Getting Un-Stuck with an End-Dump

Discussion in 'Tanker, Bulk and Dump Trucking Forum' started by Eaton18, May 26, 2012.

  1. Eaton18

    Eaton18 Road Train Member

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    I thought I'd share my experience of the last few days so it might help someone that finds themselves in a similar situation. Hauling rock to a construction site, I've found myself stuck in rock. Yep, I said stuck in rock, and you're all alone. It happens very easily with Frame-less trailers. After dumping, you start to pull away, your tires break loose, spin and there you sit. You have your differential locked in, so you have dug down with 2 axles. You're simply not just going to drive out. You may need to do a little shoveling, but this may help minimize that. Also the trailer axle may have pushed a small pile of rock up in front of them. This can also stop you.

    First I'm going to discuss when the trailer tires push up that pile in front of them, or they sink due to the weight. DO NOT try to pull the trailer with the bed all the way up. This is a near certain guarantee for laying the trailer over. Get out, grab your shovel. You do have one of these, don't you? It's a must with an end-dump. Go back and shovel the rock away from the front of the tires. Once that's done, gently lower the bucket. Oh, make sure that your mudflaps are not buried in the rock. If they are, you will rip them off. You may need to free them first. Ok, once you have your bucket down, try to ease forward. If you still have material in your bucket you will need to raise the bed again to dump it. That's one way you get stuck and free.

    Another is when you pull forward while your bed is in the air, and it pushes up rock, or sand, instead of the tires just rolling across the top. You must be very, very, very careful now, as it would be easy for the trailer to lay down. Set your Tractor Brakes, and release the Trailer brakes. Slowly start to lower the bed. This should cause the trailer tires to roll backwards, but not much due to the pile behind it. Stop as soon as there's no more room for the trailer to roll. Now get out, grab your shovel, and fill in the depression, and/or remove the small pile in front of the tires. Once done, with the tractor brakes set, slowly raise the bucket, this should cause the trailer tires to roll forward. If they do, you can try to gently drive forward, watch to make sure they don't push up more rock, or sink. They really don't sink on rock, just push the loose rock up in front of them. This past week, I've walked the trailer tires over the small piles using this method. You might ask, Why not just drive forward?. Well that's because my drives dug in, and I couldn't. So I freed the trailer tires first, since they were the lessor problem, easiest to free. Then I dealt with the tractor.

    Dealing with the Drive axles....

    This seems to be the most notorious issue on loose rock. They will break loose very easily, and when they do, you're done, stuck. You don't have monster mudder tires, no front wheel drive. So what can you do, that does not require much physical labor, ie; shoveling? Well frame-less end-dumps have the ability to use the hydraulic system like a winch. There's a tremendous amount of force at your disposal. After all, it pulls that tractor back while your raising the bed, it raises that bed with all that weight in it. Once you've off-loaded your material, and you get stuck, use it to get yourself out. I call it, caterpillering (I know probably not a real word, so what, the movement of the tractor and trailer resembles that of a caterpillar).

    The situation I found myself in a couple of times this past week, my drives were down to above the bead of the rims. They kicked out the rock (dug) that quick, by me just easing out the clutch, as I knew the rock was real loose to start with, and I would need to tip-toe out of there. So here's what I done...

    Set the tractor brakes, raise the bed. This will cause the trailer to roll forward. You need to be able to push the tractor forward. Once you get the bed up to about 3rd stage. Stop, set the trailer brakes, releasing the tractor brakes. Now start lowering the bed, looking to see if it is pushing the tractor, it should. It may not push you very far, but enough to get the tires out of the holes. Now stop, get out, and shovel the rock into those holes to fill them in. If it takes just this one time to free yourself, you don't want to bounce your trailer tires into them. You could be stuck again. Remember you're on very loose rock, and your tractor tires could break loose if they have much torque applied. Once you get the holes filled, try to drive away. If you can Great!!, however what happened was that the minute I tried to drive again, my tires spun out, dug down again. So, I then set the tractor brakes again, raised the bed, which pulled the trailer tires forward. I want to keep moving forward, not go backwards to where I just got out of. Once I have the bed back up, set the trailer brakes, release the tractor brakes, and lower the bed. The tractor is pushed forward out of the holes. I done this a total of 3 times before I was on stable enough rock to be able to drive away. It also might help to talk nice to your tractor :yes2557:. On that 3rd time, when I climbed back into the cab I said to her.. "Ok baby, let's just walk on out of here", and we did. When she stuck I wasn't so nice to her... :biggrin_25525:

    I was able to back over this area loaded due to momentum. I was already moving, so the tires didn't require much torque. It's when you're trying to start from a stop, that they will "dig in".

    Oh and don't forget to dump the suspension in your tractor when you're raising the bed, and "fill" it when lowering it. I don't worry about filling the trailer suspension until I'm out.
     
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  3. EHB

    EHB Medium Load Member

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    ya , I have been stuck a few times too.
    Soon as the load/weight is off the truck, your spinning your wheels.
    And the question marks start poping out of your head and your saying WTF and ever other foul word in the book...lol
    You would never ever think for a second that you would get a Semi/tadam stuck for 1/4 inch of space under the tires,
    But any one and everyone will get stuck sooner or later in their trucking life and turn red in the face everytime.
    It is and can be very embarrassing but that is the way things happen in life.
    Have a 70 chain or tow strap and a shovel in your truck at all times.
    Ya never know when you or a fellow trucker will need it, Be prepared.

    Expect the unexpected, even when you do Expect it
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 26, 2012
  4. truckbiz

    truckbiz Light Load Member

    3" is the worst! if I have to drive on fresh stone to dump, or more accurately to leave after dumping, I back and pull forward several times to pack my own road before dumping. I do this in landfills also, usually backing over an area a couple times will show a soft spot.
     
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  5. Eaton18

    Eaton18 Road Train Member

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    Waverly, KS
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    Got stuck once this week. This time it was just one drive tire that spun, but it cleaned the rock down to the dirt below. Must have been where someone else had got stuck. Where we're having to dump, this is 1-1/2" clean base rock. They were rolling it so it would be more solid for us, BUT they have not been doing that recently. Then on top of that, there's some real, real, real, idiot drivers from another company that's hauling there. They drive up to pile then turn to setup and back. You don't do this in loose material, it causes ruts and makes it harder for other drivers to dump on level ground. It got so bad, that the construction company has made some signs using plastic jugs. They have arrows and directions. There is one at the highway, where we need to pull in. Then 2 more pointing where and what direction to turn, and then telling you to back to the piles. One problem.... they are written in English only. I'm not being racist, but the drivers that are causing the problems don't speak our language!!!:biggrin_25516:
     
  6. Gambi80

    Gambi80 Medium Load Member


    LOL...yea, years previous we'd finish out the season hauling to wind farms and they'd want the rock BOMBED in, so every Tom Dick and Yoo-say-bee-oh would come out of the wood work. The rock usually paid by the ton, so all us locals had some fun with the no-speaka's when it came to directions.
     
  7. RockinChair

    RockinChair Road Train Member

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    CC, TX
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    Eaton18, your post should be stickied (hint to the moderators).

    I wish I had known all of that back when I pulled an end-dump. It would've made life much easier.
     
  8. CondoCruiser

    CondoCruiser The Legend

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    Good info. A good dozer operator would offer a helping hand if he is near by. Always carry a chain and shovel.
     
  9. kajidono

    kajidono Road Train Member

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    I actually learned how to do this running a flatbed tow truck with a hydraulic stinger. I just started running end dump after years on the road running flatbed. Got stuck yesterday and used the trailer to shove myself out without a second thought. +1 to caterpillering (if it wasn't before, it's a word now.)
     
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  10. gravelhauler

    gravelhauler Medium Load Member

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    Lake Charles, La
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    I've been known to lift my trailer while only the tractor brakes are locked, making the trailer come to me. Then unlock the tractor brakes, hold the trailer brakes with the "Johnny bar", let the trailer down and push the truck forward. It doesnt always work but 80% of the time that'll get you out. If there is equipment around that can pull you out use it, but if you're dumping somewhere and happen to be alone like I've found myself a few times this little trick will almost always save you a wrecker bill.
     
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