A shearer pulls itself along the face by using a sprocket to engage with the haulage system which is fixed to the length of the AFC. The haulage track of a shearer can be seen in the photo on the left. Generally the shearer traction system is powered hydraulically. There are many different types of chainless haulage systems available to the industry, some of these are:

• Powertrack,
• Rollrack,
• Dynatrack,
• Eicotrack,

The shearer uses the AFC structure as it’s track to traverse along the face. The shearer is mounted on a set of rollers, or skids, which run along the front of the AFC structure. A typical set of skids can be seen in the photo on the right.