Abstract Effective risk analysis of dump truck failures is vital for enhancing reliability, minimizing downtime, and ensuring safety in mining operations. This study investigates failure modes of conventional dump trucks using three years of maintenance records from the Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine workshop, focusing only on mechanical and electrical failures (automation-related faults are outside the scope). Applying Pareto analysis and expert validation to key subsystems, a risk matrix was developed that identifies the engine as the dominant source of failures—accounting for 30% of incidents—followed by wheel and electrical systems. Primary engine failure mechanisms include power deficiency, coolant and oil leaks, and internal component malfunctions, all of which critically impair operational reliability. For each failure mode, targeted corrective actions were proposed (e.g., predefined sensor thresholds triggering alarms). Building on these findings, the study recommends tailored sensor and monitoring technologies to enable early fault detection and support preventive maintenance strategies for autonomous dump trucks. This sensor-based framework facilitates real‑time risk classification and effective mitigation. Grounded in empirical data, the proposed methodology provides a data‑driven, reproducible framework for improving safety and reliability, while acknowledging current limitations (static thresholds, autonomy‑failure exclusion) and future steps (predictive analytics). Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge the technical support provided by the Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex during field data collection and operational studies. Funding This work was supported by the National Iranian Copper Industries Company (NICICO) under Contract No. 2001174. Author information Authors and Affiliations Corresponding author Ethics declarations Competing interests The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Additional information Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Rights and permissions Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0