I was mostly driving trucks - which were Cat 789C - check out the pic below. The trucks are 6.9m wide and 12.1m long. With the tray down, they are 6.1m, but 11.9m high when the tray is up. That's bigger than my house! Although my house is quite small. We weren't able to take any pics on site, as it was a BMA site on which Downer EDi is one of the contractors. I also got to spend a day in an excavator watching the trucks being loaded, as well as in a water cart (they are still quite big, although about half the size of the dump trucks), and a bit of surveying experience was thrown in too.
The safety aspect is a massive focus, but it soon becomes habit to throw on the hard hat and safety glasses as soon as you walk outside. There is also a surprising amount of paperwork for the operators to fill out. They have a sheet which they fill in every load, the time and weight of the load. There are also safety books which have to be filled out, and each time the 'circuit' (the route which the trucks travel on) changes, a map and list of the hazards must be drawn up for everyone to sign. It's really good, as the mine changes rapidly and it's helpful to know where you need to go before getting in the truck.
It's a different experience starting and finishing work in the dark, but I really enjoyed it. The camp was really useful for the long days. After working 12.5hr shifts, it's really good to have someone else cook and clean for you. It's definitely a change coming home!
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