What to Discuss With a Potential Mining Transport Company

Working a mine successfully means more than just harvesting the materials; you need a good transport company to get them to a refinery or buyer once the harvesting part is done. Transportation for the mining industry is not like trucking for a standard commercial facility, as there is a difference between hauling mined goods and hauling boxes. Note a few things to discuss with a potential mining transport company so you better understand these differences and know what's involved with their services.

Hazardous and radioactive

Hazardous and radioactive materials are not unusual when it comes to mining, but not all mining transport companies will handle these. If they do, they may have limits as to how much material they can take at one time, how it needs to be continued, and what areas they will take it to. Bulk hazardous materials may be unacceptable, but small amounts may be transportable. You also don't want to assume as to what a mining company may consider hazardous. For some, this may include flammable materials and for others, it may mean explosives.

You may also be the one responsible for the Material Safety Data Sheet and other such paperwork for such goods. If you have any such dangerous materials to be transported, discuss your options with your transport company so you can determine if and how it can be hauled by them and your obligations for such materials.

Pickup and delivery days

Because mining transport is very different than hauling standard boxes in that a truck may have an entire bed area filled with harvested materials, many mining transport companies only pick up and deliver on certain days. You may need to work around this schedule by securing your harvested materials in bins or cargo bays until their pickup time. Don't assume that you can schedule pickups every day or when it works for your company, but expect a limited schedule to be offered by a mining transport company.

Ask about freight forwarding

Your mining transport company may not be able to take your transport to its final destination if it crosses state or international lines, but if they can provide you with freight forwarding services, this can save you quite a bit of work. Freight forwarders will pick up the freight once it crosses the boundary and then take it the rest of the way. If your transport company can coordinate this last part of its journey for you then you don't need to worry about that added paperwork and finding an additional transport company as well.

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