Schack is talking about the colossal haul trucks, and the steep learning curve that comes with piloting these 25 foot tall behemoths. At $1.5 million each, these trucks are several times more expensive than the world’s finest supercars.

The tires alone measure 13.5 feet high and each one costs $50-grand to replace. There are six wheels to every haul truck, meaning that the tires alone are about what you’d pay to own an entire Ferrari F12berlinetta.

That’s why the first test drives for any potential haul truck driver take place in a simulator, not in the driver’s seat 20 feet above the ground. “It takes about a month of training [in the simulator],” says Schack. “But if someone can’t do it, they’ll be out of there within an hour.”

Standing next to one for the first time, a towering Liebherr T 282 B model, is enough to send shivers down my spine. The 20-cylinder diesel engine is more than 95-liters in capacity and produces an astounding 3,7500-horsepower. Despite being the size of a house, and having the ability to haul 400 tons, these trucks reach near highway speeds unless the terminal velocity is electronically limited.

Rumbling at idle, the haul truck sounds like a Tyranosaurus Rex trying to digest an extra spicy vindaloo dinner. Like the most raucous rock concert, you can feel the noise (and the power) as much as you actually hear it.

Climbing up to the driver’s cabin is like scaling the scaffolding of a construction site. A ladder runs diagonally across the front of the Liebherr’s enormous grille, which works overtime keeping more than 200 gallons of coolant flowing throughout the huge motor’s mechanical veins.

Once at the top, the view from behind the wheel is incredible. Imagine sitting in the second story of a house, but there happens to be a steering wheel to turn the entire thing, should you choose to do so.

Stretching approximately 25 feet high, 32 ft. wide and 50 ft. long, the trucks require mining roads that are 120 feet wide, so two can pass alongside each other. Drivers of smaller vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, are instructed to give these haul trucks plenty of space at all times.

Given their overall size, and the range of a haul truck’s suspension, it’s possible for one of these giants to roll over a typical pick-up truck and not even know it was there.

Since the mining operations run 24 hours a day, each haul truck is typically refueled every 12 hours. Be ready to take your time during the fill-up, because these beasts suck down 1,250 gallons when completely dry. In operation, the trucks guzzle down about 150 gallons of diesel per hour.

Throw the Liebherr into reverse while in electrical braking mode, and the wheel motors used to turn them backward produce enough energy in one hour to power the average home for one entire month.

The fleet of 55 haul trucks at Barrick Cortez has plenty of work ahead of it, hauling 800,000 lb. loads of northern Nevada’s most valuable dirt.  Current estimates suggest that the Barrick Cortez mines still hold 11 million ounces of gold which, at today’s prices, equates to more than $14 billion dollars.

That’ll be more than enough to keep these humongous haul trucks fueled up and rolling on fresh tires for many more years to come.