The biggest machines in the world are dump trucks

Style Cars

As part of iSeekplant's profile series on the world's largest mines and machinery, it is time to pay respect to one of the true workhorses on any site – the dump truck.  Pivotal in shifting all manner of loose material, there are many different types of dumpers that all essentially rely on a heavy duty hydraulic ram to either vertically or horizontally raise a bed and empty the trucks payload.

 Machinery manufacturers often design and build excavators and dump trucks to ideally be used in tandem.  For example, the second ranked truck on this list (the Caterpillar 797F) has a load capacity that allows it to be filled in only four passes of their largest excavator, the Caterpillar 6090 FS.

 Below are the largest dump trucks in the world, based on their load capacity:

1. Belaz 75710 Dump Truck

Designed to service vast Russian mine sites, the Belarus-made Belaz 75710 is the world's largest dump truck.  Primarily found in Eastern Europe and Russia, it has an enormous payload of up to 496 tons of material.  The 75710 weighs 360 tons, is 20.6 metres long and achieves up to 64 kilometers per hour on its eight super-sized Micheline tires which stand up to 4 metres tall.  While known for its reliability, the 16-cylinder turbo-compressed diesel engine of the 75710 is thirsty, reportedly going through around 1,300 liters of fuel per 100 kilometres.

2. Caterpillar 797F Dump Truck

The number two ranked position is shared by three trucks, which are all rated up to 400 tons (a significant delta to the 496 tons that the Belaz 75710 can boast).  The Caterpillar 797F is now in its third generation, having first been launched in 1998 and is a regular fixture on Australian mine sites.  It has a 20-cylinder diesel engine and can reach a top speed of 68 kph.  It also features Caterpillar's hydraulic torque converter transmission - a point of difference for Cat as the only manufacturer offering this in ultra-class haul trucks.  All other competitors offer diesel-electric transmissions.

 3. Liebherr T 282C and T 284 Dump Trucks

While sharing the same payload rating as the Cat 797F, the Liebherr's weigh 30 tons less, reducing stress on the machines when operating at capacity.  Liebherr claims the T 284 to be the lightest (based on empty vehicle weight) and most capable (highest payload) ultra-class mining truck.  The trucks are powered by a 20-cylinder engine generating over 4,000 horsepower and a top speed of 64 kph.

 4. Terex/Bucyrus MT6300AC Dump Truck

Rebranded from Terex to Bucyrus after their mining equipment division was acquired in 2010 by the latter, this truck differentiates itself with bed-heating technology to enable more efficient cold-climate unloads.  With a 360 tonne payload capacity, the MT6300AC has a top speed of 64 kph and a 20-cylinder, four stroke diesel engine.