The Haulmax 3900 series of trucks encompasses over 20 years of Elphinstone experience and research in mining haulage applications.
In the mining industry, having an efficient, reliable, and productive extended haulage solution is critical to success.
Elphinstone, a well-established Caterpillar original equipment manufacturer solutions customer, recognised a gap in the haulage market by investing in Haulmax in 2007. The company relocated the manufacturing of the Haulmax 3700 series from Brisbane to Tasmania shortly after, releasing the Haulmax 3900 series in 2009.
The Haulmax 3900 series was originally designed as a dump truck to fill a gap in the market between traditional mining dump trucks and conventional on-highway trucks.
“The Haulmax 3900 extended haulage series was developed to operate on cycles up to 50km,” Elphinstone regional sales and support manager Nick Furmage said.
“The narrow design is suited to haul roads approximately 15m wide, which cost considerably less to build and maintain. Therefore, the longer the distance, the larger the cost saving.”
Since acquiring the Haulmax brand, Elphinstone has enhanced the trucks’ design against tyre performance indices to maximise vehicle payloads over longer haulage distances. Dump body configurations include 41m3, 59m3, and 90m3 capacities.
A key feature of the Haulmax 3900 range is the dual-axle rear-wheel-drive configuration, which provides a braking surface area of 100,5683cm² and facilitates superior retardation in downhill applications.
Operate in comfort
The trucks are also equipped with a spacious two-person cab featuring adjustable lumbar support and air suspension seats, ensuring operator comfort.
“The independent front suspension system and rear independently mounted A-frame axle assemblies, combined with a long wheelbase, offer unrivalled levels of safety and comfort,” Furmage said.
“The Haulmax 3900 series offers excellent traction and stability in soft and slippery operations. The combination of the truck’s narrow width, low centre of gravity, long chassis and eight-wheel-drive configuration provides safe and superior operator control.”
The 3900 chassis is a deep box-section construction that incorporates castings in high-stress areas with full-penetration wraparound welds designed for a minimum life of 60,000 hours.
“Elphinstone’s research and development team identified several operations within Australia and abroad that would benefit from integrating the 3900 chassis with a service unit (fuel and lube) and water truck (dust suppression) module,” Furmage said.
The Haulmax 3900 can be configured to suit additional applications.
Pioneering performance
The Haulmax 3900 series powertrain is built with optimal performance and productivity in mind, comprising a Cat seven-speed planetary power shift transmission and a C27 diesel engine with advanced combustion engine reduction technology.
The Haulmax 3900 delivers constant power and torque in all conditions.
“The Cat lock-up torque converter combines maximum rim pull and cushioned shifting of torque converter drive with the efficiency and performance of direct drive,” Furmage said.
“The lock-up torque converter engages at approximately 8km per hour, delivering more power to the wheels.”
An alternative to exhaust gas recirculation, Cat’s ACERT technology reduces emissions, optimising fuel injection, air management, electronic controls, and exhaust after-treatment.
Fuel efficiency is also at the forefront through the MEUI (mechanically actuated electronic unit injection) system, which precisely shapes the combustion cycle to decrease chamber temperatures and emissions.
“The ECM (electronic control module) uses advanced engine management software to monitor, control and protect the engine using self-diagnosing electronic sensors,” Furmage said.
“The computerised system senses operating conditions and power requirements to always adjust the engine for peak performance.”
The success of the Haulmax 3900 series is attributed to the Haulmax payload and tyre pressure monitoring system, designed to measure, display and record payload data, providing maximum productivity over extended distance hauls.
Payload information is relayed to the operator via a remote display screen fitted to the loading unit, ensuring load placement is accurate and every truck leaves the pit with its target payload correctly placed.
A total haulage solution
The Haulmax 3900 range comprises a dump truck and cab chassis, which can be configured as either a service truck, water truck or tow tractor for a lowboy trailer.
The four configurations allow Elphinstone to deliver a total haulage solution to accommodate customer- and site-specific haul requirements.
“All Haulmax 3900 configurations are suited to open-pit sites, but more specifically long-haul applications where roads are less than 15m wide and distances travelled can reach 35km or more, beyond the application of a typical rigid mining truck,” Furmage said.
The Haulmax 3900 series has been successful in helping to reduce the cost per tonne and total cost of ownership on several mine sites around Australia and overseas.
“There are numerous mine haul trucks in the market, but (they) are not capable of travelling on narrow haul roads over long distances,” Furmage said.
Powered by a proven CAT powertrain, Haulmax 3900 customers can utilise the global Cat dealer network, with 95 per cent of all serviceable parts being authentic Cat components.
“All Elphinstone products, technical assistance, support and access to spare parts are available through the global Cat dealer network with additional support from the Elphinstone product support and parts teams,” Furmage said.
A proven partnership
Elphinstone values longstanding and proven partnerships with Support Vehicles Australia and BARD, both recognised as quality manufacturers and suppliers of support modules to the mining sector.
Elphinstone’s partnership with SVA began in 2012 to produce a Haulmax 3900 service truck for a valued customer in Western Australia. In 2021, the unit exceeded 50,000 hours in operation and is still going strong. The customer has since purchased an additional 18 units stationed at numerous sites throughout Australia.
Elphinstone later partnered with BARD in 2013 to produce three Haulmax 3900 fuel and lube service units for another valued customer in WA.
The selection of the highest quality manufacturing materials and components ensure SVA and BARD modules provide safety to the operator and longevity to both the module and the Haulmax 3900.
As the mining industry evolves, Elphinstone’s research and development team will continue to review the Haulmax to uphold reliability, safety and operator comfort. With more than 120 trucks sold globally, the Haulmax 3900 range is working on sites in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Canada, Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, South Africa, and New Caledonia.
This feature appeared in the July 2025 issue of Australian Mining.
