Autonomous Trucks in Mining
Mining operations generally fall into three categories:
- Strip mining
- Pit mining
- Underground mining
The extent to which autonomous trucks will impact jobs over the next five years largely depends on the type of mining operation. While automation is advancing rapidly, strict regulations are in place to govern their use. Each state’s mining department enforces specific rules to ensure safety and compliance on mine sites.
One critical regulation is the exclusion zone requirement: Autonomous trucks must operate in designated areas free of human presence. If a person enters the zone, all autonomous machinery is required to halt immediately to prevent accidents.
Strip Mining Operations
Strip mines are sites where the orebody—meaning the material being extracted—is located within a hill, on the surface, or very close to it. These operations are common in large iron ore sites across Northern Western Australia and significant coal mines in Queensland.
This mining method is well-suited for autonomous truck deployment, and these vehicles are already in use. Over the next five years, major iron ore and coal employers are expected to introduce more than 800 autonomous trucks across 20+ sites, replacing traditional truck drivers. BHP alone is rolling out 500 of these vehicles.
Due to the open layout of strip mines, exclusion zones can be effectively established. Here’s how it works:
- A digger, operated by a human, remains on one level.
- Autonomous trucks work below in a dedicated exclusion zone.
- This zone has separate entrances and exits, ensuring no human interference.
- Equipment operated by people follows independent access routes, keeping operations safely divided.
Because of this clear separation, strip mines provide an ideal environment for autonomous truck implementation. Their expansive nature allows mining companies to maintain safety, efficiency, and compliance with regulatory exclusion zone requirements.
Pit Mining Operations
Pit mining involves extracting ore from beneath the surface, requiring the excavation of a pit with an access ramp for equipment movement. These pits can vary significantly in depth, ranging from 20 metres to 650 metres—the current depth of Kalgoorlie’s Super Pit.
A key challenge in introducing autonomous trucks to pit mines is the single ramp setup. Since all mining equipment relies on this shared access route, it becomes difficult to establish the necessary exclusion zones for autonomous operations. Most pits do not have the structural flexibility to separate autonomous and manually operated machinery effectively.
For autonomous trucks to be widely adopted in pit mines, regulatory adjustments to exclusion zone rules would be required. However, mining departments have historically been hesitant to revise these regulations, prioritizing safety and operational consistency over automation adoption.
Underground Mining Operations
Underground mining involves extracting ore at depth, requiring the construction of a decline for access. In hardrock mining, autonomous loaders (boggers) have been operating independently onsite since 2006, though they still need a human operator to fill their buckets with rock. These remote bogger operator roles are commonly advertised on job sites like Seek.
The exclusion zone regulations for autonomous machinery were originally established in underground operations. Each loader functions on a single level, which must be physically barricaded from the main decline to prevent unauthorized access.
A new underground mine in Africa is being developed as a trial site for autonomous underground trucks. To enable their safe operation, the mine is implementing parallel declines:
- One decline exclusively for autonomous trucks.
- Another for human-operated equipment and personnel movement.
For autonomous trucks to operate on shared declines with other traffic, existing exclusion zone regulations would need to be revised—something mining departments have traditionally been hesitant to approve due to safety concerns.
The Takeaway
Do your research before committing to a mining career—understanding industry trends and automation developments is key.
For those just starting out and aiming for a long-term career (10+ years), Pit and Underground mines offer more stability. These sectors are less impacted by the shift toward automation compared to Strip mining operations, where employers are actively phasing out truck driver roles.
BHP’s Australian operations have already outlined a five-year timeline for replacing truck driver positions, reinforcing the urgency of choosing the right sector if job security is a priority.
If you need guidance on the basic requirements for working in the mines, explore our Mining Career Checklist, and your Pathway to Success
📌 DIY Introduction to Underground Mining – A 50-hour course packed with essential industry knowledge.
✅ Includes step-by-step resume guidance (takes about 2 hours with our template).
✅ Interview preparation questions to ensure you’re ready to impress.
✅ Direct mining company application details to kickstart your job search.
💡 Want a professionally crafted resume? Check out our 3 Step Plan Package for expert assistance!
Need Extra Help Breaking Into Mining?
📌 Workready Package – Get personalized support from a WA ticketed shift boss:
✅ Includes DIY Introduction to Underground Mining course package.
✅ Resume rework to highlight your strengths effectively and make it mining friendly.
✅ Interview prep & personalised career strategy to maximise success.
For more details on Autonomous Trucks in Mining, leave your contact information on our Enquiry Form page.
- Mining in Western Australia
- $2500 mining job no one knows about
- Remote work in Australia
- Entry level remote jobs
- 100k a year entry level mining jobs
- Mining entry level jobs
- Entry level jobs mining
- How to get a mining job
- Mining jobs with no experience in Australia
- Mining Australia jobs
- Mining jobs Australia no experience
#undergroundmining
#undergroundtraining
#entrylevelminingjobs
#fifoentryleveljobs
#fifojobsforbeginners
#miningaustralia
#miningcareers
#miningjobsaustralianoexperience
#noexperiencejobs
#westernaustraliamining
#workingholidayvisaaustralia
#highpayingjobs
#getaminingjob
#miningjobs