Non-Metal Mining & Quarrying NAICS 2123

Jul 27, 2025 - Autonomous Trucks for Hauling Aggregates

• A partnership between Caterpillar and Virginia’s Bull Run Quarry reported a major milestone: hauling one million tons of aggregate with Caterpillar’s self-driving trucks, DredgeWire reported in July. The goal of the partnership between the construction machinery giant and the family-owned and operated producer of crushed stone, sand, and gravel was to prove the effectiveness of autonomous hauling systems (AHS) in quarry operations to mitigate labor shortages, improve site safety, and increase operational efficiency. Bull Run Quarry is the first site in the aggregates industry to deploy Caterpillar’s autonomous 777 trucks, which feature a full autonomy technology stack and site integration services. According to the partners, reaching the one million tons hauled autonomously milestone confirms that autonomous haulage can deliver consistent, repeatable performance, setting a precedent for the broader aggregates industry.
• Federal cost cutting by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has targeted Kentucky's mine safety offices, terminating leases at seven locations around Kentucky and Appalachia, USA Today reported in March. Overall, leases for 35 Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) offices across the US have been terminated, according to DOGE — including most of the agency’s offices in Kentucky. Critics say the closures will result in fewer inspections, eliminate onerous regulations, and create a more sympathetic enforcement environment for mine operators. While the Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 requires that all surface mines receive at least two annual inspections and that underground mines receive at least four inspections annually, meeting those requirements has been challenging, and will become even more difficult given the staffing cuts and office closures, according to Pit & Quarry. As such, advocates say miners' health and safety will suffer.

• The Trump administration is expected to “significantly prioritize” building more mines, processing facilities, and refineries in the US, as opposed to the previous administration's focus on international cooperation to reduce US reliance on foreign supply chains for critical minerals, according to Gregory Wischer, founder of critical minerals consultancy Dei Gratia Minerals. Wischer also predicts that the Trump administration will continue and accelerate bipartisan policies strengthening US mineral supply chains. “In particular, I think you can expect the [Trump] administration to focus heavily on domestic onshoring of all parts of the mineral supply chain, especially mineral extraction,” Wischer told Mining Technology (MT) after the election. Trump’s approach will likely entail streamlining the permitting process and imposing tariffs to incentivize domestic mineral production, Wischer adds. Also, Trump’s more relaxed approach to environmental regulation is likely to benefit the mining sector, per MT.
• Producer prices for non-metallic mineral mining and quarrying firms rose 6.5% in June compared to a year ago, after rising 4.6% in the previous June-versus-June annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Industry producer prices reached a new high in June, extending their three-year climb. Employment by non-metal mining and quarrying firms grew 3.3% year over year in May, while average industry wages rose 4.2% over the same period to a new high of $29.14 per hour, BLS data show.