Haul Truck Cycle Time & Fleet Calculator
Calculate total cycle duration, excavator loading passes, truck trips per hour, fleet production TPH, and required fleet size without loader wait time.
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How Haul Truck Cycle Times & Fleet Matching Work
Open pit mining and quarry haulage economics depend on keeping both expensive excavators and haul truck fleets operating without waiting:
Passes = Ceil(Truck Payload / Loader Bucket Tons) [Target: 4 to 6 passes]
Loading Time = Spot Time + (Passes × Pass Cycle Seconds / 60)
Cycle Time = Loading Time + Haul Loaded Time + Dump Time + Return Empty Time
Match Factor = (Trucks × Loading Time) / (Loader Count × Cycle Time)
Match Factor Economics: A Match Factor of 1.00 represents 100% synchronization. If Match Factor < 1.0, the excavator sits idle waiting for trucks. If Match Factor > 1.20, trucks queue in line at the loading pocket, burning diesel while producing zero tons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 4 to 6 passes considered the industry standard for loader-truck matching?
Fewer than 4 passes means the loader bucket is too large, violently shocking the truck chassis and suspension when dumped. More than 6 passes means the excavator is too small, taking too long to load each truck and causing severe haulage bottlenecks.
What is a 50-minute hour in mining haulage calculations?
The 50-minute hour (83.3% operational efficiency) is standard engineering practice to account for unavoidable real-world delays, such as driver shift changes, refueling, pre-shift safety inspections, cleanup grading, and traffic bunching.
How does road grade impact loaded haul speeds?
Mining haul trucks operate with high total effective resistance (grade resistance + rolling resistance). For a fully loaded 100-ton truck climbing an 8% ramp with 2% rolling resistance (10% total resistance), engine transmission retarding and gear ratios restrict speed to 12 to 15 mph.