Talk to me about owning a Dump Truck

[1stDeuce]

As my wife and I begin the journey of building our home, I've become aware that owning some sort of dump truck would be very useful. We have a long driveway to put in, and a decent amount of dirt to move around...
I first considered turning my 3/4 ton flatbed into a dump bed, but it would be maxed out with 1 yard of gravel.
I found a few 5 yard single axle trucks that we can afford, but they're either really old (Ie, a project) or they're ~34k GVWR trucks, which will only haul 3 yards of material if I register them under 26k to avoid needing a CDL, DOT inspections, etc.

I was quoted $850-1000 for the first year registration, and $650/yr after that for 34k GVW. I assume 26k would be half that or less. ??

I am considering getting the 34k GVW rated truck, but registering at 26k, which would allow me about 3 yards of material in most of the dumps I've looked at. (Intl 4900's and C60 GMC's)
I think I can then get an overweight permit for the days I'd like to haul full loads. (Not a lot of days, really... perhaps 5 a year. It appears that permits are only $20 in Colorado, but they're "one trip" permits, which I'm not sure would cover a day of back and forth... I suppose worst case is that if I get stopped, that was my last trip for the day.

Does this even make sense?
I should mention that I'll hopefully be plowing the sub with whatever truck I end up with, so aside from the occasional trip to the local quarry (3 miles on public road) it'll just be on my property, or plowing our private roads. If I do get that contract, I would still prefer to register it under CDL requirements, just for ease of doing things, and expense.

If you've done something similar, tell me what I'm missing, or what your experiences are.
I'm not looking for opinions, as I have plenty of my own... Just experiences if you please.
Thanks!
Chris

 

[STx]

I bought a 1989 International dump truck in December to move dirt around on my place. The bed is 5 yards but, I can get 8 in it if I was thinking to. GVWR is 28,000 but, I've registered it as a farm truck which negates the CDL and DOT requirements for me in Texas, I'm not sure if that's an option where you are. Insurance is $200/yr for liability only and registration is about $100/yr.

After moving about 500 yards with it, we discovered some water in the oil, it looks like the DTA360 cooling system wasn't maintained properly and we've got a perforated liner so, I'm going to do an in frame rebuild on it to just fix any problems there instead of only band-aiding the current problem.

I paid $5500 for the truck and will have another $1500 in the rebuild but, by using it to move own dirt instead of buying fill, I've saved $5000 and I still have a lot more dirt to move. I'm digging the hole for a pond and using the caliche for my roads so it's a win win for me. I also have a neighbor that went halves with me on the truck so my personal out of pocket is half the total.

If you're going to move any substantial amount of dirt, a dump truck is, in my opinion, a must. I wouldn't do a dump trailer, the truck is much more versatile and maneuverable.

 

[1stDeuce]

Yeah, I wish farm tags were an option for me, but in CO, you have to sign an affidavit certifying that you own 10 or more acres zoned agricultural, and make at least 50% of your living in agriculture. I'm a no on both...
That is just the kind of truck I was looking for, but newer ones are hard to come by, and the older ones are gassers. Going to be slow going at 7000'.

I keep looking at this one and thinking it would be perfect...


Seller says it weighs 17,500lbs going into the quarry. I think I could pull at least 1000lbs off it by removing the plow frame, tool boxes, etc, but that's still only leaves 9000lbs for hauling if I register at 26k. That's only three yards of gravel.

 

[STx]

If you're really only going 3 miles each way to the quarry, I'd register it at 26k and just run overweight. Odds of getting pulled over on such a short run, at least here, would be low and the ticket if you did get caught would probably be less than the associated CDL, DOT, etc. costs. But, I'm.a risk.taker like that.

Don't rule out gas for an infrequently used truck, those old big block gas engines were pretty sturdy, are easy to work on and have cheap parts.

 

[rustydollar]

I got hammered $1200.00 for an over weight ticket, the DOT guys like to hang a round the entrance to the scrap yard and there he was with his portable scales.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I was once given a beat up F450 gas dump truck. I fixed it up a bit and then the guy that gave it decided that he wanted it back! So much for that. My feeling is that I don't want another thing sitting around rotting with an engine, rad, hoses, brakes and everything else that goes wrong with a vehicle. So I have two dump trailers. One HUGE one with a twelve ton HORST walking axle and a road worthy electric over hydraulic wide, bed over wheels trailer. The large one won't get bogged down easy with super single tires, and you can push it right up on fence rows for dumping on top of them.

They sit pretty much intact until needed. Nothing worse then wanting to do a job only to find you have to repair an old truck first.

Another thing. I can get (basically) free gravel at a pit maybe four miles away, and still found it cheaper to pay for a tri-axle truck then run it myself.

 

[KYErik]

I bought an early 60's Chevy Viking gas dump bed grain truck for $1000, hauled about 4-5 loads of gravel (6-8 tons each load) from the quarry about 15 miles away and then sold it for a little more than I paid about 1 year later. I saved some money, but when I had all the gravel that I planned to buy, I was ready to get rid of it.

Pros
I saved some money (but the fuel, extra license and insurance costs really cut into what I saved).

Cons
Professional drivers can spread a nice even layer of gravel- I couldn't (the main reason was that I didn't have the right type of tailgate) so it took a fair amount of tractor time to spread each load.
Driving a BIG truck is a lot different from driving a regular truck. It can bee a little scary when you are fully loaded and cars are cutting into your lane (you know you can't stop on a dime like they can).
Brakes need to be working perfectly on a large truck, and unless you work the truck at least every 6 months, brake components can begin to seize up + big truck tires are not cheap.

My advice- Add up all the $ that you will spend on gravel over the next few years and then compare that to the cost of the truck, cost of yearly fuel, maintenance, license and insurance + think of the amount of time you will spend hauling/spreading gravel vs.doing other projects if you have someone else hauling and spreading. At the quarry I went to, it usually took at least 30 min to "order" the gravel get loaded and pay.

You mentioned plowing snow- a tractor will be far more maneuverable than a truck. Yes- a truck can plow a long road faster- but its not as easy to maneuver in and out of driveways as a tractor is.

I also have a 1969 1 ton international dump truck that I haul dirt with on the farm- that truck is a pleasure to drive (even when fully loaded) compared to the old grain truck.

 

[MossRoad]

Yeah, I wish farm tags were an option for me, but in CO, you have to sign an affidavit certifying that you own 10 or more acres zoned agricultural, and make at least 50% of your living in agriculture. I'm a no on both...
That is just the kind of truck I was looking for, but newer ones are hard to come by, and the older ones are gassers. Going to be slow going at 7000'.

I keep looking at this one and thinking it would be perfect...
View attachment 505811

Seller says it weighs 17,500lbs going into the quarry. I think I could pull at least 1000lbs off it by removing the plow frame, tool boxes, etc, but that's still only leaves 9000lbs for hauling if I register at 26k. That's only three yards of gravel.

Tree farm = agriculture (here, at least).... crop is planted and due for harvest in 50 years.

Doesn't meet your 50% income rule, but its half of the equation, at least.

 

[BoylermanCT]

Why not consider a dump trailer? My father in law has a 6x12 with 2 foot sides. Can hold 5 yards when filled to the top of the sides. More if you heap it above the sides. Usually you run out of weight before volume. His maxes out at 10,000lbs which is 2-3 yards of rock, dirt or sand. Registration in CT is $22. Dump truck is $326 or more. They make bigger ones too. Would be much cheaper to own and operate.

 

[Sprinklerman]

You may want to reread the laws . I believe if the truck has a gvw on the truck over 26001 , you need a CDL , it doesnt matter what you register it at . Its based on the manufacturer plate .

Look at dump trailers