York is crushing inefficiency with DirtMate on its quarries

The problem: Production bottlenecks hidden in plain sight

Before implementing DirtMate, York used drone surveys to track inventory and support mine planning, but daily performance data was a missing piece of the puzzle. While drones gave the team great weekly snapshots, they still lacked insight into what was happening on-site each day.

With no easy way to analyze haul routes or operator patterns, daily operations hit an efficiency plateau:

• Idle time for loaders and trucks was an unknown quantity
• Bottlenecks slowed down production but were hard to pinpoint
• Manual time studies would have required painstaking spreadsheets, if they happened at all

We didn’t know we needed DirtMate until we had it. And now that we have it, it’s become a vital part of our day-to-day operations at the quarry.” —TJ Greene, Mine Engineer

The solution: Every haul cycle, captured and analyzed in real time

After using DirtMate at his previous job, TJ’s supervisor was already sold on the benefits. “It wasn’t even a pitch,” TJ told us. “He’s a big data guy, and he told us to just get it.”

With DirtMate installed on their haul trucks, front end loaders, and other equipment, TJ can now track every haul cycle in detail. Each morning, he reviews the previous day’s data to spot delays, inefficiencies, or unusual patterns before they cost hours of wait time.

With just five DirtMate units and a base station, TJ gets real-time data on Principio Quarry’s:

• Haul route performance
• Operator behavior and staging patterns
• Pit geometry and road design

Now I have the time and attention to focus on things the Ops crew might be aware of in the back of their mind, but they’re not looking at inefficiencies every single morning. I have my finger on the pulse of our hauling and where potential slowdowns could be.” —TJ Greene, Mine Engineer

York’s favorite features and workflows

• Mine planning: Drone surveys are still critical for monthly inventories and long-term mine planning. TJ uploads AutoCAD designs into Propeller to visualize projects in 3D, compare surfaces, and track progress across multiple surveys. He especially loves using Propeller’s cross-section tool to see where the site stands relative to design.
• Haul route analysis: DirtMate breaks down every cycle—loading, hauling, dumping, and returning—so TJ can identify exactly where trucks are losing time. For example, DirtMate revealed that trucks were waiting farther than necessary from the loader, creating long periods of loader idleness. By instructing truck drivers to wait closer to the loader, they were able to save up to a minute and 40 seconds of loader idle time per cycle. 
• Operator pattern optimization: With smart cycles to show how long each haul cycle takes, and utilization charts to show why, TJ can pinpoint delays, give operators targeted feedback, and stage trucks more efficiently. He can also track this data over time to see how it’s trending. 
• Environmental monitoring: Aerial imagery gives York a fast, safe way to check remote areas like settling ponds without sending crews into the field.

We’re managing all our site data on Propeller. It’s definitely become the hub of our survey and mine planning operations.” —TJ Greene, Mine Engineer

The results: Efficiency gains York can’t live without

For TJ and the York team, DirtMate is more than a monitoring tool—it’s an essential feedback loop. Each morning’s review highlights bottlenecks, operator patterns, and site design issues, giving the team a chance to fine-tune operations before problems snowball. 

Since implementing DirtMate and Propeller, York Building Products has:

• Eliminated up to a minute and 40 seconds of loader idle time per cycle.
• Fixed haul route bottlenecks before they caused costly delays.
• Improved operator performance with daily feedback grounded in data.
• Uncovered pit geometry issues like narrow haul roads, allowing them to keep trucks moving.
• Established a daily reporting routine that supports data-driven decision-making across the operations team.

As soon as you learn how to use it, you won’t be able to live without it. The Propeller platform, and now DirtMate, have become staples to manage site data at the Principio Quarry.” —TJ Greene, Mine Engineer

As York’s operations continue to grow, DirtMate will grow with them. “We’ll add a DirtMate unit every time we add a truck,” TJ said.

York doesn’t have to guess where bottlenecks are—they find them, fix them, and move on with confidence. See how DirtMate can give your operation the same edge. Request a demo today.