#mininglogistics

The recent award of Mining logistics contracts by Central Coalfields Limited signals a highly competitive market, with bid spreads falling below 2 percent. The winning bid at Rs 85.65 crore emerged from a pool of thirteen participants, indicating strong competition in logistics services.

In the context of Coal transport tenders India, this procurement uses a percentage-based quoting system. This approach aligns bids with base rates, focusing on efficiency rather than independent cost structuring. The narrow spread between L1, L2, and L3 highlights convergence in bidder cost assumptions.

Technically, these Mining logistics contracts involve handling, transport, and coordination across mining operations. Contractors must manage fleet deployment, turnaround times, and fuel costs efficiently. However, the absence of clear escalation clauses or performance metrics raises uncertainty around long-term viability.

Across PSU procurement trends, such tight pricing reflects a shift toward aggressive cost discovery. While this benefits the client in the short term, it transfers significant operational risk to contractors. Sustained margin compression may impact service quality or lead to future claims.The clustering seen in Mining logistics contracts suggests a commoditised market where price dominates over differentiation. This could set a benchmark for future tenders, influencing bidder strategies and pricing behaviour across the mining logistics sector,  Mining Logistics, Coal Transport, Tender Analysis.

Coal tenders continue to show sharper pricing discipline, and the latest Western Coalfields logistics award offers a useful benchmark. The contract, issued on GeM under tender GEM/2026/B/7178352, covers handling, transport, and allied mining services. The winning price was Rs 94.5 crore. Because the work supports coal movement and dispatch readiness, the result matters beyond one order and feeds directly into Coal handling plants and wider operating cost visibility.

The standout feature is how tightly the top bids were packed. L1 came in at Rs 94.5 crore, L2 at Rs 94.7 crore, and L3 at Rs 97.4 crore. That means the gap between L1 and L2 was only about 0.2 percent. In Coal tenders, this level of compression usually signals that bidders are working off near-identical assumptions on fleet productivity, route management, fuel burn, and turnaround time.

The document does not specify EMD, PBG, escalation, payment cycle, or detailed qualification filters. That matters because these commercial terms shape contractor cash flow and execution risk. For this market segment, the absence of those disclosures limits visibility into how aggressively bidders really had to price operating uncertainty.Still, the market message is clear. With 12 bidders and a near-flat top spread, Coal tenders are reflecting a low-margin environment where reliability and cost control may matter more than headline discounting. Coal tenders in this format look increasingly driven by execution efficiency rather than pricing flexibility. EnergylineIndia.com is monitoring this pattern through verified procurement outcomes.

We were delighted to welcome Mr. Magesh, Procurement, Planning & Logistics Manager – Namekara Mining Company Ltd., to our Fresa Chennai office in January 2026.

The visit included an engaging discussion with our team, focusing on collaboration, innovation, and future-ready logistics technology solutions. 🤝

Thank you for your valuable time and presence. We look forward to building a strong and successful partnership ahead.

📢 Save the Date – April 25th 2026 We are excited to announce the Fresa Global AI Summit 2026, bringing together industry leaders to explore AI-driven logistics solutions. 🔗 Register now: https://forms.gle/D5bQdxpgy9n3VjaU9

Visit our website for more details: https://fresatechnologies.com/fresa-events/

By Jonathan Ainoo

When people hear "supply chain," they often think of big ships, containers, spreadsheets full of inventory, or perhaps a warehouse somewhere filled with goods waiting to be moved. But in mining—especially in Ghana—supply chains are far more personal, more responsive, and often more fragile than they appear from the outside.

At JOBEX COMPANY LTD, we’ve had the privilege of working with several mining firms, including Newmont Ghana. Our role isn’t flashy. But it's vital. We ensure the right goods reach the right place at the right time—especially in environments where delays cost more than money. They cost trust.

Let me walk you through a real example from not too long ago.

The Need: Urgency Meets Precision

Newmont’s team was preparing for a crucial equipment maintenance cycle at one of their sites. It required a mix of specialized industrial cleaning chemicals, durable PPE, and a few high-grade electrical components not readily available in Ghana’s open market. Timing was tight. The window for maintenance was fixed. Missing it would mean pushing the entire schedule back weeks.

They reached out to us—not just because we had access to the products, but because we had the local knowledge to manage all the moving parts.

We didn’t just quote and ship.

Step 1: Coordination Across Time Zones

The first call came in late afternoon on a Friday. We had to confirm product specs with a manufacturer in Asia, align shipping timelines, and negotiate immediate dispatch. That required night calls, urgent documentation, and—frankly—a lot of patience. Our procurement team stayed late. Not because they were told to, but because they understood the stakes.

Step 2: Compliance and Clearance

Now, this is where many operations fall short.

We weren’t just bringing in general goods. Some items—like industrial-use solvents and electrical connectors—required import permits, EPA clearance, and compliance checks. Our team had already mapped out the documentation flow, which allowed us to push everything through without delay. We pre-cleared documentation while the goods were still in transit.

Experience matters. You don’t learn that from a manual. You learn it from years of working with local agencies, port authorities, and mining clients under pressure.

Step 3: Delivery—Last Mile, First Priority

The goods landed at Tema and cleared within 48 hours. From there, we coordinated secure, temperature-sensitive transport to Newmont’s site.

One hiccup: heavy rains in the Ashanti region delayed a section of the planned route. We rerouted overnight and kept the client updated at every step. The goods arrived in full, within the critical timeline. Maintenance went ahead.

No drama. Just execution.

Why This Matters

This story isn’t about one successful delivery. It’s about what trust looks like in supply chain partnerships. For companies like Newmont, working in high-pressure, remote environments, reliability isn't just a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation.

And for us at JOBEX COMPANY LTD, that’s not just a business goal—it’s a principle. We’ve built our systems to anticipate obstacles, adjust quickly, and maintain quality. We’re not always perfect. But we show up. We stay up late when needed. And we own the outcome.

This commitment, I believe, is part of the reason JOBEX has been nominated for the 2025 Go Global Awards—scheduled for this November in London, hosted by the International Trade Council. These awards aren't just about global expansion or profit margins. They highlight the companies that deliver under pressure, form meaningful partnerships, and help businesses grow in difficult terrain.

We're honored to be included in that global conversation.

In the end, supply chains are human. It’s people picking up phones, solving problems, navigating logistics, and moving parts—not just products, but possibilities.

By Leilani Arendell

You don’t ship a bulldozer the same way you ship a laptop. But funny enough, the damage risk? It can be just as high—sometimes higher.

In the world of mining and construction, logistics can feel deceptively straightforward. Big equipment, big trucks, big straps. Wrap it, strap it, move it. Right?

Not quite.

These shipments often travel the longest distances, through the harshest conditions, on the most unpredictable routes. From remote excavation sites to overseas construction zones, every shipment carries a unique set of challenges. And at TransPak—a global leader in crating, packaging, logistics & design, headquartered in the United States—we’ve seen just about every version of “rugged” there is.

When something goes wrong out there—miles from service hubs or spare parts—fixing it can take days or even weeks. That’s why packaging isn’t just a formality. It’s insurance. It's performance. It's a plan for what might happen, not just what’s expected.

Built to Withstand More Than Just the Trip

Most heavy-duty machinery looks indestructible. And yes, many components are tough. But in transit? That toughness gets tested in ways even the engineers didn’t plan for.

Custom attachments like blades, drills, or hydraulic arms may need to be removed, crated, and padded separately.

Hydraulic systems are particularly vulnerable to leaks or pressure shifts during altitude or temperature changes.

Electronics and control panels, often added post-manufacture, don’t respond well to shock, vibration, or water ingress.

We’ve worked with clients who assumed their excavator’s joystick controller didn’t need any special packaging—until it cracked en route to a high-altitude mining site in Chile. That one oversight delayed an entire project.

Packaging isn’t just about the outside. It’s about every part that matters when it matters most.

Logistics Meets Reality

Mining and construction sites rarely have loading bays or forklift-ready platforms. Often, our packaging has to anticipate how something will be unpacked as much as how it will be shipped.

We’ve built crates for drill rigs that had to be unloaded by crane, mid-rainstorm, in red clay terrain. If the packaging failed or let moisture in? Game over.

Our approach usually includes:

Reinforced skids for uneven ground

Weather-sealed wraps or tarps for off-grid staging

Load diagrams right on the crate to help local teams unpack safely

Rust inhibitors or desiccant packs where humidity is a threat

This isn’t overkill. It’s the difference between a smooth delivery and an onsite disaster.

Case Study Snapshot

A client in the Southeast Asian construction sector needed to ship several modular rock crushers to a remote project site. These weren’t fragile units, but they were precision-calibrated, multi-ton pieces. Any distortion in the framework—even a minor bend—would throw off the vibration patterns and efficiency.

TransPak designed braced steel-and-plywood enclosures with shock sensors and tilt indicators to ensure no “invisible” damage happened along the way. We added double-sealed panels and planned for crane rigging directly off the crate. Everything arrived intact.

It sounds simple in hindsight. But success in this field often hides its own complexity.

Why This Matters Globally

The energy transition, global infrastructure boom, and demand for rare earth minerals are pushing mining and construction into new geographies. Places where the supply chain isn’t exactly predictable.

That’s why logistics has to evolve—not just to protect goods, but to anticipate how they’ll be used, stored, and installed in the field.

It’s a philosophy that’s earned TransPak a nomination for the 2025 Go Global Awards, taking place this November in London, hosted by the International Trade Council. This isn’t just another corporate trophy ceremony. It’s a gathering of solution-driven companies building the future, one challenge at a time.

We’re proud to stand among peers who get that global progress depends on gritty, practical, everyday execution.

Final Thoughts

Mining and construction don’t wait for perfect conditions. These industries push forward in heat, rain, dust, and unpredictability.

So the packaging? It can’t just be strong. It has to be smart. Thoughtful. Grounded in how people really work.