Dump trucks are specialized vehicles with deep, open beds useful in a variety of specialized industries, from mining to construction, agriculture to infrastructure, and more. However, not all dump trucks are the same, and there are many different types of light, medium, and heavy-duty dump trucks to purchase. This is what makes choosing the most suitable dump truck for your industry requirements a very difficult prospect, especially without previous experience.
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How do I choose the best dump truck for my operations?
Choosing a dump truck to purchase for your operations is all about knowing which key areas you should pay attention to. You should be aware of your specific needs, and then proceed to choose a style of truck that would best meet those demands. From there, you should consider the following five general aspects of a dump truck to ensure it fits your demands.
Body styles
Generally, modern dump trucks come in three basic varieties based on the shape of their body semi-elliptical, half-round, and standard rectangular. The choice of body shape depends solely on your industry needs:
Half-round: These dump trucks are lighter and tend to have an increased payload capacity. Also, its bed shape makes it less likely for the material to stick to its floor. However, it is limited by equipment-hauling and pallet-storing capability, since the bed is not flat.
Rectangular: Standard rectangular dump trucks offer most floor bed room, as well as more spread. This shape offers excellent agility and strength, as well as a low center of gravity for carrying heavy loads. This makes rectangular-shaped dump trucks the preferred choice.
Semi-elliptical: This is a hybrid of the half-round and traditional rectangular shape. It combines the haul shape of the half-round and the body shape of a traditional rectangular dump truck.
Materials
When purchasing a dump truck, its important to pay attention to its material, as not all metals offer the same durability, tensile strength, and rigidity. The two main options for dump trucks are aluminum and steel.
Aluminum is a good choice for carrying light-weight and non-abrasive materials, but it costs more, its not as strong as steel, and repairs are a lot more expensive. Steel is the most common choice for professionals, especially if its continuous-welded, as it offers unparalleled strength and durability when compared to aluminum.
Engine
Most dump trucks output anywhere between 200 and 600 HP. However, more does not always equal better in terms of horsepower. More powerful dump trucks consume more fuel and generally cost more to maintain and operate.
This is why you should consider your exact needs and not overestimate them. Buying a more powerful truck than necessary will only end up costing you in the long run.
Axle considerations
GVWR stands for gross vehicle weight rating, which indicates how much weight a dump truck can transport safely. Federal laws clearly state how much weight each dump truck can carry based on the number of its axles. Fewer axles equals lower hauling weight across public roads.
Choose with the number of axles and carrying capacity you need, and dont overestimate it either. Having an underutilized truck is just as bad as having a too-powerful truck the efficiency lowers.
Where can I purchase a dependable heavy-duty dump truck?Where can I purchase a dependable heavy-duty dump truck?
Among the many different types of dump trucks available on the market, and all the numerous features these dump trucks have, choosing the right one for your business requirements gets increasingly difficult. However, even when you finally select the right truck for your specific requirements, you still need to find a reputable manufacturer of high-quality dump trucks to partner with. Luckily, that is something we can help you with.
Curry Supply is a long-standing manufacturer of cutting-edge dump trucks that are reliable, rugged, extremely durable, and well-suited for a wide array of specialized commercial applications. Our dump trucks are designed to keep your worksite safe, clean, and organized, enhance your daily operations, and boost your productivity. If you want to purchase a dump truck for your business, you need to partner with Curry Supply. Call us today!
Dump trucks have been around for nearly 100 years. When they were first conceived, they didnt even have a motor. Now, dump trucks are loaded with complex machinery and designed to accomplish specific functions in construction.
If youve been researching dump trucks to add to your fleet, looking to become an owner/operator or to gain a better understanding of your construction supply chain, this guide to the different types of dump trucks and kinds of construction trucks will help you understand the unique features and functions of each. This article will focus on dump truck types in the US and include the different names of trucks used for each truck type.
What All Dump Trucks Have in Common
Most dump trucks have an open-box bed and operate by hydraulics. Dump truck manufacturers in the US include Mack, Peterbilt, Volvo, Freightliner, CAT, Kenworth, and International Trucks. When acquiring a new truck, youll have to consider whether to buy used, at auction, or from a dealer. While there are different types of trucks, manufacturers allow for customizations for each type to get the specifications you desire.
Dump Trucks by Type
Standard
Dump Truck
Overview: A standard dump truck has a chassis or base frame with a mounted bed. The front of the body contains a hydraulic ram that raises the bed. The back of the bed is hinged to the back of the truck so the front can be raised to dump material out. The body is accessible through a tailgate that swings up or down, depending on the trucks build.
Key distinction: The wheelbase tends to be low to improve maneuverability, and if this feature is essential, then the standard is the best choice. These dump trucks have front and rear steering axles, with additional axles for trucks that need to carry a greater load.
Where Theyre Commonly Used: These dump trucks are found in the US and Europe.
Overview: A transfer dump truck has a standard dump truck as its base and pulls a separate movable cargo container on a trailer. The separate trailer is then pulled within the body of the main truck, you can check out a video showcasing this ability here.
Key distinction: The transfer dump truck can carry a variety of common construction materials. The tractor gives the truck greater capacity without having to sacrifice maneuverability.
Materials: Gravel, sand, asphalt, snow, wood chips, construction aggregate, dirt.
Where Theyre Commonly Used: Transfer dump trucks are found all over the US.
End Dump
(Dump Trailer, Semi-End Dump) Truck
Overview: This truck has a tractor-trailer combination, and the trailer contains its own hydraulic system. The loads are weighted more on the container being pulled rather than the truck bed.
Key distinction: While these dump trucks can carry a large payload, this does make the truck unstable, limiting its applications, especially when the ground is uneven at job sites. The truck can be quickly unloaded onsite.
Side Dump
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Construction dump trucks. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Truck
Overview: The side dump truck consists of a tractor pulling a semi-trailer. Hydraulic rams tilt the body onto its side, so material goes either to the left or the right of the truck.
Key distinction: Allows for rapid unloading, wont tip over while dumping like an end dump can, unless the dump is stopped prematurely.
Materials: Few material limitations, can carry anything from boulders to sand, to sludge.
Where Theyre Commonly Used: All over the US; however, in the Western part of the country, they can carry more weight, another advantage to this type of truck.
Tri-Axle
Dump Truck
Overview: These hauling trucks are used for smaller loads, short distances. This is a popular choice in more urban or suburban areas because these trucks are easier to maneuver in tight quarters or down busy city streets, while still hauling a meaningful amount of material.
Key Distinction: They are lightweight, meaning they can help save on costs.
Materials: The tri-axle cant handle too many aggregates because the load capacity is small.
Superdump
Truck
Overview: These big dump trucks have a trailing axle and load-bearing axle that allows for much heavier loads than other types of dump trucks while still meeting the federal bridge formula standard. Superdumps have become popular out west in the US.
Key Distinction: Can be rated as high as 80,000 pounds depending on length and axle configuration.
Materials: Very useful for asphalt and concrete paving.
Overview: Bottom dump trucks have dump trailers with a clamshell gate that releases material from the bottom, or the belly, of the trailer.
Key Distinction: The clamshell design allows for precision when laying materials.
Materials: The bottom dump is used primarily for stockpiling, material transport, and paving.
Double Bottom
(Double Belly
Dump)
Overview: The Double Bottom or Belly Dump is similar to the Bottom Dump but with the addition of an extra trailer to increase the amount that can be transported in each trip.
Off-Highway
Dump Trucks
Overview: These trucks are heavy construction equipment with major differences from standard and other dump trucks that are used on highways. These are used primarily for off-road jobs like mining and heavy dirt hauling. In fact, the manufacturers of these types of trucks avoid using dump truck to refer to them, typically using haul truck instead.
Key Distinction: There are two main types of off-highway dump trucks, haul trucks and articulated haulers.
Getting a Dump Truck to Meet Your Needs
Now that you understand the different types of dump trucks, you may be wondering how to purchase one. You can find out how much a dump truck costs here, and learn how to buy a used truck here if youre looking to save on upfront costs.
Looking to hire someone with the truck you need? You can find a guide to finding truck drivers looking for work here.
If you own a truck, you need a trusted resource to connect you with work in your local area.
Trux's logistics platform offers a marketplace where you can find work suitable to your truck type. You can build your own schedule by looking at all the work available with rates so you know upfront what youre getting into.
Not only can TRUX connect you with work in your area but we can help you run your business.
TRUX takes care of creating invoices for work done through the app. TRUX pays haulers weekly for work performed; no more waiting to get paid. If you have a fleet, TRUX offers Fleet management tools to help manage all your trucks and drivers.
What are you waiting for? Get started today with Trux's logistics assessment.
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