Gravel road install- diy with no spread by dump truck?

[bspeedy]

I am local to the OP. Around here tri-axle trucks deliver 20-22 ton loads. Spreading from the tailgate is common. As stated, some drivers can spread, some can't, some won't.

Call N.W. White or S.H. Carter. I have ordered about a million pounds of material from them for my driveway when I first built. Make sure they send you someone who knows how to spread it off the gate.

If this is not possible for some overhead clearance reason or something, 20 tons is really no material at all to spread. Certainly less than an hour with a box blade and loader. If you've never seen 20 tons of crusher run in a pile, you will be amazed at how SMALL the pile is.

Good luck.

 

[Big Barn]

Yup. Speaking of small piles.....We get this every day with topsoil deliveries for homeowners: "I ordered X yards! #*#* THAT'S NOT X yards!! "

As I tell my poor drivers "welcome to the world of retail".

Terry

 

[zmountaineer]

Here are what 25 ton piles of 57s look like. I would say the base is 10-12 feet in diameter and about 5ft tall. Crusher run is more compact. And yes it does look like much more in the truck.

 

[zmountaineer]

Oh. And in relation to the size of a mini

 

[tractorshopper]

I bought my last load of crusher run about 4 years ago to do my drive. Was a big tri-axle load for $350. He dumped in a pile and I used my old tractor L3800 to spread mainly using the bucket. I added a new parking area about 14 ft X 22 ft which I made about 6" deep. Half of my 150' drive is about 13 ft wide and the other half widens to about 30' wide. It was already gravel, so I top dressed it about 3-4" deep.

That tri-axle load was about perfect for my drive. I only used the box blade for final smoothing. Actually spread most with my loader by backing up and dumping then contouring by back dragging with bucket curled and backpressure or float depending on how deep that spot was. Once got it all about where I wanted it, I did the final smoothing with the box blade. This all was done in probably about 4 hours of seat time. I had already dug and smoothed the parking pad area before the load was delivered.

About 2 years or so ago, my neighbor had a load delivered and I did his drive with that same tractor in less time because his was all about 12 feet wide and a little simpler to manage. My new tractor BX 2370 would take a good bit longer and I'd probably use the box blade a lot more if using it or would ask the driver to spread it for me if he could, then just touch it up with the tractor.

 

[Raised on a Deere]

....., so I top dressed it about 3-4" deep. .......

Amen to don't sweat it too much. One load can be handled pretty quickly with a tractor with loader but when I do it again I want to have better idea of a technique of how to control the thickness. I spread a load on my sons slightly curved and somewhat undulating driveway last summer and just as I suspected while working it I was getting quiet a thickness variation. I did it strictly by eye. Drive way looks nice but with a few stretches that are 5 or 6 inches and some 2 or 3. Some of you might have some clever ideas on how to gauge the thickness. Or do I need to just give up and get a land plane or a box blade for this once every two or three years 2 hour job?

PS actually I did a pretty good job but it took more concentration than I wanted, -- to keep from happening what I just described. With out plenty of patience it could have easily turned out that way.

Any (why didn't I think of that) pet techniques that would make this a more satisfying process?