For decades in the North American mining industry, the rule of thumb has been bigger and heavier means safer and more reliable. But what if that assumption was holding mines back? Schlam is proving that lighter doesn’t mean substandard reliability and performance, on the contrary, our results from infield payload studies tell us that performance from our light-weight Hercules truck beds are changing how mine operators think about truck bed design.
John Nielson, our Vice President of Business Development in North America, has seen firsthand how traditional thinking can limit productivity. He explains that Schlam’s approach isn’t just technical, it’s about changing mindsets and demonstrating results.
Rethinking the heavy mindset
Mine operators have long believed that adding steel and liners is the optimum way to build a heavy-duty truck bed that will last longer in the field. In reality, those extra tons limit productivity and increase wear. Schlam challenges that approach by optimising structure, selecting materials intelligently, and tailoring designs to each site, beds can be lighter, more durable, and more productive.
More Payload, Smarter Operations
Reducing tare weight isn’t just a neat little design trick, it directly increases how much ore each truck can carry. Mines can move more material per shift without adding trucks or equipment, improving productivity without extra cost. It’s one of the fastest ways to get more out of your fleet every shift.
Built Around the Mine
No two sites are alike. Schlam works closely with clients to understand haul profiles and material behaviour, then design beds to suite those needs.
Proven Across the Americas
Schlam beds are already in use across copper, gold, and iron ore mines in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The lighter design delivers measurable payload gains while keeping maintenance predictable. Our results speak for themselves proving that innovative engineering can outperform traditional OEM heavy-weight designs.
As the Hercules continues to outperform other beds the message is clear that lighter truck beds aren’t a compromise, they’re an advantage.
Watch the full video to learn more about the Hercules beds and how they are helping the world’s best hard rock miners across North America boost their productivity.
