Watching trailer while dumping

Discussion in 'Tanker, Bulk and Dump Trucking Forum' started by Cheeseburgers, Jan 8, 2016.

  1. rocky34

    rocky34 Bobtail Member

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    What you can do is on some trailers there is a flat piece of metal about a foot and a half square that hangs from a piece of rubber mud flap on the bottom of the body. On the flat piece of metal there is an arrow that points straight down. As you put the body up and it starts to lean you will see the arrow move. Depending on how severe the arrow is leaning from dead straight you will have to judge whether or not to let the body down and readjust. I uploaded a picture of a trailer I found online that has this it right next to the landing gear.
     

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  2. tucker

    tucker Road Train Member

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    I'll repost my post that I deleted because I thought it was silly, but it would work...

    Get a big dog and let him sit in the passenger seat, if you see the dog start leaning in his seat, you're in trouble.
     
  3. 201

    201 Road Train Member

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    Hi rocky, I've been around a lot of dump trucks, never saw that and that is different. A little overkill, as I've dumped hundreds and hundreds of loads ( 28 in one day stockpiling once, that was a long day) and only came close like once or twice. Common sense is your best bet and don't let some dingus in a hard hat tell you where to dump. He'll go home, while you're sitting there in a terrible fix.
     
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  4. rocky34

    rocky34 Bobtail Member

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    Yea I know what you mean we got about a dozen dump trailers and they're all different sizes and none of them have that. We just got a new 35' Mac coal bucket that had that arrow they come like that from the factory. Common sense like you said is your best friend get straight as possible dump the air bags and get level. Watch your mirrors and if you can see out the back window I look if the piston is favoring one side of the doghouse. Those guys on the ground know nothing about dumps. They want to walk up next to the truck and talk to you while you're dumping and I always tell everybody NEVER stand next to a dump trailer while its dumping I don't care how level you are. Sometimes it gets a little tricky when you got a load of clayey soil it tends to stick right to the floor until you hit the last stage we got no liners in our alum dumps. Plus we gross around 100k usually with that kind of weight hanging in the trailer till the last second you need all the help you can get to make sure you're dumping straight
     
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  5. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    Just a matter of time. They were pushing a new 4 lane road through the bush for a new subdivision they were building. I seem to recall they were dumping side by side quite often. Not a good move as it turns out.
     
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  6. 201

    201 Road Train Member

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    Hi NM, I've been on spread jobs where we would dump next to each other ( wait, that didn't sound right), where we would unload next to each other( wait, that's worse), anyway, but those were tri-axles, and I've had that box really moving back and forth, but never spread with a trailer. One dozer operator wanted me to spread with a trailer ( so he wouldn't have to do so much work), I said, yeah, nice try buddy, and tripped the gate and let 'er go.:biggrin_25522:
     
  7. hipshot

    hipshot Bobtail Member

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    Thats what happened when i layed mine over.....damp,clay mix stuck in the bed.......got half way up ....after re-setting 4 times.....the dozer driver was foaming at the mouth cause i was taking too long..... The trailer missed him by 15 feet!
     
  8. abyliks

    abyliks Road Train Member

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    the reason I prefer frameless is you know when the are leaning, a frame trailer will store energy and try and go up straight, but when it doesn't it's taking the tractor over with it,

    Also they have mud flaps with levels on them, and if your going into a landfill put plastic on at least the first 10' of the trailer

    Also when dumping make sure you leave the length of your trailer plus ten feet if your near anyone else
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2016
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  9. Jokingypsy

    Jokingypsy Medium Load Member

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    I drove end dumps for a company that removed all controls from the cab so that you had to stand outside the truck and pull the lift handle, which was mounted on the frame rail of the truck. They also had a mechanical indicator mounted on trailer body that would show you if trailer was starting to lean. Dumping an end dump ( especially watching those super singles bulging with all that weight pivoting on the rear axle ) kept ya plenty alert.

    Adam
     
  10. abyliks

    abyliks Road Train Member

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    So the truck lands on you when the trailer takes it over? I would of told them to shove that trailer where the sun don't shine