Trucks go driverless

FORTESCUE Metals has outlined plans to boost the number of driverless trucks at its mines in the new financial year.

The world’s fourth-largest iron ore exporter will convert 12 more trucks at its Solomon hub mining site in Western Australia’s Pilbara to the autonomous haulage technology, in addition to the 56 trucks already operating.

It will also make use of the technology at its main Chichester Hub mine site, converting about 100 trucks there.

The company said since it started using driverless trucks at the Solomon Hub in 2012 it had achieved a 20 per cent improvement in productivity.

It is targeting a similar level of improvement at Chichester.

Fortescue said it would also invest in an innovative relocatable conveyor trial at the Cloudbreak mine, which forms part of Chichester.