A Solution to Battle the Severity of the Driver Shortage
A Solution to Battle the Severity of the Driver Shortage
Description
It will take more than pay increases to attract new drivers. Rather than harping on
needing more trucks and drivers, a new approach needs to be taken to determine a
solution for the existing problems; the industry needs to consider ways to better utilize
existing trucks and drivers.

Related Resources

Part 4 - Information Systems and Maintenance Work Control
PAUL D TOMLINGSON
Part 4 – Information Systems and Maintenance Work Control - Parts 1, 2 and 3 of this series established that many existing fully-integrated information systems do not provide adequate support of supervisor’s maintenance work control needs. Work order elements are too complex and time consuming for use in the ‘pressure-cooker’ working environment of maintenance supervisors. As a result many supervisors are using ineffective work control procedures that neither control work nor provide field data for required information. In turn, maintenance planners are compelled to prepare ‘official’ work order documents to capture missing data. Many planners are simply ‘work order administrators’ with no time left to plan. When management requires information, these planners may be ‘creating’ bogus information misleading management decision-makers. Since not all work requires planning, a simpler work order element for supervisors can meet their work control needs and also allow them to control all non-planned work. Information system problems are acknowledged by system developers but without being corrected. However, many maintenance organizations have contributed by not developing a well-defined maintenance programs and specifying their information needs. Instead, they have accepted and tried to use the generic information output of overly complex package systems. This ‘log jam’ requires corrective actions. An outstanding PC-based system that satisfies the supervisors work control requirements, returns planners to their full time planning tasks and creates essential information has been identified. The system developer’s introductory presentation was obtained and is attached.
Performance Associates International (PAI) y Torex Gold colaboran para una puesta en marcha exitosa
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
Con demasiada frecuencia, las compañías de recursos naturales ponen en marcha plantas nuevas sin contar con un equipo de operaciones y mantenimiento debidamente capacitado. El resultado puede ser desastroso tanto en términos de seguridad como de ingresos. Obviamente el objetivo fundamental es una planta que funciona de forma segura y rentable. En la mayoría de los casos, la capacitación sobre seguridad que se da antes del arranque de la planta es satisfactoria, resultando en pocos accidentes (o ninguno) durante la puesta en marcha y operaciones subsecuentes. Sin embargo, muchas plantas son negligentes cuando se trata de la buena capacitación de su personal de operaciones y mantenimiento. Un programa de capacitación bien ejecutado compensa con creces los costos de ejecución del mismo. Si se va a presupuestar una ingeniería de alta calidad, un proceso de adquisición eficiente y una gestión de construcción experimentada y comprobada (incluyendo el comisionamiento), ¿por qué dejar a la suerte la capacitación? Performance Associates International (PAI) desarrolló un programa de capacitación por computadora comprensivo, el cual abarca operaciones y mantenimiento, para su planta de oro El Limón-Guajes en el estado de Guerrero, México. En el 2015, los especialistas de capacitación industrial de PAI viajaron al lugar del proyecto para entrenar a los empleados de Torex Gold en anticipación de la puesta de marcha de la planta y la producción de oro. El emprendimiento fue un “éxito masivo,” según Nelson Bodnarchuk, Director, Sistemas Operacionales. Este video cuenta la historia de ese éxito, incluyendo comentarios generosos de los oficiales ejecutivos de Torex, quienes reconocen nuestro papel en la colaboración.
Why Simulation?
IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Simulation based operator training has been successfully applied to a range of diverse industries where high risk and high costs are everyday issues requiring smart solutions. Whether piloting a plane or launching a space shuttle, simulation training has been proven to dramatically reduce risk, cost, unscheduled maintenance, increase trainer effectiveness and efficiency while maximizing productivity. Within the often hazardous mining industry, simulation training has quickly gained recognition as a significant method of increasing site safety and profitability through improved operator skill and knowledge. Simulators provide operators a safe environment to learn and practice their skills while allowing the operator to practice for a range of possible emergency situations. Many of these situations are too dangerous, too difficult or too expensive to test in an actual mine. Operators can also be shown and assessed for the proper operating technique much more quickly and accurately than the traditional in machine approach. Focus on improving operator technique with Immersive Technologies’ simulators has delivered proven results including longer tire life, reduced spot time, reduced brake abuse, improvements in fuel use, reduction in engine overspeeds and more. Simulator training allows operators to be shown and assessed without the need to borrow machines from production. This allows new operators to practice many skills before being placed into a production circuit. Because operators are consistently shown and assessed on the proper operator techniques they have a better understanding and knowledge of the real machine. Following Immersive Technologies release of the world’s first mining dump truck simulator in 1998, their customer results, support network, machine range, global mining footprint, level of realism and OEM endorsements are without equal in the industry. Highlighting the benefits of simulation training, four leading Original Equipment Manufacturers, Caterpillar, Hitachi, Komatsu and Liebherr have chosen to exclusively sign technical information licensing agreements with Immersive Technologies, providing access to proprietary technical information necessary to accurately replicate the operation of their mining equipment. After significant supplier evaluation each major OEM has chosen to exclusively recommend Immersive Technologies' Advanced Equipment Simulators. This unprecedented support and commitment from the OEM's has helped to firmly entrench Immersive Technologies' Simulator technology as the industry leader. This provides customers the comfort of knowing they are investing wisely in a proven and accepted technology that is here to stay. As the world’s largest supplier of mining equipment simulators, Immersive Technologies’ has a customer base that includes many of the world’s leading mining operations, mining contractors, training schools and original equipment manufacturers. Widely recognized as the global industry standard, Immersive Technologies’ has extensive experience in delivering complete training solutions to the mining industry with measurable safety and business improvement outcomes. Immersive Technologies has worked closely with thousands of mining training professionals, managers, and executives to deliver comprehensive solutions that have been proven to improve safety and mine profitability.
Superior Maintenance Performance: Three Conditions - One Answer
PAUL D TOMLINGSON
I have attached a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation on how to implementing a Mine Maintenance Management Program. But before you study it please understand that superior maintenance performance is built on three conditions: 1 - Maintenance proficiency – Maintenance personnel from manager to worker are proficient in all aspects of management, control and work execution. 2 - Knowledgeable support – All mining departments understand the help needed to make maintenance successful and provide it. 3 - Strategic direction – Mine managers assign mutually–supporting departmental objectives, provide policies to guide interdepartmental actions and verify performance. The one proven answer that meets these conditions is a quality maintenance program. That program must spell out who does what, how, when and why. These guidelines must be applied to the nine essential maintenance management phases: How to (1) Request or (2) Identify work, (3) Classify it to determine the best reaction, then how to (4) Plan, (5) Schedule, (6) Assign, (7) Control and (8) Measure the resulting work and finally, (9) Assess accomplishments against goals such as performance standards and budgets. All personnel in maintenance as well as those who interact with maintenance must be included in the program since every maintenance action requires a supporting or cooperative interdepartmental reaction. Just as the maintenance planner follows specific planning procedures, so must the purchasing agent who orders major component replacements for the job the planner is organizing. After 44 years as a mining maintenance management consulting in all types of mining operations, I can confidently state that the absence of a quality program will preclude meeting these three conditions and frustrate all efforts to achieve superior maintenance performance.
MacLean Innovation Report 2018 - Changing the face of the mining industry
MacLean Engineering
Sometimes a turning point can only be seen clearly in hindsight. Such is the case for the mine of the future as we begin 2018, coming out of a 2017 where major mining companies continued to demonstrate capital spending austerity and focus on debt reduction. All the while, there were growing signals that digitalization, electrification and automation were all gaining momentum, even though actual examples of minesite implementations could as of yet, still be counted on one hand. MacLean took the opportunity that industry downturn presented over the past several years to focus intensely on three key product development ventures – first and foremost, the battery electrification of our entire fleet, which will be complete by the end of 2018; second, the successful introduction of face bolting as a feature on our 975 Omnia bolter; and, third, the launch of the latest addition to our utility vehicle product line – the LR3 Boom Lift for heavy load and high reach applications. The past year was one where for the first time we had a fleet of battery electric vehicles working underground, allowing us the ability to validate our performance and total cost of ownership (TCO) models with real-world data, while at the same time continuing to build out our EV offer across the product lines. Looking forward, as we work hard to fully electrify our fleet of ground support, ore flow/secondary reduction, and utility vehicles, we’re keenly aware that electrification is but one step in the ongoing mechanization of underground mining, a transition to the mine of the future that will be increasingly efficient through digitalization and automation that will increase production and reduce costs.
Interested in BIG Productivity Gains? Wipe Out Non-Productive Driver and Fleet Time
Command Alkon
There’s some good, solid news for the construction industry: Dodge Data & Analytics Index projects that we’ll have “moderate strengthening” through the end of 2018. But in terms of productivity, we appear to be heading in a different direction. Of note, a recent survey of 600 global construction leaders* compiled by PlanGrid and FMI Corporation mentions: ·        •Poor communication, rework and bad data management cost the construction industry; $177 billion annually in labor costs in the United States alone.        •Construction workers lose almost two full working days per week solving avoidable issues and searching for project information. ·       • Each construction project team member spends more than 14 hours weekly on average dealing with conflict, rework and other issues. ·         •Almost half of all rework is due to poor communication among project stakeholders, and poor project information, while 26% of rework is due to poor communication or miscommunication between team members caused unresponsiveness of team members; the inability of project stakeholders to collaborate effectively; and the lack of a common platform for all team members to communicate and share project data. ·        •The most common goals for technology adoption included providing better access to project data, improving project productivity and increasing the accuracy of project information. ·        •Workers are not taking full advantage of mobile devices and IT investments.      Stamp Out Non-Productive Driver and Fleet Time for Big Productivity Gains It stands to reason that companies who address productivity issues will not only avoid scrambling for information and wasted hours and energy but also quickly gain competitive advantage. If you’re managing drivers and trucks that wheel in and out of numerous sites during the day or week and aren’t using automatic processes via technology to more efficiently track and manage your fleet, there’s more good news. You can increase driver productivity and avoid the 20-40 minutes per truck per day that’s lost through clocking in and out and other non-productive activities during: ·         •Time in Transit ·         •Time at the Job Site ·         •Time in the Yard Forty minutes per day, per truck may seem marginal at first glance. But 200 minutes/week x 48 weeks/ year = 9,600 minutes, 160 hours or a total of 4,000 hours of inefficiency for a fleet of 25 trucks. Time in the yard is the lever most within a producer’s control and represents over half of the total nonproductive time per truck. So, rather than simply adding incremental trucks and drivers to the fleet to boost productivity (which unfortunately only adds to the total non‐productive hours and fails to improve operational processes), consider a solution that: ·         •Uses automatic processes via technology to more efficiently track and manage your fleet. ·         •Enables your drivers to punch the clock from in the cab, an efficiency enhancer that alone could save you up to 20 minutes per day (this is time spent in your own yard, under your own watch, that you can act on quickly to recapture those minutes, regardless of what happens away from your yard). ·         •Captures a meaningful portion of that lost time from each driver. ·         •Provides a constant view into the location and performance of your entire fleet. ·        •Is adaptable and helps your teams collaborate in real-time with a “central source of truth” and access to relevant data when you need it. At least 50% of employees’ non‐productive time can be captured back efficiently and effectively when the right combinations of levers are pulled – both in terms of area of focus (i.e., time in yard) and adaptability to each individual customer’s business process requirements. This equates to big productivity increases over both the short- and long-term. Learn more about how Command Alkon’s TrackIt solution offers an industry specific, flexible and fully customizable solution to track your fleet and meet your specific needs, including in-cab time and attendance functionality focused at recapturing lost time in the yard, helping you drive a more efficient fleet and improve your profitability. *500 respondents from the United States and 99 from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Canada. Of those surveyed, 49% work for general contractor firms, 36% came from specialty trades and 15% were owners. Over 300 respondents came from the commercial sector and the other respondents represent industrial and manufacturing, heavy civil, healthcare, power (oil and gas, and energy), education and government.
Interested in BIG Productivity Gains? Wipe Out Non-Productive Driver and Fleet Time
Command Alkon
There’s some good, solid news for the construction industry: Dodge Data & Analytics Index projects that we’ll have “moderate strengthening” through the end of 2018. But in terms of productivity, we appear to be heading in a different direction. Of note, a recent survey of 600 global construction leaders* compiled by PlanGrid and FMI Corporation mentions: ·         Poor communication, rework and bad data management cost the construction industry; $177 billion annually in labor costs in the United States alone. ·         Construction workers lose almost two full working days per week solving avoidable issues and searching for project information. ·         Each construction project team member spends more than 14 hours weekly on average dealing with conflict, rework and other issues. ·         Almost half of all rework is due to poor communication among project stakeholders, and poor project information, while 26% of rework is due to poor communication or miscommunication between team members caused unresponsiveness of team members; the inability of project stakeholders to collaborate effectively; and the lack of a common platform for all team members to communicate and share project data. ·         The most common goals for technology adoption included providing better access to project data, improving project productivity and increasing the accuracy of project information. ·         Workers are not taking full advantage of mobile devices and IT investments. Stamp Out Non-Productive Driver and Fleet Time for Big Productivity Gains It stands to reason that companies who address productivity issues will not only avoid scrambling for information and wasted hours and energy but also quickly gain competitive advantage. If you’re managing drivers and trucks that wheel in and out of numerous sites during the day or week and aren’t using automatic processes via technology to more efficiently track and manage your fleet, there’s more good news. You can increase driver productivity and avoid the 20-40 minutes per truck per day that’s lost through clocking in and out and other non-productive activities during: ·         Time in Transit ·         Time at the Job Site ·         Time in the Yard Forty minutes per day, per truck may seem marginal at first glance. But 200 minutes/week x 48 weeks/ year = 9,600 minutes, 160 hours or a total of 4,000 hours of inefficiency for a fleet of 25 trucks. Time in the yard is the lever most within a producer’s control and represents over half of the total nonproductive time per truck. So, rather than simply adding incremental trucks and drivers to the fleet to boost productivity (which unfortunately only adds to the total non‐productive hours and fails to improve operational processes), consider a solution that: ·         Uses automatic processes via technology to more efficiently track and manage your fleet. ·         Enables your drivers to punch the clock from in the cab, an efficiency enhancer that alone could save you up to 20 minutes per day (this is time spent in your own yard, under your own watch, that you can act on quickly to recapture those minutes, regardless of what happens away from your yard). ·         Captures a meaningful portion of that lost time from each driver. ·         Provides a constant view into the location and performance of your entire fleet. ·         Is adaptable and helps your teams collaborate in real-time with a “central source of truth” and access to relevant data when you need it. At least 50% of employees’ non‐productive time can be captured back efficiently and effectively when the right combinations of levers are pulled – both in terms of area of focus (i.e., time in yard) and adaptability to each individual customer’s business process requirements. This equates to big productivity increases over both the short- and long-term. Learn more about how Command Alkon’s TrackIt solution offers an industry specific, flexible and fully customizable solution to track your fleet and meet your specific needs, including in-cab time and attendance functionality focused at recapturing lost time in the yard, helping you drive a more efficient fleet and improve your profitability. *500 respondents from the United States and 99 from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Canada. Of those surveyed, 49% work for general contractor firms, 36% came from specialty trades and 15% were owners. Over 300 respondents came from the commercial sector and the other respondents represent industrial and manufacturing, heavy civil, healthcare, power (oil and gas, and energy), education and government.
Mining, Process Plant, Maintenance & Safety Training
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
Excellence in Mining, Process Plant, Maintenance, and Safety Training  Performance Associates International, Inc. (PAI) is the world leader in online and on-site training for the mining industry. We provide organizations with a single source for assessments, skills training, continuing education, safety training and compliance mandates, and more. Our first-class content guides your staff to gain the critical knowledge they need to work safely and efficiently today.  Our proven, leading-edge industrial training programs improve performance in existing operations and ensure success during the start-up of new operations. Our training programs have saved companies millions in personnel accident prevention, production loss, and equipment damage. We partner with our customers and consult collaboratively to provide the analysis and content development to meet your needs.  Services PAI Offers  Plant Operator Training Our three-tier concept for effective plant operator training starts with fundamental knowledge and progresses to plant-specific concepts that are reinforced through detailed animations and interactive simulations.  Maintenance Training We custom build state-of-the-art maintenance training programs using exploded graphics, explanatory text, detailed procedures, and management systems.  Mobile Equipment Operator Training Our first-class training program focuses on operator controls and indicators, safety, and performance optimization. It also includes operating, emergency, and troubleshooting procedures. Commissioning and Start-Up We can identify, track, and control the thousands of activities that must occur for the successful commissioning and start-up of a process plant. There is no shortcut to a successful start-up. Testing and Tracking Systems We can help manage and track the performance of employees to improve the overall performance of the mine and plant industrial training programs. Our testing and tracking systems provide invaluable assistance in safety and operational compliance.  Introductory and Safety Training Off-the-shelf introductory and safety training packages are an excellent source for mine and plant industrial training courses. They provide fundamental knowledge and basic training concepts. Now offering online courses! E-Learning, Animations, and Simulations Our interactive e-learning keeps trainees focused and engaged. Our experienced in-house multimedia team develops state-of-the-art graphics, virtual and mixed reality training, stunning 3D animations, and technically engineered simulations of real-world scenarios. Other Services We also provide many services relevant to planning, analyzing, and evaluating process plants, including: ·         Operations readiness plan. ·         Planning studies. ·         Quality management. ·         Systems implementation. ·         Statistical process control. ·         Reliability-based asset management. ·         Productive capacity studies. ·         Surveys and needs analyses. ·         Economic life analysis. ·         Process control strategies and methods. ·         Debottlenecking and process optimization. ·         Spare parts inventory and analysis. ·         Feasibility studies. ·         Consulting assistance. Consulting * Gap Analysis * Content Development * LMS * On-Site * Train-the-Trainer * E-Learning * Process Plant Optimization * Training * Safety * Mine Training * Plant Operator Training * Maintenance * Mobile Equipment * Competencies * Commissioning  
Training Pays: Actual vs. Projected Start-Up Results
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
Developing a profitable mining venture is no small matter. It requires enormous initial investments in research, construction, and equipment. But a mineral processing plant does not run itself. Even with the best equipment and good ore quality, optimal results are dependent upon keeping the process running smoothly, avoiding process upsets, maintaining process variables in the desired range, and minimizing breakdowns and downtime. A highly trained workforce is an essential element in a successful, and profitable, start-up. The knowledge and abilities of plant operators and maintenance personnel can make or break an operation. Trained operators know what to look for during preoperational and routine inspections, allowing maintenance tasks to be planned and unexpected costly breakdowns avoided. Trained operators know what variables exist at different stages in the process and how to make appropriate adjustments in real time. Trained maintenance personnel are well acquainted with the plant equipment, and maintenance planners can schedule work and maintain a spare parts inventory to minimize downtime. Additionally, new operations that train their workforce just prior to plant commissioning can utilize their operators in the commissioning process. Having been trained and gained field experience through plant commissioning, operators are ready to hit the ground running once feed is introduced. A faster ramp-up means more earnings, more quickly. The cost of developing a proper training program is a small percentage of the overall engineering, procurement, and construction budget but it constitutes a large percentage of the gains realized from a successful start-up and ramp-up to full production. Performance Associates International (PAI) has designed and presented custom training programs for operators and maintenance personnel in metallurgical plants around the world for over 35 years. We are proud to have been part of the successful start-ups at Lundin Mining’s Eagle Mine, Vale’s Voisey’s Bay project, and Torex Gold’s El Limon-Guajes project. Click Download to view the actual vs. projected start-up results from these three metallurgical plants that made use of PAI’s custom-built training programs and on-site training.
PROCESS CONTROL TRAINING— SIMULATORS ARE ONLY HALF THE STORY
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
With reference to greenfield plant projects, using process simulators similar to the designed plant Human-Machine Interface (HMI) or Distributed Control System (DCS) has become common practice. These simulators represent a “virtual plant” based on process modeling of the circuit chemistry and thermodynamics, and on the physical nature of the plant, including equipment, valves, piping, etc. The virtual plant allows trainees to troubleshoot problems, optimize process variables, react to alarms, etc., all based on the process simulation model. Performance Associates’ experience is that this complex simulator training is valuable, but only after more in-depth training on the process and control logic. To truly optimize a process plant, prior to simulator training, the control room operators must have detailed knowledge of the following:  Process objective of each process system, comprising a group of unit operations.  Process objective of each unit operation.  Process chemistry and the variables affecting it.  Important characteristics of each unit operation, the variables affecting it, and the impact on downstream unit operations.  Plant control loops, interlocks, and alarms.  Safety issues related to the process and control schemes.  Operating procedures for start-up and shutdown under various scenarios, as well as important operator tasks. Additionally, trainees must be intimately familiar with the applicable fundamental scientific concepts, such as pressure, temperature, heat exchangers, electricity, PID control logic, combustion, etc. With this fundamental and plant-specific foundation, the process simulator can be fully exploited for training.
Process Control Training—Simulators Are Only Half the Story
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
With reference to greenfield plant projects, using process simulators similar to the designed plant Human-Machine Interface (HMI) or Distributed Control System (DCS) has become common practice. These simulators represent a “virtual plant” based on process modeling of the circuit chemistry and thermodynamics, and on the physical nature of the plant, including equipment, valves, piping, etc. The virtual plant allows trainees to troubleshoot problems, optimize process variables, react to alarms, etc., all based on the process simulation model.  Performance Associates’ experience is that this complex simulator training is valuable, but only after more in-depth training on the process and control logic. To truly optimize a process plant, prior to simulator training, the control room operators must have detailed knowledge of the following:Process objective of each process system, comprising a group of unit operations.Process objective of each unit operation.Process chemistry and the variables affecting it.Important characteristics of each unit operation, the variables affecting it, and the impact on downstream unit operations.Plant control loops, interlocks, and alarms.Safety issues related to the process and control schemes.Operating procedures for start-up and shutdown under various scenarios, as well as important operator tasks.Additionally, trainees must be intimately familiar with the applicable fundamental scientific concepts, such as pressure, temperature, heat exchangers, electricity, PID control logic, combustion, etc. With this fundamental and plant-specific foundation, the process simulator can be fully exploited for training.