to all end dump haulers...

Ohh yea...don't be a richard head and back up RIGHT next to someone else and dump your load of gravel burying their trailer wheels...I always like it when people do that.

 

Ain't that the truth,had a knucklehead do that back when i had put a nice new set of Dura-Brights on about a month before,made me sick to my stomach

 

That's flat dangerous!! If their trailer goes over, or yours, that's 2 rigs that are taken out. Always stay more than the length of your trailer away.

 

I forgot about the wind. It can be a factor when you have all 40+ feet up in the air.

 

not to hijack the thread but why dont companys just use live bottom trailers. Is it cost, maint???

 

Yes to both, plus they're heavy. Our company finally quit using them, can't haul much product with them.

I got to experience the wind today. Western Kansas had a wind advisory, gusts of 45mph. I also learned that a loaded trailer is more at risk than an empty one, of being blown over. Managed to get it done by stringing it out a little, instead of in one big pile.

Another note on making sure you're level. Never, ever, ever trust the word of a worker at your dump site. All they're interested in is getting the material off, and you the heck out of their way. G.O.A.L. for yourself.

Reference dumping close to someone else... Had that happen today. We had about 10 trucks all hauling to the same place, and about 4 other companies. Well my trailer tires dug a rut while it was in the air. So I had my 40' almost straight up, trying to maneuver it, here comes the classic wing-nut, backs in not more than 10' away and proceeds to dump. The only thing I'm thinking is if your trailer goes over and takes mine out, be ready for a ride to the local hospital. Company policy is that if we lay one over, we're immediately terminated.

 

I'm going to add one more thing to be careful doing. If you're pulling a spread-axle where you lift the front (tag) axle while turning, do so with caution whenever there are bears or DOT around. We've had one driver get cited for overweight on axle. The POS bear was sitting at an intersection watching for this. Once you raised that tag-axle he would nail you. It is the most chicken-sheet thing I've ever heard of. When loaded, you must raise it to turn or risk tearing the heck out of that axle.

With spread-axles you're allowed 40k lbs, instead of the 34k lbs for standard tandems. So raising that tag-axle would put you about 20k lbs over. Needless to say a real pricy ticket.

 

That's why I wouldn't lift until I was just about in the turn, for a number of reasons. I'd pop the valve right when the light would turn green or if waiting for a left, just before the last car would pass. On a free turn, I'd pop it as soon as I was off the brakes and just before beginning the turn.

Doing it this way takes enough pressure off the axle to make the turn without lifting it completely off the ground. If Mr DOT was watching, the tire would never completely leave contact with the road.

The other reason was on free turns it lessened the risk of skidding the tire. We had many a driver who would pop the valve to lift the axle while they were braking. Many of our lift axle tires had multiple flat spots because of these morons.

 

I wait until I'm starting my turn, flip the switch to raise it, and when I'm just starting to straighten out, I flip the switch down.