Continuing their long-term relationship, NREC and Caterpillar have collaborated to develop a commercial system for automating large off-highway trucks. Cat Command for hauling is currently the largest operator-free truck fleet operating at a single mine site in the mining industry today. 

Command for hauling coordinates and autonomously drives a fleet of off-highway haul trucks operating in open pit mining operations. Trucks will load and dump materials and navigate a network of haul roads without human intervention – all while operating safely in the vicinity of mining vehicles, personnel, and equipment. 

Autonomous haulage combines safe operations along with higher productivity and reduced costs. The platform maintains optimal following distances and safe operating speeds within the fleet while interacting with other vehicles within the sensing environment. It also provides for an overall increase in productivity and decrease in cost. 

Command for hauling will make mining processes more efficient, reduce overall extraction costs, improve mine safety, and address operator training and retention issues. 

This is another example of NREC’s technology being commercialized and making a difference in day-to-day operations.