucks are available and are being used effectively for production, and that operating costs are under continued control and review for improvements. This paper describes methods for estimating truck fleet requirements which have been used effectively at large- and medium-sized open pit mining operations. Applied to commonly available data, multiple regression analyses can indicate when mine plans should be revised toward optimizing the number of trucks required. Prediction of major cost items for budgetary purposes is addressed, along with an example of how readily available production data can be used to reduce costs systematically.

Keywords: Open pit mining, Equipment, Truck fleets, Mine management, Operating costs, Production costs.