Big Loads - Post Photos Number 2

Pictures are good. It's neat to see all the work that is done to a big machine to get it moved. It's not just detaching the neck and loading it on. There is lots of work involved from taking it apart to putting it back together.

 

Not to mention the extra work of that stupid trailer.

 

Komatsu 930E chassis. 121K for the chassis. 201K gross.



Should look something like this once the rest of the pieces catch up to it in Australia.

 

Wait, you mean you actually got flat tires replaced within 10 hrs? Might want to let Knight know that this can, in fact, happen. They might be incredulous at first, but just keep at 'em.

 

The one that's built: what's that setting all round it on the ground?

 

Not big but it's a load anyway.

 

Not really sure. If I had to guess it might have something to do with lining up the blind spot cameras. It was basically a big tarp with a haul truck sized hole in the middle and a bunch of black + around it evenly spaced. There's about an 80ft blind spot over the right side from the driver's seat so it has cameras to try to help with that.

 

I can't find the photo but some company took a haul truck (797 I think) and positioned a bunch of equipment, light towers and people around it in the blind spots. Once that was done they took a panoramic photo from the operator's position. Not a single thing could be seen. Very scary.

 

Bad things can happen if one does not give these haul trucks a lot of respect. I have spent 40 years in mining and I cannot think of a mine where a cardinal rule is that haul trucks have right-of-way and all light vehicles (including the Class 8 trucks on mine) must communicate with such a truck when approaching and getting permission when overtaking so the operator is aware.

Incident last Oct in Nevada where E-350 van with nine people parked near a 340 ton (capacity) truck during a brief road closure and there was no record of communication between the two. When road was reopened haul truck tried to make U-turn and felt "some hesitation". He had run over the front of the E-350 and crushed the driver and front seat passenger. The other 7 were OK, but you can bet they will never forget that day.

That "hesitation" shows the difference in size and power; it is all you will feel behind the wheel of the big vehicle if you run over a pickup or van. Unfortunately, this double fatality was far from the first incident of this type. I was always very careful driving in mines and followed the rules above. There is no second chance.

 

Are you sure, or did you mean to say that haul trucks do have the right-of-way? I can't think of a mine I have been to where it is not the case that haul trucks have the right-of-way.