“From Roads to Rigs: Assessing Transport Management and Operational Challenges for Heavy-Duty Equipment Operators in Ghanaian Gold Mining Supply Chains”

Transport management is a pivotal, unevenly developed capability in Ghana's gold mining supply chains. Grounded in the Resource-Based View and Contingency Theory, this study evaluated how transport systems affect operational performance, equipment reliability, and operator behavior using survey data from 428 mining personnel. Regression analyses showed that safety protocols, logistics coordination, workforce transport planning, and technology integration significantly boost operational outcomes, explaining substantial performance variance. Mediation analysis proved equipment safety training partially transmits these benefits, enhancing productivity, regulatory compliance, and sustainability. Conversely, weaknesses like poor scheduling, limited digital adoption, and fragmented infrastructure coordination trigger operator fatigue, equipment stress, and disruptions. Positioned as a socio-technical capability connecting infrastructure, human factors, and organizational routines, transport management requires integrated planning, technology monitoring, and operator-focused training to maximize resilience and efficiency in resource-dependent supply chains. “Fatalities Among Heavy-Duty Equipment Operators in Ghana’s Mining Sector: An Analysis of Magnitude and Underlying Causes”