Cement Trucks

Tankers, Find a place to train you, Great money and still get a work out.
I'm local and work maybe 1/2 my loads.

 

Sorry but a 6x6 front loader with an auto transmission and hyd swing chutes ain't a real concrete mixer....

Try a twin stick rear discharge Mack DM. No ac that's living...

P.S. With the right company it's a good gig.

 

I do believe you must be a redi mix driver,know one else would know these things,I been ard redi mix the last 23 years,Its not as bad as it sounds on here

 

that's what I started out on in 1992.

 

EHB,, I'm sure there isn't such drastic differences in mixer driving up in Newfoundland compared to the US.

I've been involved in all aspects of concrete for most of my life, but never heard of anything even close to 4-8 hrs perishable for concrete.
In most cases, you'll be lucky to get 2 hrs from time of batching to placement, and most 2 hr old concrete will end up being 100% garbage for strength or workability.
In fact, most state jobs will only allow a 90 minute maximum, from batch time to on the job time. Anything beyond that will get the entire load rejected.

I'm doubtful you ever drove a mixer, by saying "Keep the drum turning and the product slightly damp", and also calling concrete... "cement".
You don't keep the concrete "slightly damp". Every load may be very different.
The slump (wet properties/consistency) of the concrete is all dependent on many factors, with the job specifications being primary.
Concrete for curbing may require a 3" maximum slump or less, while some mix designs with water reducers/superplasticizers may result in 7" to 10" slump.

I drove mixer many years and once you check the brakes, there is absolutely no need to check them "multi times a day".
Unless you have defective slack adjusters or you're riding/overheating the brakes beyond anyone's imagination.
I just wanted to clarify and correct these above misstatements, so ppl aren't misled.

To the OP... I've run line haul and also drove mixer.
The biggest drawback in line haul is that many times you make the same nightly run to the same destination, so therefore it gets boring and old pretty quick.
It's ok for maybe a year, or two, at most. Tho this repetitive route bores some drivers quicker/more than others.

With mixer driving, there is no lolligagging once you get loaded. That concrete has to get to the jobsite asap, and usually within 1 hr after adjusting your slump and post-loading washdown. The clock is always ticking. Getting mixed up on directions and delayed to the jobsite can cost you an entire load, and your job.

You also have to get familiar with various slumps, admixtures, and freshly mixed concrete properties in general.
Depending on the company, some will have you always on "standby" everyday until say,, 9-10am, even on days or season, when you're not officially scheduled for the day.
It's highly seasonal, and weather/workload dependent, so you might work 4-5 days per week... or 4-5 days in 2 months.

 

Some sound like they never been in one, or did so but never elarned anything about mixer trucks.


Back in my day we poured quite a bit for the state, I hated those loads, there was always a state inspector on hand. They were always doing slump test.


And I remember and individual who did small job for many different people. He always wanted it wet, wet, and you never had to worry about having it to wet for him.


I drove a ready-mix truck for about 2 to 3 years back in the early 70’s. for the most of the time I drove one that had a motor on back for the mixer. The next one run off of the truck engine. I like the others ones better for it did not steal the power from the truck engine.

We were in a rural area at a small town, and many times carried ready-mix up into the hills where a timber company were building bridges, low water bridges, and culverts. Some of the hills were so steep the ready-mix would run out the back going up the hills, and if you happned to run off the road it was a very long ways to the bottom. We serviced our own truck on Saturdays, I always made sure my brakes were A-OK, and that my u-joints were in good shape because of the hills.

 

I ran concrete truck and the pump trucks, and the work really isn't that bad, depending on where you live it could be seasonal...(meaning if it rains allot may not pour, or too cold out).

If you do decide to run concrete truck, or even a pump truck go get you one of those plastic sprayer bottles the kind you would use to put weed killer on plants....

Fill the bottle up with diesel.....before you begin to do your pour spray the diesel around the back half of your truck you don't need much just a quick spray on anything that the concrete can splash onto.....

Your clean up after each pour will be much easier and faster. place I use to haul for every night we had to scrub our trucks down, boy it was so much easier using the diesel before each pour for me at the end of the night.

its a great gig, pay is good....also I would see if they have a union side and a non union side....if they do have a union side get signed up for it before being hired or ask about it in interview.....union side generally get the first loads of the day and all the union jobs...

anyways I hope this helps at least a little bit.

 

I drove rear discharge mixers and belt trucks, which were rear discharge with a conveyor belt that would reach out 35 feet from the truck.
It can be hard work. It can be hot, I never drove a mixer that had an AC, or a dump truck that had one for that matter.
In some ways driving them is the same as a semi, in turning it is different, since you have a much different turning radius with an off road axle and wide front tires. You have a tendency to "dive" into turns.
Those that say it is not hot are right and wrong. Cement is cool when you put it in the truck, but by the time you are empty it is pretty darn warm. If it is on the truck over an hour it can be pretty darn hot, since it warms itself up in the chemical reaction that causes it to set.
And if you have to chip your truck (which in a non union company, you will probably have to do) it is hot as hell in there with a chisel and hammer, or an air chisel.
In busy season 60-70 hours a week is common. Sundays are normally off, since that follows the exemption they have in the HOS, they need to take 1 day off for a reset.

 

hey guys! I have a quick question...what is the blue button on the gear for ( kenworth cement truck) I am thinking of driving this truck however never drove this truck before. I would appreciate if somebody could tell me what the button on the gear is for. thanks!

 

Never push the blue button