Question: is it difficult to drive dumptrucks?

[Sebculb]

Hey everyone,

This is a little off topic but I imagine some of you will be able to help me. I have two full size yellow construction backhoes and that's what I make most of my living with. Years ago I wanted to be a market gardener and I got a little toy Kubota tractor with bucket and hoe attachments. Well, being a market gardener didn't pan out as I'd hoped but it got me started in the world of excavation machinery and here we are eight years later.

Now I'm considering getting a dump truck cuz having a giant wheelbarrow sorta goes hand in hand with having a giant shovel. But I dunno anything about how to drive them firsthand. Obviously I've been around them quite a bit. Seen all kinds of master operators do crazy stuff. But I'm worried just about being safe at first.

Probably looking at like a 6 meter bed single axle like an old mack or Mercedes. Smaller delivery sized dumptrucks aren't really useful for moving real quantities of material and a full size 12 meter tandem wouldn't go up my driveway. The 6m single axle is going to be a tight fit as it is.

Anyways i generally go through life picking up big power tools and just figuring out how to use them. Carefully at first obviously, but still just figuring it out.

Never driven anything bigger than 4x4 suvs and the backhoes which are like 7 tons or something.

Any advice or insight? Is it easy enough to just drive the thing around and dump them on stable ground? We'll gloss over any licensing questions for now , I'm pretty rural in another country and that type of stuff doesn't come up too often working in the neighborhood. Thanks!

 

[dieselcrawler]

If you can grasp the concept of how the driving style changes going from a sub-compact econo car to full size SUV, then going from a full size SUV to driving a dump truck isn't that difficult. It's just bigger. Takes more room to stop, takes longer to get to highway speeds, should be driven appropriately for the size and traffic and road conditions.
Just be careful and use common sense.

 

[3Ts]

And when you raise the dump bed BE SURE you are level side to side!

 

[Sebculb]

And when you raise the dump bed BE SURE you are level side to side!

Ha ha it's really steep mountainous terrain here, not great for learning new machines. I'll just be really boring for the first while.

 

[bcp]

And when you raise the dump bed BE SURE you are level side to side!

Pointed uphill, dumping a sticky load, could be quite a ride, too.

Bruce

 

[fatjay]

Do you have manual transmissions down? If so, it's just a matter of adding a splitter if you're getting an older dump. 5 speed trans with 2 or 3 speed splitter. Then you'll have 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, etc. All easy going up, tricky part is coming down when you can't come to a dead stop and you'll have to find what gear you need to be in. The ones I've run the engine rpm range is about 600rpm at idle and 1200-1500rpm at red line, so when you have to slow down quick and keep the clutch in for any period of time when speed is changing, you gotta find the right trans and rear gear combination.

 

[mikester]

Driving is easier than paying the insurance premiums

 

[Hay Dude]

Pointed uphill, dumping a sticky load, could be quite a ride, too.

Bruce

Or if you forget to open the tailgate

 

[Rockbadchild]

Other the the transmission like fatjay pointed out very well, it is bigger so get used to the turning radius and the width of the truck, a good trick is when you want to do a left or right turn don't turn until your shoulders get in line with the curb (for a right turn) or the yellow line (for a left turn) then give her and you will never hit the curb or be in the other lane ... there is little trick like slamming your gate so your box stay clean, watch for power lines, making sure the truck is level when dumping and don't push in the tail gate if you get stuck but that you probably already know since you have been around.

 

[Torvy]

I had the good fortune to drive from San Jose to Liberia to Playa Flamingo across to Arenal and then back to the capital. That was in an SUV. Scared the heck out of me half of the time. I cannot imagine driving a big truck on those narrow, often steep roads. Beautiful country, though.

Big trucks often have many gears (and multiple ranges). Dump trucks also have visibility problems (though modern ones probably have cameras). Like any skill, practice makes perfect...or at least competent.