Ausroad Expands Latin American Presence: Insights from the Field in Chile

Interview Chile

During his recent visit to Chile, Stefan Dunlop, AUSROAD Director sat down for an interview with “MV Comunicaciones” to talk about AUSROAD’s growth strategy across Chile and the broader Latin American region.

Read the (Original) full interview Here

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With 25 years of experience in 100% Australian engineering and manufacturing, AUSROAD has established itself as a leader in the design, manufacture, and delivery of purpose-built vehicles and equipment for the mining, road, municipal, and government sectors. Their value proposition combines high standards of quality and safety, bespoke solutions, and robust international expertise.

In this interview with Stefan Dunlop, Director of AUSROAD, the company delves into its growth strategy in Chile and Latin America, its business lines, the value of automation, and the role of “elegant design” engineering in improving operational efficiency and safety in mining operations and civil works.

What objectives has the company set for Chile and Latin America, and what is its value proposition for the mining and infrastructure industries?

We began analysing Latin America as a market about three years ago. Through marketing efforts, trade fairs, and similar activities, we quickly realized that to penetrate the market, we needed to establish a local company and have on-the-ground representation. That company, AUSROAD Chile, was incorporated about a year ago. Our goal is to deliver between two and three trucks to the market by the end of 2026.

We currently have a truck owned by Ausroad Chile being leased and operated at Escondida (BHP’s open-pit copper mine in the Atacama Desert in Antofagasta Region, Chile). We also had an early sale of a truck to Bolivia, which was a true turning point for us in understanding the scale of the Latin American market. What we offer are the best practices developed in Australia—in both mining and civil works—to serve Chile and the wider region.
One of the company’s hallmarks is custom design. How do you work with clients to adapt equipment to the specific requirements of each operation?

We have standardised products that can be customised according to the market. A simple example is left-hand versus right-hand drive. It can also involve specific adaptations for a particular tender. We are currently evaluating a large-scale tender in Santiago, where the trucks and bodies are being designed specifically to meet its particular requirements.

We design and build what the client needs. We take pride in gathering feedback from field operations, channelling it through our engineering and design teams, and delivering products aligned with real-world needs. In many cases, clients buy one or two vehicles initially, and as they add units, small adjustments are made based on operational experience. Once the design is consolidated, it remains stable. For example, in Australia, we have built nearly fifty trucks for Rio Tinto, who now have a standard product they order periodically with progressive improvements.

What solutions and standards developed by AUSROAD—currently non-existent or unimplemented in Chile—could be adapted to improve the management, safety, and resilience of road infrastructure?

Specifically for road infrastructure, we have built hundreds of trucks in Australia and work with approximately 90% of the country’s local governments.
We have over 25 years of experience refining safety and automation features. One of our main goals is to remove the driver/operator from the road, avoiding exposure to traffic, sun, and dust. Our pothole-repair solutions are fully automated, allowing the driver/operator to perform the entire process from inside the cab. We manufacture various sizes: small units for urban locations like Santiago, and larger trucks for remote areas where the vehicle might travel two or three hours from the depot. Australia has very high health and safety legal requirements, and all of that is integrated into the products we are offering to Chile.

AUSROAD has an extensive track record with local governments. How does this translate into your products, particularly for road maintenance and specialised vehicles, and what added value do you offer public entities in relation to efficiency, safety, and durability?
We export globally, with trucks currently operating in Thailand, South Africa, the UK, and now Chile. In road maintenance, we have over 25 years of experience and our designs are fully consolidated. We have created a design that works and is simple, which is pivotal in remote areas with limited access to parts or maintenance facilities.

Our philosophy is “elegant design”: performing the job with a minimum of moving parts, to maximize the truck’s uptime.
Chile is one of the most relevant mining markets in the world.

What business lines is AUSROAD developing in Chile, and what opportunities do you foresee for Chile and Latin America?

In mining, our primary lines offered in Chile and Peru are Stemming Trucks and VAC Trucks targeting the drilling and blasting sector. Our value proposition is to export Australian best practices to Latin American mining.
We currently partner with Tier 1 global mining companies, including BHP, Rio Tinto, and Glencore. This experience has opened new opportunities for us in Chile.

Our core value proposition lies in optimising the drill and blast cycle, making it safer, faster, and more efficient. By utilizing remote or cabin-based operations, we keep personnel off the pit floor, significantly reducing exposure to dust, heat, and UV radiation. Similar to civil works sector, this provides a major HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) advantage.

For companies, it translates into more efficient drilling and blasting procedures and for the operator, this ensures a safer and more comfortable workspace.
Looking forward, what innovations or developments will define AUSROAD’s evolution and positioning in the industry?
Many innovations come directly from client needs: They may require a tracked vehicle rather than a wheeled one. Some client might need a remote-controlled vehicle, or an autonomous truck that can navigate the shot without intervention. Automation is a key trend in the sector and something we can deliver.

Other innovations include the vacuum truck, a product designed to address misfires in the drilling and blasting industry. This can save mines hundreds of thousands of dollars while improving safety.
Currently, the way misfires are handled is often less safe than the solution AUSROAD offers. In civil works, the focus remains on automating our Multipatcher™ trucks, so workers are not manually shovelling by the roadside.

How does AUSROAD manage parts and support in remote operations?
We supply an inventory of critical spare parts kept on-site. As parts are used, they are replenished to ensure operational continuity. We understand that these operations are often in remote areas, so this approach is key.

With our truck, currently hired in Chile, we focus on the supply of what we call critical spare parts. We manage an on-site inventory where components are replenished as they are consumed, ensuring stock levels are maintained at all times.
We understand that these vehicles normally operate in highly remote locations and therefore, the logistics of reaching a remote mine site are always a challenge; our model mitigates this risk by ensuring parts are already on the ground.

We are committed to providing on-site training in Chile. Our Chile-based Director, Marco, recently visited Australia and is fully across our entire product range. We maintain a permanent presence in Chile to ensure consistent, local representation. Late last year, we hosted a technician here to oversee the body fit out and integration with the cab chassis. We also deployed a specialist mechanic to assist with the build, and Ausroad’s co-director was also on the ground to supervise. This level of collaboration is now a standard part of operating within a globalised supply chain.

Considering recent accidents in Chile involving mining equipment, what special measures do your trucks incorporate?
One of the main risks in mining is overturning. Our trucks feature load cells that lock the transmission if the equipment is overloaded, preventing the operator from moving. They also feature inclinometers that alert the driver if they are taking a curve too fast or operating at a dangerous angle. We also offer in-cab monitoring, cameras, reverse alarms, and other devices designed to minimize critical risks.

You use the term “elegant design.” Could you explain it?
Elegant design is a simple and functional solution with the minimum number of components necessary to perform its function. It avoids unnecessary complexity, reducing weight, failure points, and maintenance costs. It’s not about aesthetics; it’s about efficiency, reliability, and quality.

What message do you have for companies in the region seeking reliable, high-standard, and technologically advanced suppliers??
We are committed to Chile and Latin America. We have invested over a million dollars to establish our business here, which shows the commitment of our Australian parent company. We are a global company with extensive experience providing technical support, training, and spare parts across borders. We are bringing 25 years of engineering excellence to these niche industries in Latin America.

Article by MV Comunicaciones | Translated In House by Ausroad.