Help... Newbie Mixer Driver

If it is a front load. Do not stop fast or you will burp out concrete on the road, esp if you have more than 10 yards on. Turn the drum slow going down the road.

 

comes to mind is be safe and don't cement yourself to the highway unless you're pointing in the right direction. There's lots of info here. Just ask if you have a specific question.

 

Keep the truck clean, Its no fun chipping concrete out of the drum with a hammer and chisel. Slow down extra around corners, that high center of gravity could cause you to turn over. NEVER park too close to a shoulder, or you may find your truck overturned when you return to it (not from experience here, but what I was told when I started driving Concrete) Good luck,

 

Awww. it's not that bad. Gives you something to do to stay on the clock when the weather won't let you work. Ear plugs, dust mask, beat on the fins it falls right off. When you run all the chunks out of the drum it sounds like someone put a cement block in the dryer tho!

 

take your time, don't let anyone put you in a dangerous position. there is not enough profit in one load of concrete to pay for a truck and hire a new driver. in the spring thaw stay of the shoulder of the road, it will be soft and suck you into the ditch. go easy in wet road, them float tires will slide easy, and most mixers have slick steers, they hate to put tires on a mixer. if you ever get in the shape that you know a load is going to set up on the truck, a bag of sugar will prevent it from setting, forever, so be sure.

 

A bag of sugar, eh? I did not know that!

 

yeah, it will ruin it, but it won't set. have used it when truck was immobilized and couldn't just run it out on the ground.

oh, try to not take things personal when contractor give ya a tuff time. most times it is not you at all. it can be the best job and somedays the worst.

i perfer to haul the ash and cement.

 

All of these are good points. And like they said a concrete truck is top heavy, always remember that. I have the big floats on my concrete truck, when you turn too sharp in wet grass or mud you keep goin straight. If you will slow down and not turn as sharp it should turn, sometimes on the job if it's real muddy I'll put it in deep reduction to turn, it helps.

 

here in e. ky. we have hills, big, steep. a mixer will climb about anything with a little weight on it. coming down is the trick. real steep, back down. forward they will go a whole lot faster sliding than rolling, they will go like a sled, and scare hell out of ya. so back off a steep hill.lol