Drivin Dump

As long as you don't want to pull a trailer, just dumps, and short haul at that, a Class B is fine. Not really trucking, but you get to have more of a family life.

 

Wait until you get axle deep and need two bulldozers to push and pull you out. You will be cursing your decision to leave paved roads. Lol

 

Just get your Class A.....once you get the feel for Class B dumps, you will want more adventure. There are Class A dump trucks (transfers, truck n pups, end dumps, etc.) that offer different kind of work that will allow more hours, better pay, etc.

My opinion is, if you are going to invest time and money into the tests....just go all the way with no regrets.

 

what he said.

 

Get your A and forget about dumps, I was in it a long time and couldn't be happier to be out of it. You're broke every winter, your life revolves around the weather, hardly anybody offers benefits that are worth a #### and the list goes on. Trucking is already hard on your body, dumps are three times worse then road trucks. Chalmers, hendrickson, and camelback are the main problems but. when you throw in the fact that you're always driving on bumpy surfaces it makes for a bad ride.

Not to mention most dumps are one DOT stop from being put out of service. You drive a dump, you better not skip your pretrip.

 

Things must be different in MO than in CA....I drive transfer dump, our top 4 drivers have over 100 years with this company with their combined totals. Our trucks ride great, we are currently in the process of replacing our 2006-08 rides with 2012+, etc. My truck passes inspection with ease, as with most of our rides. Your story is true about the winter, somewhat. The newer drivers struggle but there is always work for most of us, not 60-70 hrs per week but putting money away during those weeks helps the 30-40hr weeks go by a little better. Our dispatchers and management are good about finding us various loads for the most part.

I get there is bottom-of-the-barrel work in the dump industry, but there is decent work with decent employers as well.

 

Get your class A, that way all your doors are open. Give tri-axles a try and if you find out you cant stand it at least your have your class A which means you have more opportunities to find something different.

 

I would say that Ca is different from most of the country, not just Mo. I've driven dumps in Mo, Il and Ga and it was the same story in each state, just higher pay in Mo and Il. There was slightly more work during the winter in Mo and Il simply because you could haul salt and do snow removal throughout parts of the winter.

As far as having brand new equipment, I'm sure most dump guys on here will tell you that they hardly see any companies in their respective states running all newer trucks. Beelman is the only exception around here but, they only have end dumps.

What dump rides great? I've been in tons of em and they all ride like crap. Sure you have guys that convert road tractors into dumps but, air has no business on a dump truck.

 

I can tell that Dutchman drives for West Coast Sand and Gravel. I've been on many jobs working along side them and they're all well kept trucks. Even their older trucks are kept well maintained. Hats off to WCSG