Need to haul some rocks, ideas?

[Blk88GT]

I'd like to haul enough rocks (ranging from softball sized to basketball sized) to do some landscaping around the yard. I have an unlimited supply of these rocks roughly 30 miles from my house.

I have a 3/4 ton F250 and a 20ft PJ equipment hauler (5500lb axles)

I was thinking of building some sides for the trailer (it has stake pockets) and hauling them that way, but I'm concerned about covering my load.

I need enough rocks to cover roughly 250sqft, maybe more.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to do this safely?

 

[Z-Michigan]

What kind of loading equipment do you have?

We just gave away about 100 cubic yards of rocks that had been an old farm rockpile near our house, in the way of our new barn. Posted an ad on craigslist for free rocks - had a lot of people show up with Honda Civics, load the trunk, and we couldn't tell they had been there or taken anything! But then some excavating company called up, wanted to know how much we really had (we had thought 50 yards), came out and looked, and then came back two days later with an excavator in the 50,000lb range and a gravel train (max 36 yards capacity). Took them three trips to haul away the pile with the train full.

My point - for a useful amount of landscaping rocks, you'll need a decent sized loader. The bucket in a larger CUT with HST will work for modest quantities. Beyond that you'll want something in the industrial class. I wouldn't use a gear tractor because you'll wear the clutch and gears too much pushing into rocks.

If you don't own such equipment, I think you'll find it a lot easier to just buy rocks from a landscaping company and have them delivered. We have bought nearly 100 yards of fill sand at roughly $5/yard delivered. I believe rocks would be only slightly more. Ask yourself if you can even pay for the mileage on your truck if you can buy rocks delivered at a rate near that.

 

[davkir]

How about getting a 10 or 15 cubic yard roll off commercial container (open topped dumpster) delivered to the stone location. After filling it have it respotted to your job site.

 

[Blk88GT]

Although I have access to some large loaders near the rock site, I will be loading the rocks by hand as to get the color I'm after.

This operation sadly, doesn't involve equipment over and above the truck and trailer.

If I have to make multiple trips with the truck, then I will. I have family there and don't mind 30 minutes of loading each time I visit. Paying for rocks is not an option.

I see no reason I can't get the amount of rock I need with one trip with my trailer, I just have to figure out how to contain them.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Well in that case...

I would make wooden sides for the trailer with 1x or 2x wood as appropriate, for all four sides, and unless there's a legal requirement I don't think you'll need to cover up the load. If you do, I'd get a heavy duty tarp. We have moved rocks from one part of our property to a dumpsite using a small utility trailer with a wood bottom and removable wood sides and it works just fine. Rocks of the size you're talking don't tend to fly much.

Have fun! I've hand picked enough rocks from our fields and pastures this year that I would be happy to never pick another rock ever again.

 

[Blk88GT]

Thanks for reminding me, I do have a heavy tarp that may be of some use in this situation. I really don't mind picking the rocks, as bad as it will be. You work in an office long enough, and you almost can't wait to do some regular "hard" work for a change.

I'll have to figure out how to build some sides on this thing, or locate a dump trailer I can borrow for the weekend.

 

[Reg]

If I would be hand loading/unloading them I wouldn't even bother with the trailer, still less bother with putting sides on it.
Rationale: I don't think I would WANT to lift and load enough rocks to get the truck significantly down on it's springs, so I'd just make however many trips it takes to work 1/2 hour or so loading and 1/2 hour unloading.

 

[firemanpat2910]

do you have acess to any wooden pallets? Instead of putting sides on the trailer, build a "box" out of old pallets, chain or strap the box to the trailer.

 

[Egon]

The amount the trailer will haul would only take a few more trips with the truck. Advantage of the truck is some of the rocks can be unloaded by backing up and applying the brakes.

 

[JPinnell]

I've been doing exactly this over the summer. I have a smaller trailer than you and a 3/4 ton ford diesel. I can go to the local quarry (25mi) on Sat mornings and load flat rock for $15 per load. Whether you show up with a truck and trailer or a car trunk it's still $15.

I load everything onto the trailer, the only thing going into the truck bed is really nice thin pieces that I'm afraid would crack. I use ramps and a 2 wheel dolly to get them from the pile and onto the trailer. I usually get 2.5-3 tons each load which takes about 45 mins to load. My trailer is smaller than yours, a 6.5x12 tandemn axle utility style with the top rail. I'm typically getting rocks in the 6" thick range and only go 2 layers deep. It doesn't take long to get overloaded so weigh the first couple of times so you know what a load is I would make removable stake sides and rig some kind of tailgate. Nothing has ever noticably shifted when I'm hauling, but you definitely don't want one bouncing off the back end.

The advantage to using the trailer is the shorter loading height over the side and ease of using ramps. Using the truck bed means setting them on the tailgate or lifting high over the side and then climbing in to reposition. With the trailer you only handle them once and loading goes much quicker. The dolly is your friend. I managed to load a nice slab almost 4'x3.5'x3.5" using the dolly and my little brother spotting me.