Dump Trailer Questions

[LD1]

I suspect it’s that way nearly everywhere and people just have a false sense of saving money by doing it themselves. Locally I can get a 22 ton load hauled for $100 haul bill. Trying to haul it 4-5 tons at a time is laughable. You’re only $20-25 per trip at that point and having to buy fuel out of that. I can haul 10 tons or a little better on my truck but I still won’t do it for $50.

ITs not just that.....the guys that haul thousands of tons a year from the local quarries get a better rate than the small guy.

For example.....(I have a friend that has a semi dump so he gets better pricing). HE can get 304 limestone for ~$9 per ton.

IF I call the same place and tell them I haul my own on a dump trailer or single axle dump....its $14/ton.

 

[4570Man]

From what I’ve seen, it’s very regional. The only dump trucks that even get close to hauling 22 tons (legally) are all in the big cities. In my area, if you want 22 tons, in one load, it‘s either coming from a semi trailer or a guy with no insurance running very overweight.

The nearest quarry is 26 miles, from my house. Barrel bed end dump semi’s are getting $110-150, per hour, with most being between $110-120, per hour. Getting one load is tough. They like to bill, by the day, or you get the “I don’t want to do it” price.

Locally they’re legal with 74,000 on a tri axel dump truck.

 

[4570Man]

ITs not just that.....the guys that haul thousands of tons a year from the local quarries get a better rate than the small guy.

For example.....(I have a friend that has a semi dump so he gets better pricing). HE can get 304 limestone for ~$9 per ton.

IF I call the same place and tell them I haul my own on a dump trailer or single axle dump....its $14/ton.

The local quarry charges the same rate for everyone but they do have a $50 minimum which comes to about 5 tons.

 

[LD1]

From what I’ve seen, it’s very regional. The only dump trucks that even get close to hauling 22 tons (legally) are all in the big cities. In my area, if you want 22 tons, in one load, it‘s either coming from a semi trailer or a guy with no insurance running very overweight.

The nearest quarry is 26 miles, from my house. Barrel bed end dump semi’s are getting $110-150, per hour, with most being between $110-120, per hour. Getting one load is tough. They like to bill, by the day, or you get the “I don’t want to do it” price.

Most of the trucking guys around here are running 4, 5, or 6 axle dumps. Im not in a big city. Tell them you want a big load.....and you get ~25 or 26 tons in one shot. And no thats not a semi trailer.

Legal or not....dunno Im not a trucker. But the trucking company I use has probably 20 trucks and hauls thousands of tons a year because pretty much all he does is haul stone. So I really dont think he getting away running illegal every day

 

[mred2]

I love my dump trailer. 14k. We use it to haul 4 to 5 yards of sand, gravel or fill dirt. Where I pile it is in the pasture and large trucks can not get back there. My son also uses it to clean up the tops from trees that has fallen or been cut. Great not having to unload by hand.
I have used to the transport my tractor but only once. We do plug the charger up about once every 2 months. Just a great addition to the farm.

 

[jaxs]

Rather than parroting the ever popular"go big or go home"philosophy,I'll give you suggestions that help you to make calls which fit your situation. Check to see what annual registeration cost's for 12&14k trailers. See what type annual inspection and insurance is required for various weight classes. The difference in above and below 10k Lbs is huge in Texas but states vary. If you are stopped for burnt out tail light,expired registeration or other minor traffic violations and have a clean driving record,below 10k usually results in a warning whereas above 10k is a different ball game. Cost of legally operating a large trailer in Texas exceeds what it cost's for 3 or 4 light duty.
As for keeping battery charged. If you follow the suggestion of jerry-rigging a system that eliminate's trailer battery and alow's using truck battery,you might be s-o-r-r-y. If trailer seperate's from hitch there will be no break-away brakes and things rarly end well. Even if there is never an event where brake-away brakes come into play,you risk a stiff fine and possible high risk insurance requirements if a trooper find's the cobbled up wireing.
This is about the point where drugstore cowboys and short haulers accuse me of Chicken Little behavior. Ask any long time cross country truck driver how they would be treated for disabling automaticly applied trailer brakes. Point(s) being even if your state isn't strict on commercial vehicles,the adjoining states might be if you have occasion to use their roads.
I'm not discouraging you buying a dump trailer,just advise going in with eyes open and/or possibly going with a sensiable size and spending savings on other toys.
For mulch and other light weight material,look at this

 

[BravoXray]

From what I’ve seen, it’s very regional. The only dump trucks that even get close to hauling 22 tons (legally) are all in the big cities. In my area, if you want 22 tons, in one load, it‘s either coming from a semi trailer or a guy with no insurance running very overweight.

If he has license plates, he has insurance. If he has operating authority, he has insurance.
Can't get either without proof of insurance, and if you cancel your insurance the state and DOT will get notified.

 

[nikerret]

If he has license plates, he has insurance. If he has operating authority, he has insurance.
Can't get either without proof of insurance, and if you cancel your insurance the state and DOT will get notified.

I’m the only owner/operator dump trailer guy, in my area with a DOT number. The rest run “farm plates” and do not have insurance that will cover their mishaps, on a commercial job site. Operating authority isn’t required, here, for raw dirt or rock products. Even when it is required, almost no one gets it.

When you cancel your insurance, the State may be notified, but that record is not kept in a way that LE can use, on the roadway. The insurance used to show proof, when registering is on the registration readout, but that is only updated when registration is renewed. To check for insurance, LE must send a special form to the State who will then check if the insurance was valid, on that day. As long as there is a properly dated and labelled (policy number and vehicle information) “proof of insurance”, a LEO isn’t going to write a citation or make an arrest, for that charge. People get insurance just long enough to get their registration plates and cancel, immediately after. The only way they get caught is if there’s a wreck and the verification form is sent in and then a negative result received. This is for Kansas. Other States do things differently.

 

[4570Man]

Rather than parroting the ever popular"go big or go home"philosophy,I'll give you suggestions that help you to make calls which fit your situation. Check to see what annual registeration cost's for 12&14k trailers. See what type annual inspection and insurance is required for various weight classes. The difference in above and below 10k Lbs is huge in Texas but states vary. If you are stopped for burnt out tail light,expired registeration or other minor traffic violations and have a clean driving record,below 10k usually results in a warning whereas above 10k is a different ball game. Cost of legally operating a large trailer in Texas exceeds what it cost's for 3 or 4 light duty.
As for keeping battery charged. If you follow the suggestion of jerry-rigging a system that eliminate's trailer battery and alow's using truck battery,you might be s-o-r-r-y. If trailer seperate's from hitch there will be no break-away brakes and things rarly end well. Even if there is never an event where brake-away brakes come into play,you risk a stiff fine and possible high risk insurance requirements if a trooper find's the cobbled up wireing.
This is about the point where drugstore cowboys and short haulers accuse me of Chicken Little behavior. Ask any long time cross country truck driver how they would be treated for disabling automaticly applied trailer brakes. Point(s) being even if your state isn't strict on commercial vehicles,the adjoining states might be if you have occasion to use their roads.
I'm not discouraging you buying a dump trailer,just advise going in with eyes open and/or possibly going with a sensiable size and spending savings on other toys.
For mulch and other light weight material,look at this

His truck and a 14k trailer won’t exceed the 26k mark so I don’t see any pros with going with a 10k other than the upfront price.

 

[nikerret]

His truck and a 14k trailer won’t exceed the 26k mark so I don’t see any pros with going with a 10k other than the upfront price.

The 26k won’t likely matter, for personal use. State laws vary.