To reduce fleet mining downtime, you’ve got to take a strong approach to proactive maintenance, as well as a safer on-road & on-site culture. Mining is an incredibly fragile sector that’s consistently confronted with its own set of challenges. And if you’re not strategic about how you run your operations, you risk serious downtime and losing your competitive edge.
Despite the looming concerns of downtime, it’s completely possible to keep your business thriving, secure livelihoods, maintain economic power, and remain sustainable & competitive.
Learn more about reducing your mining fleet’s downtime and see how Cartrack can help you achieve that.
The secret to cutting down on fleet mining downtime is to have a fleet management system in place. The fleet system you choose should be sophisticated enough to help you build a proactive maintenance management schedule, support safer driving & equipment operations, and avoid reactive responses altogether.
Equipment downtime is when any of your equipment or assets are not operating as intended. This is often due to mechanical breakdown but could also be because of non-compliance (which then halts operations) and even operational mismanagement. Downtime is usually categorised as planned or unplanned.
Reactive repairs are costing you millions by stopping your operations from continuing smoothly and leading to emergency repairs, rather than planned, scheduled maintenance. The real dent to the pocket comes from suspended operations.
According to Tractitian, identifying the failure early is not only ten times cheaper than reacting to it, but halted operations cost two to three times more than the cost of the repair itself. Repairs may carry a direct cost, but it’s the lack of operations that can do serious damage to your business profits.
Fleet downtime hits South African mining sites harder because we often face a unique set of challenges. From infrastructure difficulties like load-shedding to operational matters like skill gaps, outdated software, and old-school equipment; these can create serious disruptions that lead to expensive downtime.
Check out these important local reasons to keep in mind:
Traditional maintenance scheduling still fails because it doesn’t account for what’s about to happen before it happens. Traditional maintenance uses manufacturer-suggested guidelines for maintenance, which is helpful, but not enough!
What makes something like predictive maintenance special is that it takes those guidelines, combines them with data analysis (thank you telematics, defect detection, and AI), and uses them to identify faulty parts BEFORE they cause a breakdown.
Traditional maintenance is rigid and more about checking off a list of to-dos rather than trying to tackle the issues before they become bigger problems.
Some high-impact strategies to keep your operations running include introducing a smart fleet management system, keeping your team trained and coached, and having a downtime protocol in place—one that the whole team is familiar with.
Let’s break each of these strategies down:
An advanced fleet system gives you access to an endless number of tools and technologies that make fleet management easier. These tools should include support for maintenance management, like real-time GPS tracking, telematics, IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, pattern recognition AI software, and more.
When these technologies are brought together, they produce a proactive maintenance schedule for your fleet and help you identify possible issues before they even happen. This helps keep equipment working and reduces downtime.
Even with the best fleet systems and equipment in place, a breakdown could still potentially catch you off guard.
You HAVE to plan for breakdowns. Don't run around like a headless chicken; know exactly what your next steps are and how to lead your team effectively. Your protocol might look different from other mining fleets, but take the time to carefully construct your priorities.
💡 If you’re still working on a rollout plan, important aspects to consider are:
Shape your protocol however you want to, but keep repair speed, transparency, and compliance at the forefront.
When your staff are well trained, they’ll know how to work the complex machinery correctly and in a way that’s safe, efficient, and with minimal wear & tear. Mining sites are unbelievably strict in their regulations, so with training, not only are you getting staff who are responsible, but you’re also getting them to consistently adhere to compliance matters.
On the other hand, if there are some repeat offenders of bad habits, you should coach them based on insights and feedback.
This may seem like a given, yet there are mining companies still operating on old, outdated infrastructure and equipment. It’s better to let go of the “old faithfuls" (which are likely the biggest cause of your mechanical failures) and invest in newer, high-quality equipment.
Although new equipment may present a higher upfront cost, you’ll save significantly in the long run thanks to reduced downtime.
Cartrack keeps your mining business up and running by offering one of the most sophisticated fleet solutions: FleetWeb. From AI, preemptive algorithms, and industry-leading technology to our customer-first mindset, we have everything you’re looking for in a solidified partnership.
Take a look at what WE can offer YOU:
Never worry about breakdowns with our predictive maintenance feature, getting alerts based on live odometer readings, manufacturer guidelines, and last service dates.
An important part of preventing constant maintenance and expensive breakdowns is daily inspections. FleetWeb allows you to digitise your vehicle inspections, keeping updated records of inspection histories and ensuring your drivers & operators remain safe and compliant.
Speaking of non-compliance, this is another aspect that could keep your fleet unmoving and facing downtime. If an inspector finds that anything is amiss, your mining operations could be brought to a halt. But with FleetWeb, you can ace fleet mining compliance with real-time reminders.
Get timely reminders for vehicle services, tyre rotations, licence renewals, insurance, and more; keeping your business maintained, compliant, and running.
You can also keep your maintenance logs digitally recorded, so you always have immediate access to service histories. Here you can ensure that your fleet’s health is preserved while also keeping an eye on potentially recurring issues.
💡DID YOU KNOW? How your on-site operators and drivers handle equipment is directly linked to an asset’s level of wear & tear. Poor handling = increased wear.
Encouraging your operators and drivers to be responsible on-site and on the roads improves their safety and keeps your assets in peak working condition. Cartrack offers AI-powered camera solutions that catch irresponsible incidents and audibly alert drivers in real-time, triggering smoking, fatigued driving & equipment operation, cellphone use, and more.
This prevents accidents (and subsequently downtime) in your mining fleet and promotes fleet safety.
In addition to this, you can use the recordings of these triggered events as a means to coach your drivers, especially if they’re repeat offenders.
Our driver scorecard feature keeps staff practising a safer on-site culture that keeps a mining business running. It’s also a way for you to promote and incentivise safe operations; driver insights and ratings can be used to reward responsible staff.
Safer staff leads to a compliant business and reduced equipment wear, which in turn prevents downtime.
Mining is a seriously high-stakes environment, and while breakdowns are a possible threat, they don’t have to be inevitable. Pair your operations with the right, future-forward technology so that you don’t have to face extended shutdowns, and remain a couple of steps ahead at all times.
Cartrack gives you complete visibility over every asset, monitors & keeps your machinery healthy, and helps you manage your fleet more intelligently. Call us today to kick off your journey towards a healthier, safer, and more efficient fleet!
Maximise uptime and cut repair costs. Discover how to reduce fleet mining downtime using predictive maintenance, telematics, and more from a fleet system.
