Best dump truck for gravel and asphalt

Discussion in 'Tanker, Bulk and Dump Trucking Forum' started by OldeSkool, Dec 7, 2022.

  1. bad-luck

    bad-luck Road Train Member

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    Been a long time since I drove a dump. I would say it depends on how hou get paid, by the hour or the ton. Aluminum is lighter, but steel body you can haul anything.
     
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  3. Cat sdp

    Cat sdp . .

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    With the infrastructure bill now might be a good time …… everything depends on the quarry your working for.
     
  4. Cat sdp

    Cat sdp . .

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    Everyone around here says your better off with a tractor trailer then a dump truck unless your doing your own work…….
     
  5. REO6205

    REO6205 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    LOL...My son and I run a few cows. A couple of years we've almost made money at it too. We start calving in January. My neighbor's Brahma got over onto our place earlier this year and nailed a bunch of my Shorthorn/Angus cross heifers so I imagine I'll be looking at a lot of ear in a couple of months.

    On the truck thing...Take a look around before you decide on equipment. See what the guys who are working steady use and what the customers want.
    As far as aluminum vs steel...Aluminum will limit you to just a few products. If you can stay busy that way, go for it. If not, get steel.
    You probably have all this figured out but since I was complaining about being in the used cow business I figured I better add something about trucking.
     
  6. Cat sdp

    Cat sdp . .

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  7. OldeSkool

    OldeSkool Road Train Member

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    If you ever made money with cows your doing better than me. I got into it to give my son something to do. After 8 years of marriage I have 2 daughters and still don’t have a son lol. Guess it doesn’t pay to count your chickens before they hatch. I may sell out on the cows and get some sheep or goats. That would be better for the girls.
     
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  8. RockinChair

    RockinChair Road Train Member

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    No sir, it doesn't. And it sure doesn't pay to count your calves before they drop - or before you have to pull them, I should say.
     
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  9. Dino soar

    Dino soar Road Train Member

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    Couple things.

    The first is I think it would be a good idea for you to describe better what it is that they're going to have you doing.

    Here in Pennsylvania the Triaxles are paid by the hour for hauling millings but they're paid by the ton for the paving. There is some kind of a delay pay if like the paver breaks down or something I think but from what I remember because it's been quite a number of years but everyone was pretty happy with that.

    Most of the guys that I knew that had triaxles once they became established they had very little problem at least over here. Once they became established everyone that they went to work for would ask them hey do you have any more trucks you can send me do you have any more trucks you can send me we need more trucks for this job. Their main problem was retaining drivers or finding drivers. Mostly they could expand as much as they wanted to and within walking distance from my house I have two dump trucking companies one has about 12 trucks and one has about 20 trucks.

    You're not well versed in that business I think you said and despite what this individual tells you you don't know that that's going to work. My suggestion to you would be to find something that has a T1 steel bed. The aluminum is lighter but that bed is so strong it'll handle anything that you put in it and you'll just keep going.

    Now if you're going to be doing any traveling at all, and you're never going to go off the road or rarely let's say go off the road, then air ride is nice because it gives you comfort. That truck with the walking beam suspension will beat you up like a bad woman, but the air ride will be like a sweet lover, if that will fit what you're doing.

    As far as trucks it depends how far you're going and what you are doing. If you're going to be going off road a lot and going on to muddy excavation sites, you need something that has a walking beam suspension. Generally speaking the Mack trucks are really great for that kind of work, even if you found an older Rd but you have to make sure the frame isn't cracked and those trucks take so much abuse going off road it's terrible.

    By the way these trucks have tremendous upkeep they take a beating having the whole weight on the truck and like I said the frames break the front ends wear out Springs break there's all kinds of repairs that happen with these trucks that are not nearly as common in Road tractors. If you run your own truck you're that much further ahead because it's easier for the idiots to destroy things if you cut them loose.

    Now since you're talking about hauling by the ton, Pete or Freightliner especially with an air ride is going to be lighter than the Mack. Think carefully because if You Haul let's say 1-2 tons more if you have a lighter truck with an aluminum bed and aluminum wheels by the end of the week and certainly by the end of the month that adds up.

    I'm not sure if you can find it where you are at, but they make tracks with dump trucks some manufacturers with a really heavy single frame. That's what I would be looking for because every one of those double frames swell open and break and it's a terrible thing.

    I have to say if I was going to buy a tri-axle and I didn't know that I had anything 100% for sure dedicated that I knew where I was going to be for the next 5 years, I would buy a Mack with a Camelback suspension and a steel bed. And of course aluminum wheels because they are much lighter than the spokes.

    With that setup, you can do anything.
     
  10. OldeSkool

    OldeSkool Road Train Member

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    Wow thanks a lot for that very informative post!!
     
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