Dump Trucks

A dump truck or dumper truck is a truck used for transporting loose material (such as sand, gravel, or dirt) for construction. more...

A typical dump truck is equipped with a hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear, the front of which can be lifted up to allow the contents to be deposited on the ground behind the truck at the site of delivery.

Types of dump trucks

Dump trucks come in a variety of configurations each specified to accomplish a specific task in the construction material supply chain.

Standard dump truck

A standard dump truck is a full truck chassis with a dump body mounted to the frame. The dump body is raised by a hydraulic ram mounted forward of the front bulkhead, between the truck cab and the dump body. The tailgate can be configured to swing on hinges or it can be configured in the "High Lift Tailgate" format wherein pneumatic rams lift the gate open and up above the dump body.

A standard dump truck has one front axle, and one or more rear axles which typically have dual wheels on each side. Common configurations for a standard dump truck include the six wheeler which has one rear axle, the ten wheeler with two rear axles, and the tri-axle with three rear axles.

The short wheelbase of a standard dump truck makes it more maneuverable than the higher capacity semi-trailer dump trucks.

Transfer dump truck

A transfer dump (colloquially referred to as a "Slam-Bang!" because of the noise made when transferring) is a standard dump truck which pulls a separate trailer which can be loaded with aggregate (gravel, sand, asphalt, etc.)

The aggregate container,(B box) on the trailer which is powered by an electric motor, rides on wheels and rolls off the trailer and into the main dump box. The key advantage of this configuration is to maximize payload capacity without sacrificing the maneuverability of the short and nimble standard dump truck. Transfer dumps are typically seen in the western United States because of the peculiar weight restrictions on western highways.

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