Loading issues on Dump Trailer

[Midniteoyl]

Obviously loaded too far forward. Tell the Operators first then stand by the trailer and see that they comply. What is the Gross weight with that load? Looks too much for your truck to me.

~3 ton. He already calculated the total weight and is under the trailer's and truck's ratings.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Hey, at least they are down to recommending 3/4 tons. Was a time only a full 1 ton dually would do at all, everything else was just a grocery getter!

IMHO Your struggle with this is just you proving to yourself you don't have enough truck under that trailer. I have a 6X10 10k deckover on a F350 and I don't like anything past 4.5k lb in it. 3 yards of what? some soils can get close to 2.5k lb, gravel 3.5k per "true yard" LOL. Thats a lot of load for a car with a 4x8 shopping basket behind the seat! If you put load cells under every tire truck and trailer and load it with a coffee cup, planning where every pound is placed your still going to feel like jelly on the road with 7 to 8k in tow. That may be fine if the rig stays off the interstate at or under 30 mph but at 60 and a need for even mild corrective action The trailer will be in control! Good luck stay safe and go get an old 1 ton. You will suddenly be very happy to feel the "forward bias" That the guy in the wheel loader knows you need!

Hahaha.. Called it!!

 

[s219]

I appreciate all the feedback, but it's not helpful to hear this ongoing soap box that the trailer is overloaded and/or the truck is too small. Both the trailer and the truck are well within rated capacity to carry a 3-ton load of material. I specifically haul a max of 3 tons so that I stay under the ratings of both the trailer and truck for additional margin.

The whole purpose of these smaller 10K dump trailers is to work with the tow ratings of modern 1/2 ton trucks (people with 3/4 ton should be buying the 14K or larger models).

Operationally, here is how things work at the local yard. I drive onto the scales and tell the lady at the scale house what I want. She knows my account based on license plate number and opens a tab. She sends the info to the loader operator who gets the order and license plate number on the laptop screen in his cab. I drive over to the relevant pile (there are about 40 different types of materials here) and wait. At the time, there could be 5-6 customers ahead of me, most large tri-axle dump trucks but a lot of contractors with smaller trucks and trailers too. When it's my turn, the loader comes over and does his thing. At no time am I allowed out of the vehicle unless it's an emergency. As mentioned before, the loader bucket is about the same size as the trailer so the operator doesn't have much leeway except to aim so it doesn't go on the ground. If the scoop is asymmetric, then the load is going to be asymmetric too. When he's done, he honks the horn and I drive back over to the scale to get weighed and billed, and the lady drops the ticket down to me on a clipboard at the end of a rope. I then pull off the scale and go on my way. If the load needs adjusting, I do it before getting back on the public road.

 

[Tony H]

I got a 6x12 10K dump trailer earlier this year. Due to tow limits of my 1/2-ton truck, I never purchase more than 3 tons of material. When loaded properly, the trailer tows great. But I'd say 80% of the time, the local yards load me with a forward bias, creating too much tongue weight. I picked up three loads today and they were all forward biased, some worse than others.

I installed a W.D.H. to help in these situations, and it does what it is supposed to but won't cure poor loading or too much tongue weight. While pulling onto the scale for my first load this morning, I carefully noted the measurements as each axle went onto the scale, before and after being loaded. While eating lunch I did some math. The trailer has only 300# tongue weight when empty, which matches what I measured with a bathroom scale a couple months ago. When loaded too far forward, tongue weight was 1140#, more than my truck is meant to handle and visually way too much even with a W.D.H. If loaded evenly, it should have been in the 700-800# range.

I'm trying to decide how to deal with this. At this point, my only solution is to carefully raise the trailer bed to shift some of the material rearward, but that is a pain to do and needs careful judgement (not all loads slide the same). I am wondering if I should fab up some sort of sealed chamber at the front of the trailer bed to block off volume so that material cannot physically occupy the front couple feet of the bed (it would have to be angled to force material to flow to the rear). Somehow I need to prevent operators from loading with a forward bias and the only solution I can think of is to eliminate that volume. Any other ideas?

Get out of the truck and line the loader up on your trailer tires. I know you said you can't get out, same rules by me but if you get out and stay insight of the Loader guy. As well as stay keep the trailer between you and the Loader. They don't get ruffled feathers. As he heads up with the loaf, direct him, if the dope loaded his bucket unevenly then it is really important you direct him.
Maybe start by telling the Scale person to ask the Loader guy to center the load.

 

[s219]

BTW, it hasn't happened to me yet -- maybe because my trailer is well made -- but I have heard that some trailers can't even dump a load that is overly front-biased. If that were the case, you'd be shoveling material to the back for sure.

 

[72chevy4x4]

it's a piece of cake for a good loading operator to 'swish' around some material towards the back of the dump trailer. If not, manually move some-you likely won't get a great deal of weight moved, but it will help.

re: your 1500-I put additional springs in my 1500 suburban (many years back) and hauled a lot of dirt with a 14k trailer. don't recall the brand or details fo the springs, but they mounted on top fo the existing springs and really only came into play when a load was applied. a great electric trailer brake controller should be installed.

 

[Golden Rocket]

The load is your responsibility (legal stand-point) on the highways/roadways - NOT the quarry operator so it is IMPERATIVE that you tell the loader operator where to load it!!! Marking the side rails for load area/no load area will go a long ways to helping ensure an evenly loaded trailer, you do want some forward, like a cargo load, placing weight forward of the axles ensures a safer tow (until you exceed your tongue weight capacity of course). The responsibility is no different than when hauling a strapped down load on a deck trailer, the load is ALWAYS your responsibility. Don't forget about the flying debris from ma gravel load, tarp it over - cheers

 

[hdhawg7]

did anybody think about stopping? pulling is one thing but stopping is another factor altogether. if your having problems pulling you are going to have an accident sometime trying to stop in an emergency.yes i know trailer has brakes but truck is too small to handle weight shifting under braking.

 

[Martin Roper]

I got a 6x12 10K dump trailer earlier this year. Due to tow limits of my 1/2-ton truck, I never purchase more than 3 tons of material. When loaded properly, the trailer tows great. But I'd say 80% of the time, the local yards load me with a forward bias, creating too much tongue weight. I picked up three loads today and they were all forward biased, some worse than others.

I installed a W.D.H. to help in these situations, and it does what it is supposed to but won't cure poor loading or too much tongue weight. While pulling onto the scale for my first load this morning, I carefully noted the measurements as each axle went onto the scale, before and after being loaded. While eating lunch I did some math. The trailer has only 300# tongue weight when empty, which matches what I measured with a bathroom scale a couple months ago. When loaded too far forward, tongue weight was 1140#, more than my truck is meant to handle and visually way too much even with a W.D.H. If loaded evenly, it should have been in the 700-800# range.

I'm trying to decide how to deal with this. At this point, my only solution is to carefully raise the trailer bed to shift some of the material rearward, but that is a pain to do and needs careful judgement (not all loads slide the same). I am wondering if I should fab up some sort of sealed chamber at the front of the trailer bed to block off volume so that material cannot physically occupy the front couple feet of the bed (it would have to be angled to force material to flow to the rear). Somehow I need to prevent operators from loading with a forward bias and the only solution I can think of is to eliminate that volume. Any other ideas?

Don't be afraid to tell the loader how you want it loaded, after all it is you that will be prosecuted not them.

 

[Renze]

For example, the first time I went there many years ago, I wanted one ton of mason sand in the bed of my one ton Chevy pickup. The so called "experienced" loader operator dumped what turned out to be 3 tons, completely burying the rear of the truck! He did it so fast, I didn't have time to signal him to stop. He just laughed and drove away in the loader! With no shovel and no dump capability, I had no choice. I drove to the scale with with the suspension bottomed out on the axle. I complained at the office and was blown off by the manager.

The 8 mile drive home seemed like a hundred and is one I will never repeat! It turns out I'm not the only one in town who has had this experience.

At the quarry, on slow days, loader operators create some sensation by purposedly overfilling wee little trailers, filling over the sides so the wheels are blocked in.

When asking for a m3 of topsoil and a m3 of compost for my fathers flower beds, the operator gave me 800kg of compost and 3 ton of wet topsoil, smirking while dumping a full bucket of his L90 on it whilst seeing the scale hit 5960kg. I drove home at the speed limit to not draw attention, my S70 TDI had no problem pulling it (the same engine was also in the VW LT van, the VW version of the Merc Sprinter) but i was near double the GCW rating.

Those guys just enjoy that.... Next time i will show up with the tractor and 7 ton dump trailer.

Anyways, to the OP: just pull the top of the heap flat with a shovel before driving off, to wherever you need the weight. You're overthinking this.