Big data these days is big business. Big data implies a combination of databases too large and/or too diverse to maintain by regular database management systems. Big data plays an ever-increasing role these days. This is caused by that fact that not only society started to collect more and more data via for example Facebook but also because more and more technical systems and components started to collect and store data; the so-called Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT enables that more information from sensor systems becomes available that was not available in the past. Theoretically this means that monitoring technical systems 24/7 should become reality and downtime and unexpected maintenance a thing of the past. This paper discusses the utilization of big data and the application of the IoT in bulk solid handling and transportation systems. It discusses recent developments and a case study.