Abstract: A bucket-wheel excavator has its bucket-wheel conveyor stopped when a truck is fully loaded so that a new truck can be brought into position, the continuously-operating bucket wheel filling the bucket-wheel chute with a first store of the material. After an empty pass of the dumping conveyor, the bucket-wheel conveyor is driven at a creeping speed and a second store of the material is formed in the receiving chute of the dumping conveyor which is turned onto operate at creeping speed when the material reaches the upper belt drum of the bucket-wheel conveyor belt. Once the empty truck is in position, the belts are accelerated to maximum speed.