to all end dump haulers...

What the other have said.

I'd also add that you need to check your overhead clearance as well as the ground you are set to dump on. In other words...look up. Often times you may have wires or other objects above or close to where you are dumping. When dumping, take it up slowly. There is no need to rush to get it dumped. The slower you go up, the more time you have to react if something starts to go wrong.

One other thing. After you dump the load, do a walk around before you leave the property. Make sure your gate is closed and latched, your body is COMPLETELY lowered, your tarp is secure (if you untarped prior to dumping), and that there are no rocks wedged in between your dual tires.

 

Haha those end dumps flip more often than fedex throws a set of doubles on its side.

On a serious note, if you haul any scrap metal make sure you go SLOW in the scrap yards and look for anything sticking up threw the mud, flat tires can get really costly when you own your own truck...

 

Yep, there are 2 types of end dump users... Those that have laid one over and those that have yet to. lol

Some people get lucky and never lay one on its side tho.

 

when dumping just watch the load flow out. when you hear it stop moving and the pile in your mirror is rolling around your rear trailer tires let it roll forward a little and stop to let the rest fall. when its all out pull forward and slam the gate (depending on where you are, some places like schools and such you can get thrown off the job. Ive seen it happen).

Also its cold out there (depending where you are) maybe consider investing in bags of calcium. sprinkling a little of that in the body in the am when its really cold could save your back if you had to shovel it out. its very easy however if your not watching what your doing it'll get you in some trouble. just take your time dont feel rushed and dont be nervous, that'll just make matters worse. be confident you got this.

 

what kind of trailer are you using? is it a day cab or a sleeper?

if its a day cab, dont be afraid to use the "cheater" window, (call it what ever you want, id rather be the sissy that uses the rear window then the idiot that flipped the truck over)

Watch and see if it starts shaking or if you can actually see the trailer leaning, you might have to make the decision to either hold it to the boards and hope the load brakes or put it down.

Also dont race the engine if its cold out on the first few loads Hydralic oil can get thick, so for rule #2, just put the body down and reset, I can have a hard time seeing level so it the body goes up one or two stages and it doesnt look right, i put it down and reset.

get out and look before you dump, dont EVER let any pushy miserable operator rush you in dumping, or dumping somewhere you dont want to. if it goes over its your ###, also dont ever let them push the truck if you get stuck, especially if its aluminum, allways carry a chain, relese the brakes, put it in neutral, and let someone pull it out

 

That's a big thing there. You won't get run off a job if you don't feel it's safe. Those clowns know it but they're too lazy to move that machine an extra 50 feet to help you out.

Keep the box clean inside (ha!) stuff will inevitably pile up in the nose and will affect how the trailer goes up (and your tare weight).

Most of it's common sense that you'll learn. Make sure gate is locked before you load, make sure it opens before you unload, make sure tarp is rolled open before you load...seen the end result of a guy loading asphalt onto a tarp and he was a 20+ year 'union' 'professional'.

And be aware of what's overhead when you dump.

 

I've read most of the thread and agree with all (of course). Just to give you a good idea on what can happen, this is what's happened to me this week.

We're hauling 1-1/2" rock to a construction site, where they're preparing it to put up an asphalt plant. The terrain is not level. There is a hill towards the center of the area. Not that much of a hill, but the ground breaks in every direction. We're suppose to drive up the hill then back down the North side, and dump. The dump spot is about as level as they can get it. No problems there. However they have covered the area with sand.

First time there, as I'm pulling my 85k lb rig up the hill, I get stuck, and need to be pulled out. Once out, I'm able to back down, and dump. Now the next time, I manage to pull up, back down without getting stuck. But, once I start to walk the trailer forward, (this is down by holding the service brake, or setting the tractor brakes, allowing the hydraulics to pull the trailer forward), the tires dig into and push the sand. Now I have a 40' trailer in the air, with nice little humps in front of the tires. So I let the bed down, try to pull the trailer over the humps, and now the tractor tires break traction and sink. So I spent the night (from 5:30 pm to 7:am this morning) in their sandbox.

Next I go get another load. Come back, and the numbnuts have brushed the sand, so now it's real, real soft again. So pulling up, I get stuck, get pulled out, and setup to dump. While dumping (ground is level), the right trailer tire sinks about 4-6". I can tell something has happened, because I see the bed in my mirror lean to the right. So down comes the bed rather fast. Now this causes me to tear off a mudflap.

So just reiterating what's been said before.. Make sure your level, and watch that bed if you're on soft ground. Chances are, once all that weight gets shifted to the rear trailer tires, they will sink.

Also there is some difference between the frameless and frame dump trailers. The frameless walks the tractor back, where the frame type, does not.

 

leo319,now that you have had a chance to hook up to your trailer,which kind is it,frame or frameless? I know you said it was spring ride earlier,but i did'nt see if you mentioned which type of trailer it was. If it's a frameless trailer,try and keep your truck pretty much in-line with your trailer when dumping if at all possible(not jack-knifed),this will keep your trailer from damaging your truck drive wheel seals as it's pulling your truck backwards while being raised. Plus, i always tried to keep 3 or 4 good oak 2x8 boards about 3ft.long in my toolbox, i could use them to get the lower side of the trailer closer to level. A lot of folks have given ya some really good info here. Good Luck to ya and be careful,especially on really windy days.