How we read a haul cycle from paper shift sheets
A shift sheet is a conversation with the operator. Here is how we turn load counts and wait notes into a cycle chart the superintendent can argue with.
Field notes
Short pieces from mining output monitoring and equipment utilization analysis on Vietnamese pits — written for superintendents and plant managers, not as general business essays.
Idle hours after a blast: what the charts usually show
After the shot, trucks often sit longer than crews expect. The delay is rarely the blast itself; it is the wait for the face to be declared safe and for the first loader to find a clean toe.
When the weighbridge and the pit count disagree
A mismatch between truck counts and the plant scale is common. We treat it as a measurement question, not as a suspicion of the crew.
Preparing the site office before an utilization study
A calm study needs a table, a pit map, and a named person who can introduce us to each shift. Fancy meeting rooms are optional.