Summer temperatures in the South Gobi Province can climb to 40°C, with heat haze distorting the distant ridgelines. In winter, the same landscape is locked in temperatures as low as -35°C and may remain snow-covered for up to 100 days. These extremes are the reality at the Mongolia Energy Resources Coal Mine, located in the country's South Gobi Province at elevations between 1,300 and 1,600 meters. Eastern spurs of the Gobi Altai Mountains run through the central area; steep mountains to the north give way to gentler hills in the south, while loose, river‑borne sediments blanket the rolling desert plain.
Operating mining trucks in these conditions is never easy. Roads are mostly gravel and dirt, crisscrossed by deep ruts left by heavily loaded trucks, while long, steep grades, sharp turns, and slippery surfaces add to the challenge. Fleet managers know that transmission reliability directly affects production rhythm. In this demanding environment, Tonly mining trucks equipped with Allison 4800 WBD Series™ fully automatic transmissions are pushing the limits of heavy-duty machinery day after day.
Rebuilding power in the Gobi
The transmissions previously used by the fleet had an exceptionally high failure rate. Compounding the problem, there was no specialized transmission service network across the vast expanse of Mongolia. When a truck lost power in blowing dust and sand, maintenance crews had to troubleshoot and repair it largely on their own—a difficult process that sent fleet availability and uptime into a steep decline.
“Transmission failures were our biggest headache. There was no specialist repair support locally in Mongolia, so we had to figure things out ourselves,” said Homtai Baiyar, an equipment manager at Vertex Mining Partner. “We chose Allison transmissions for our new trucks primarily because of their low failure rates and because Allison has service coverage in Mongolia. Knowing that repairs can be handled quickly gives us real peace of mind. Based on our operating experience, we decided in 2025 to add another 100 mining trucks, all equipped with Allison transmissions.”
Continuous power for extreme operating conditions
On the Gobi’s loose sand and steep gravel slopes, starting under heavy load can easily lead to rollback or an interruption in power. Allison’s Continuous Power Technology™ directly addresses this challenge. The moment the driver steps on the accelerator pedal, the hydraulic torque converter smoothly multiplies engine torque, enabling the 70-ton steel giant to pull away with confidence. Even at full throttle, seamless shifts keep strong, continuous power flowing to the wheels without hesitation. On descents, the transmission’s constant-speed downhill function helps prevent overspeed under load. Together, these technologies take the burden of complex operation off the driver.