DUMP TRUCK DESIGN 101 – WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW TO BUY A DUMP TRUCK?

A dump truck can be defined as an automobile used for the transportation of different types of loose materials such as for instance sand, gravel, dirt, and so forth This truck is typically designed with a hydraulically operated dump bed with a hinged back. If you are locally searching or on the internet looking for dump trucks for sale, you might be amazed by the sheer quantity of types, configurations, and sizes that are available for purchase. So before heading out to buy one of these trucks, it is important to determine what design will best suit your work requirements.

When choosing a commercial dump vehicle for your business, you will need to know that these trucks are available in various designs depending on his or her application. You need to take into consideration if the design is suitable for your work requirements. They are categorized centered on bed types and type of dumping as well as the number of axles, the terrain for which it is advisable suited, the design of the human body frame, and most importantly its capacity.

In this article, for those of you trying to find dump trucks, let’s look at some of the different types of truck designs to determine which dump type is suitable for your business.

Standard Truck

The standard dump truck design is a truck frame mounted with an open box bed that can be raised via a hydraulic pump located between the cab and the dump body; the tailgate on the end is typically hinged. The standard truck is single bodied with one front axle and one or more rear axles, either powered or not powered. The short wheelbase of the standard truck makes the truck more maneuverable than other dump vehicle types with higher capacity. It is ideally suited to road driving with a great variable capacity.

Transfer Truck

A transfer dump truck is basically a standard dump truck that pulls a separate trailer which can also be loaded. When the main dump box is empty, the secondary trailer will roll onto the empty main dump box to dump its load, thereby maximizing payload capacity without sacrificing maneuverability.

Super Truck

To solve the payload restriction in some states, the super dump truck is equipped with a trailing axle. The trailing axle is retractable and is used only if the payload is over the most payload limit. The trailing axle is designed to carry the additional weight of the payload, distributing the weight to a much wider ground area in order to meet the load limit.

Semi Trailer End Dump Truck

The semi end dump is a tractor-trailer combination where the trailer has got the hydraulic hoist. It is advantageous because of its large capacity along with its ability to rapidly unload. The disadvantage is that it can be unstable when the dumping location is uneven along with be difficult to straight back up.

Semi Trailer Bottom Dump Truck

The semi trailer bottom truck resembles the semi trailer end truck in basic design. The trailer differs having a clam shell type dump gate in the belly of the trailer. This provides this truck the ability to set down material in a linear row. In addition , this version is maneuverable in reverse. The disadvantage is that it is limited as to the type of spreading activity that it can perform.

Semi Trailer Side Dump Truck

This truck is also a tractor-trailer design with the trailer equipped to allow the dump body to tilt onto its side and spill the material being carried to either the best or left side. It’s much more immune to tipping over when dumping unlike the semi end dump which is very prone to tipping over. The side dump can tip over if the dumping is stopped prematurely.


Articulated Dump Truck (ADT)

Standard trucks and trailer trucks with their rigid frames joining the cab and the dump body in to basically one unit are superb for most paved road driving applications. On uneven and rough terrain conditions, the weight of the payload can cause undue strain and fatigue on the frame. Such work conditions are better handled by an articulated truck. An ADT has a hinge between the cab and the dump box yet, unlike the semi trailer designs, the cab is a permanent fixture and never a separate vehicle.