Stuck while delivering topsoil

[Robert_in_NY]

I'm sorta like Eddie on that one. Around here a normal tri-axle truck has a 14 yard bed, that is struck level with the top of the 2x10 oak extender boards. I went to the local redi-mix plant to buy sand one time and told them I wanted 5 yards of sand. They used a John Deere wheel loader and got 1 bucket full of sand and then parked. When he came over to see if I wanted anything else, i said the other 3 yards of sand. GHe said that is what they sell for 5yards. I took my tape measure and had him help me measure the bed inside, easy cause we could see the floor all the wauy around the sand. We went inside and used his calculater and multiplied it up and the 6 yd bed would only hold 5.5 yards if level full. I told him I wanted 5yards of sand as that is what the job measured and if he didn't want to sell me5 yards I was going to dump that 2-3 yards off on his front porch. It made him mad but there wasn't much he could do as he also admitted that there wasn't 5 yards on there. After hemming and hawwing around he finnally loaded the full 5yards on there. I wonder how many times he had sold that little amount of sand as 5 yards?
I realize on your garden it isn't critical that you have an exact amount so it is a moot point, just an example of something we all need to be aware of when buying a certian amount of anything. Later, Nat

Around here we pay by the ton, you can ask for how ever many yards you want but you still only pay by the ton when you weigh out. So if the loader only drops 3 yards in and you asked for four, you only pay for what you have loaded. In most cases, the guys are right on here when you ask for a certain amount wether it be by the yard or the ton.

 

[rswyan]

Robert,

It's the same here - by the ton. But alot of the material comes from the plant fairly wet and I've always wondered how much water I'm paying for.

 

[Nat]

Robert, we also pay for rock and gravel by the ton, but sand is measured by the yard. If puttin 4" of sand under a 12 X 20' pad you would order 3 yds of sand, or in the case I was refering to it was for pool base. 40 bags of pool base and 5 yards of sand and 40 bags of Portland type -S. I have always ordered sand and dirt by the yard, where-as gravel or rock is per ton. Later, Nat

 

[Doc_Bob]

I realize on your garden it isn't critical that you have an exact amount so it is a moot point, just an example of something we all need to be aware of when buying a certian amount of anything. Later, Nat

I measured the load after it was dumped based upon the discussion here. As close as I could tell, I got 19 yards. Next time I will measure the truck. I will be very sad if this fellow I have known for 3 years gave me less than what I asked for!
Bob

 

[PineRidge]

Did you try to pull it with the TN? I have pushed 10 wheelers up hill before with my TN when they couldn't get enough traction. Of course they were already empty but the TN still didn't struggle to push them up the hill. You might not have done it but it would have been fun to try :0

I was wondering the very same thing.

 

[Doc_Bob]

I was wondering the very same thing.

I never tried the TN70A. When he showed up with the CAT, I lost all interest in using the TN.
Bob

 

[Kubotasrking]

Around here we pay by the ton, you can ask for how ever many yards you want but you still only pay by the ton when you weigh out. So if the loader only drops 3 yards in and you asked for four, you only pay for what you have loaded. In most cases, the guys are right on here when you ask for a certain amount wether it be by the yard or the ton.

We pay by the ton too, and the truck just has to park under the water tank for a few minutes. Selling by the ton is a racket.