VOL. 08  |  ISSUE 3  |  Fall 2025

Sometimes, less really is more.

In Morenci, where haul truck maintenance has shifted from a 120-day preventive maintenance schedule to just 33 days, the shorter intervals between service already are showing far-reaching impacts.

While it might seem counterintuitive to take trucks off the road more often, the site has seen improved physical availability for its equipment since shifting gears last year—a strategic pivot that could ultimately help improve the bottom line.

But that kind of lift required more than just a new schedule. It meant reimagining the entire shop.

“Without seeing it, I think it’s hard to truly grasp the scope,” said Mitch McInelly, Haulage Maintenance Manager-Morenci. “Through a lot of work, the mine has essentially turned its truck shop into an assembly line. But the first step, the hardest step, was just the follow-through.”

If Morenci is the heart of the Freeport Americas portfolio, then any irregularity in its pulse is cause for concern. So, when haul truck availability slipped toward 80 percent – well below the 90 percent target – it triggered immediate action. With costs rising and copper grades declining, every pound mattered. Freeport responded quickly, assembling a performance task force to get to the root of the problem.
The task force set out to pinpoint the optimal schedule for Morenci’s fleet. The team examined everything from downtime trends to maintenance practices, providing new guidelines for planning and preparation – all intended to improve those flagging numbers.

“It was about more than just setting a schedule,” said Gary Anderson, Mine Maintenance Manager-Morenci. “It was about setting the standard. We had to think about the big picture, changing how we worked from beginning to end, including planning, execution and consistency.”

But change takes time.

Despite some early wins, availability still was not where it needed to be. The numbers weren’t moving fast enough, and something clearly was missing in the execution.

Last year, the task force set out to fix that – for good.

“Blueprint” is the Morenci team’s term for a check-in that happens one week before the planned maintenance – a chance to sample fluids, inspect the trucks early and flag any surprises before they derail the plan.

As a former mechanic who’s spent his entire Freeport career in the truck shop, Ludvigson understands how much value this kind of foresight brings.

“The blueprint really allowed us to get in front of the work,” Ludvigson said. “It allowed us to know exactly what needed to be done, so we could make sure we had the people and the parts to do it, stick to the new schedule and keep the trucks moving.”

For Ludvigson, this step reshaped how they approach fleet maintenance – and it’s only the first brick in a wall he says they’re still building.

Morenci’s haulage maintenance team is responsible for over 130 trucks, the largest Caterpillar 793 fleet at Freeport.

McInelly credits the entire heavy-duty garage, working toward the same goal and keeping each other on target, for getting this far. And as they push for further gains, he’s clear on the path forward: getting back to the basics, focusing on what works and refining it together.

“We’re not chasing anything shiny,” McInelly said. “We’re just sticking to the plan and staying focused on what got us here. At the end of the day, you can have the best process out there—but it doesn’t matter unless you do the work.”

The physical availability for Morenci’s haul trucks has increased 5.5 percent over a one-year period, and the team is looking to further improve.

With histories in operational improvement and maintenance, Mitch McInelly (left) and Adam Ludvigson have overseen a turnaround in physical availability for Morenci’s haul trucks.