What You'll Do

  • Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars.
  • Move trailing electrical cables clear of obstructions, using rubber safety gloves.
  • Drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces.
  • Operate levers to move conveyor booms or shovels so that mine contents such as coal, rock, and ore can be placed into cars or onto conveyors.
  • Clean hoppers, and clean spillage from tracks, walks, driveways, and conveyor decking.
  • Oil, lubricate, and adjust conveyors, crushers, and other equipment, using hand tools and lubricating equipment.
  • Replace hydraulic hoses, headlight bulbs, and gathering-arm teeth.
  • Stop gathering arms when cars are full.
  • Advance machines to gather material and convey it into cars.
  • Signal workers to move loaded cars.

Essential Skills

Operation and Control 3.38/5
Operations Monitoring 3.25/5
Troubleshooting 3.12/5
Active Listening 3.0/5
Speaking 3.0/5
Critical Thinking 3.0/5
Coordination 3.0/5
Equipment Maintenance 3.0/5
Reading Comprehension 2.88/5
Monitoring 2.88/5
Social Perceptiveness 2.88/5
Repairing 2.75/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Dependability, Cautiousness, Stress Tolerance, Attention to Detail, Perseverance

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Control Precision 3.75/5
Multilimb Coordination 3.38/5
Reaction Time 3.38/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.25/5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.25/5
Manual Dexterity 3.25/5
Rate Control 3.25/5
Near Vision 3.25/5

Technologies & Tools

Automated systems software Inventory management systems Maintenance management software Microsoft Excel Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Windows Mine maintenance software Work time accounting software

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.77/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 4.52/5)
  • Stress Tolerance (High importance: 4.4/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.24/5)
  • Perseverance (High importance: 3.99/5)

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How to Become One

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful but is usually not required. Training is often provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Buggy Driver Buggy Man Buggy Operator Buggy Runner Car Dropper Car Dumper Car Pincher Cart Driver Coal Hauler Operator Coke Loader Continuous Miner Operator Equipment Loader Operator Equipment Operator Front End Loader Operator Joy Loader Joy Loading Machine Operator Joy Operator Load Haul Dump Operator (LHD Operator) Loader Loader Operator Loading Machine Operator Machine Loader Mechanical Shovel Operator Mine Shuttle Car Operator Miner Miner Operator Mobile Bridge Conveyor Operator Monitor Car Operator Muck Hauler Muck Operator Mucker Operator Mucking Machine Operator Pit Loader Operator Plant Loader Operator Production Miner Ram Car Operator Shuttle Buggy Operator Shuttle Car Operator Shuttle Driver Shuttle Officer Shuttle Operator Skid Loader Operator Underground Miner Wheel Loader Operator Yard Loader Yard Loader Operator

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.