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This paper presents findings from a field study of the operation of haul trucks in two open pit gold mines. Qualitative results relevant to the haul truck operator's work environment are presented, and the human factors challenges of the work are identified. Three specific issues that stood out from the study are discussed in detail. First, fatigue is identified as a major contributing factor to crashes and overall performance in open pit traffic, heightened by the specific work characteristics of a haul truck operator. Second, negative transfer is discussed as it interferes with the adaptation from one truck type to another: a consequence of inconsistent controls across different truck brands. Third, the under utilization of and the general posture of suspicion towards the dispatch system are reported, with a list of potential reasons related to automation characteristics.

The ability to anticipate future events in the traffic environment is an important competence in driving. This paper extends our prior work: 1) to show potential benefits resulting from anticipatory competence in driving, and 2) to collate characteristics of anticipatory competence from a theoretical point of view. The reviewed literature is foundational to our understanding of anticipation as a highlevel cognitive competence, allowing for the prediction of future traffic situations on a tactical level. We conceptualize anticipation as relying on the identification of stereotypical traffic situations based on indicative cues, and stress that the impacts of this competence are dependent on the driver's individual goals. Thus, anticipation enables a number of potential benefits, such as safety and fuel-efficiency, but the realization of these potential benefits depends on the goals of the driver. Further, we argue that the superior anticipatory competence of experienced drivers observed in an earlier simulator study can be explained via their heightened ability both to identify indicative cues, and interpret those cues relative to similar, memorized situations. We then capture anticipatory driving in a model inspired by the classical theory of information processing to describe the various steps necessary to process indicative cues from the environment, anticipate a future traffic situation, and take appropriate action or achieve a state of cognitive readiness.

This paper presents findings from a field study of the operation of haul trucks in two open pit gold mines. Qualitative results relevant to the haul truck operator’s work environment are presented, and the human factors challenges of the work are identified. Three specific issues that stood out from the study are discussed in detail. First, fatigue is identified as a major contributing factor to crashes and overall performance in open pit traffic, heightened by the specific work characteristics of a haul truck operator. Second, negative transfer is discussed as it interferes with the adaptation from one truck type to another: a consequence of inconsistent controls across different truck brands. Third, the under utilization of and the general posture of suspicion towards the dispatch system are reported, with a list of potential reasons related to automation characteristics.

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