5 Key Heavy Vehicle Safety Technologies
Improving heavy vehicle safety technologies is a challenge for fleet managers and trucking companies dealing with rising running costs and only a...
At the heart of many mining operations is a moving network of machinery: ultra-class haulage trucks the size of two-storey buildings, and fleets of mine-spec service vehicles keeping them fuelled, maintained and online. Together, they move millions of tonnes of material and thousands of people each year — and remain one of the highest-risk interfaces between people and machines on any site.
Even with strong safety cultures, toolbox talks and disciplined procedures, a moment’s inattention or a hidden blind spot can lead to a rollaway, a reversing collision or a worker struck in a no-go zone. These incidents are often serious — sometimes fatal — and can shut down production, trigger investigations and shake confidence across an entire operation.
SGESCO-MAX has spent decades helping prevent common heavy-vehicle accidents. With the latest developments in AI and active safety, our suite of MAX-SAFE™ solutions now addresses the biggest risks around production trucks and service vehicles, removing as much human error as possible from daily operations.
The scale – and risk – of mine site vehicles
Stand next to an ultra-class haul truck and you’re dwarfed. Carrying up to 400 tonnes, these machines sit around eight metres high with tyres more than four metres in diameter. They work on steep ramps, uneven benches and at busy intersections where visibility is limited and stopping distances are long.
Around them, mine-site service vehicles are constantly moving:
- Service and maintenance trucks acting as mobile workshops
- Fuel and lube trucks topping up excavators, dozers and haul trucks
- Water trucks managing dust
- Light vehicles and 4WDs transporting supervisors, technicians and contractors
Every time one of these vehicles starts, stops or reverses, people and other machines can be in harm’s way — particularly in workshops, refuelling pads, laydown areas and tight access roads around a pit, plant or tailings dam.
The industry has worked hard to strengthen safety through traffic management plans, procedures and routine checks. But in a complex, high-pressure environment, human error and simple oversight can still occur.
Modern AI and active braking technology now offers mining companies a way to better prevent incidents rather than managing them after the fact.
Click on each heading for further details.
Risk 1: Rollaway vehicles on slopes and in yards
On mine sites, vehicles regularly park on grades, in loading bays or on the edge of haul routes. A single truck or service vehicle rolling — even a slow creep — can be catastrophic.
Rollaways typically occur when:
- A driver exits without fully applying the park brake
- Controls aren’t properly set during a quick stop
- A mechanical or air-system issue goes unnoticed
Once a heavy vehicle begins to move, its sheer mass means it can’t simply be “chased down” or stopped by hand. People, other vehicles and critical infrastructure are all at risk.
The solution: MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System™
The MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System™ prevents uncontrolled vehicle movement by:
- Applying the brakes automatically if the driver leaves the seat or opens the door without applying the park brake
- Protecting against forward and backward rollaways
- Alerting drivers and nearby personnel to unsafe states
It provides a crucial layer of protection against one of the most common — and preventable — causes of heavy-vehicle harm.
“The risks associated with rollaways are completely out of proportion to the small actions that cause them,” said Scott McPherson, Managing Director of SGESCO-MAX. “On a mine, you’ve got big machines on big slopes. You can’t rely on memory or fast reflexes alone. Anti-rollaway solutions make sure that if someone forgets one step, the vehicle doesn’t.”
Risk 2: Workers in blind spots around massive machines
All heavy vehicles have blind spots, and the bigger the truck, the larger those zones become. Corners, sides, and the areas directly in front or behind a vehicle can render workers or light vehicles completely invisible — even with mirrors and conventional cameras.
This risk is amplified in high-activity zones such as:
- Workshops and maintenance bays
- Refuelling and lube bays
- ROM pads and crushers
- Intersections between haul roads and LV routes
A pedestrian stepping out from behind a water truck or a light vehicle moving too close to a front corner may not be seen until it’s too late.
The solution: MAX-SAFE Protect 360° AI™
MAX-SAFE Protect 360° AI™ delivers true 360-degree visibility using advanced AI cameras placed around the vehicle. The system can:
- Detect people, vehicles and obstacles within defined hazard zones
- Distinguish people from static objects, reducing annoying false alerts
- Provide internal alerts to the operator and external warnings to anyone nearby
This transforms blind spots into monitored zones, allowing drivers to focus on operating the vehicle while the system continually scans for unseen risks.
“On a mine site, everyone does the right training and understands the rules, but people are still human – they get focused on the task in front of them,” noted Scott. “AI detection doesn’t get distracted. It watches the areas the operator can’t see and pipes up when something isn’t right.”
Risk 3: Reversing in tight, high-risk areas
Reversing remains one of the most dangerous manoeuvres for heavy vehicles, especially in noisy, dusty and constrained environments common to mine sites.
Haul trucks, fuel trucks, service trucks and light vehicles often reverse:
- Into maintenance bays or under structures
- Toward refuelling and lube points
- In congested laydown and storage areas
- In and out of tight parking rows and crib facilities
Rear blind spots combined with background noise, dust, poor light and multiple moving vehicles create a perfect storm for collisions and run-overs if a driver is relying solely on mirrors, a spotter and a standard reversing beeper.
The solution: MAX-SAFE Reverse Watch/View™
The MAX-SAFE Reverse Watch/View™ suite combines:
- Radar or sensor-based detection for obstacles and people
- High-definition AI cameras for clearer visibility for the detection of people
- Automatic braking when a collision risk is detected by the radar and/or AI camera and the operator hasn’t responded
Rather than depending entirely on the driver’s reaction, the vehicle actively assists in protecting people and property.
“Reversing incidents have long been the number one concern for many operators,” said Scott. “The combination of radar, AI cameras and automatic braking has turned that around. There are now solutions to cover the blind spots – and respond faster than a human can.”
One safety ecosystem, many vehicle type
There is no single “problem vehicle” on a mine site — risk exists wherever people and machinery interact.
The MAX-SAFE range is engineered for flexibility and consistency. Anti-rollaway, 360° AI and reversing solutions can be fitted to:
- New and existing production trucks
- Rigid and articulated service trucks
- Water and fuel trucks
This enables safety managers to build one integrated framework across the entire fleet. Because the systems behave consistently, drivers know what to expect — and trust the protection built into their machinery.
Invest now to protect people, property and productivity
On a mine site, one major incident can halt production, absorb resources for months and damage reputation.
By implementing MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System™, Protect 360° AI™ and Reverse Watch/View™, mining companies can:
- Reduce the likelihood of collisions and run-overs
- Avoid costly shutdowns and investigations
- Lower legal, compensation and insurance exposure
- Demonstrate a visible, practical commitment to workforce safety
Most importantly, it signals – to crews, contractors and communities – that safety isn’t an assumed value – it’s engineered directly into the fleet.
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