Hey guys, I've been asked to be a fill-in driver, doing some cash weekend work for a family member with a small dirt work / forestry business. I've got 3 months of CDL School and 3 months of Tanker experience. So not much, in other words. I figured my tanker exp might come in handy, since it stands to reason a dump will also be top heavy, with no parking on soft shoulders, etc. Its an older freightliner FLC, with looks like a 16' dump bed on it. I'll be hauling mainly rocks and gravel. I haven't taken a close look at it yet but from the pictures it seems to be in decent shape.
I guess what I'm asking for is any advice or pointers you can give to guy who's never run a dump. I'm hoping I'll get to ride at least a day with his regular driver to see how to operate the pto and hydraulics, but chances are I'll get called to work before then. My main concern is operating the dump bed. Any help is appreciated.
Straight Dump Newbie
Discussion in 'Tanker, Bulk and Dump Trucking Forum' started by GoldenLad, May 10, 2017.
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Watch the turns. You WILL be top heavy while loaded.
Don't forget to untarp before you dump, lest you get back to the quarry and have the loader operator give you a hard time because your tarp is still rolled out.
Make sure you're sitting somewhat level before you pop the tail gate and raise the bed.
Look inside the the body from time to time, particularly during the cold months, or you may find yourself hauling the same ton or so of frozen material around all day.ExOTR, AModelCat, OLDSKOOLERnWV and 3 others Thank this. -
Don't forget to unlock the tailgate before you dump. Check your box every once in awhile to make sure material isn't building up .
OLDSKOOLERnWV, Shock Therapy and GoldenLad Thank this. -
Check your gate. Chain it too. Always. Unless you are told to take the chain off.
Never. Ever. Never never never dump with any angle of lean the long ways against that poor truck. You might flop over.
Finally not last, when it begins to rain, and you are empty running for to get a load, you best watch your braking, she will get away from you pretty dam quick and slide. If you got something like a Mack Super Liner with a large steerign wheel, then it's not a problem to recover her. Provided your tires are halfway decent.
Dump is fun. Fun. And fun. Maybe a little play time too. I prefer a front end loader Cat 936 wheeled. Thats my favorite activity. I can jump into one right now and feed a rock pile or sand pile into the ready mix for hours and hours without worry about the money. That will take care of itself.
Have fun.
However. If something comes up, fix it. Always fix it. Do NOT let it just slide. It might break something important and you would wonder what the hell happened when you dumped 10 ton of rock on the interstate.GoldenLad, OLDSKOOLERnWV and Shock Therapy Thank this. -
Make sure tailgate is unlocked before you dump otherwise you'll be staring at the sky!
BigTennOTR, GoldenLad, OLDSKOOLERnWV and 3 others Thank this. -
GoldenLad and Shock Therapy Thank this.
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And watch for high lines!
GoldenLad, x1Heavy and OLDSKOOLERnWV Thank this. -
All good points mentioned above. Unlock the tail is always #2 AFTER looking for power lines!! Check occasionally to make sure material is not building up in the bed, but Hauling rock / gravel you should be fine. Depending on the truck suspension will depend on how "unlevel" I would raise the bed. If you ever do haul dirt and it builds up in the bed, have the operator clean it out for you just as I'm doing here. No sense in trying to Shovel if he's a good operator. Trust me.... there are throttle jockies on equipment too!!
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Last edited: May 11, 2017
GoldenLad, x1Heavy and Shock Therapy Thank this. -
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