Hauling Chips

Might as well necro this one.

Interviewed and pee'd in a jar today for hauling chips, bark, n dust in the Flathead Valley.

Starting on nights, hourly during probation, then by the ton. Sounds like everything around here is tilt dumps.

Will be mostly the Flathead, Missoula, Skookumchuk, maybe a little in Idaho.

 

Oh yeah, so I have dbls/trpl endorsement, but haven't used it. That's about to change. The company I'll be driving for uses both a- and b-trains. I didn't even know there was such an animal as a b-train. Kinda cool.

I've been reading a lot and watching videos. Growing up here, and having worked at the sawmill for a few years, I have seen bark bins and chip trucks a lot of course, and even watched the tip dumps in action when I was a kid. I never imagined I'd be operating them.

 

Just for fun...if you have the kind of unloading ramp that hoists the trailer and the truck all at once. Try riding in the cab while it goes up and dumps. It's not something that everybody gets to do.
LOL...make sure whoever is operating the hoist is an okay kind of guy otherwise he might just drive off and leave you up there. We did that to a guy once but we had mercy on him after an hour and let him down.

 

Well, it sounds like I'll be loading and unloading at about ten or so different mills. The company I'll be driving for is just a trucking outfit, not a mill, so the tip dumps will vary from mill to mill, I guess.

It sounds like I'll be working my tail off, which is how I prefer it.

 

I'm pumped. I start Monday. I'll be on day shift for training, then nights.

US-93 to Skookumchuk and back, at night. Well, that should be interesting come December.

(I'll be doing local runs in the Flathead, Missoula, Idaho [St. Maries?], Skookumchuk, etc.)

On tip dumps, is the rig chained down? Or does it just rest against the rear gate bar?

 

You just back up to the bumper. Our local mill the the unit is almost vertical when dumping. Sucks when chips are on trailer too long in cold weather as they will stick and guess who gets to break them up with a shovel and make a second trip onto the dumper
You have to watch your weight with green chips. I have loaded live at chipper in bush and tipped the scales at 150,000.

 

Yikes. This outfit is set up for heavy haul, which will be new to me.

I'm pretty stoked. I know I'm going to work my tail off, but where I was raised, that's how it's done.

Thanks.

 

Over 20 years since I hauled chips although my employer has a fleet of chip trailers all 4 axle or b-trains.
Where you hauling determines your day. I was hauling out of bush it was usually a 12 hour round trip. Our trailers currently are hauling only 320 mile round trip mill to mill so its only a 8 hour day which appeals to lots of drivers. Lots of women on that haul. Good luck!

 

Hauling chips is simple work. Fun at night.

 

Chaining your trailer depends on the dump. Some places require it, some don't. Your other drivers should know.

And Rugerfan is right, chips is about as simple as it gets. If you're running night shift you might go for days and not see your boss.