Steve Smith Feels His Career Outlook is Bright with Nevada Mining

So far, our “Meet Your Miners” series has skewed predominantly female, and by no accident. In an industry that has long been perceived as predominantly male, it was important that we showcase its diversity. But now, miners from all over the state are eager to share their stories. We now introduce you to our first male miner in the series, Steve Smith.

Smith, a haul truck driver at Florida Canyon Mine, didn’t plan for a career in mining. In fact, he says that the industry chose him.

“I like to drive truck but even more than that,” Smith said, “I appreciate the opportunity to come home to my family every night. Driving truck for Florida Canyon has given me the best of both worlds.”

Receiving on-the-job training at Florida Canyon allowed Smith to jump right into his new career, where he has been driving a water truck for more than three years now , including 777s (pictured below), 785Bs and 785Cs. Previously, Smith had worked in mining-related areas such as the rock quarries in Central Oregon. His past truck driving experience had been in rock pits, dirt removal and road paving.

When asked what he loves about his job, Smith was clear.

“Truck 63,” he offered up with a smile and without hesitation. “It’s a newer truck, XM Radio, the works. It’s like the Cadillac of haul trucks on the mine site, my home away from home.”

But Truck 63 isn’t Smith’s favorite part of his job. It’s the people. He appreciates that the people he works with genuinely care about one another. They look out for each other on the job, and their camaraderie off-site is just as good. Bowling, fishing, hunting, simply spending time with one another on the weekends – that’s what makes his relationship with his fellow miners so strong.

Steve admitted that another reason he loves the career he has chosen was the way it pulled him and his wife through difficult financial times. Mining has offered Smith many great benefits, not the least of which was a short commute,  that helped him catch up on responsibilities and live a more comfortable life with his family.

So, after just shy of four years in the industry, is it something Smith can see himself doing for a while?

“It’s reliable. It’s steady. It’s a close-knit community. I plan to retire in this industry.”

We’ll take that as a yes.