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Designed for Dumping
Pairing the Right Chassis and Dump Body to Create a Productive Utility Vehicle
By Pam Stask |
Every day, construction crews face the task of getting the right materials to or from a jobsite.
In utility work, loading and dumping excavated spoils is a common task. Crews need a vehicle that can carry these massive loads with minimal effort.
When moving materials around a jobsite or to a new destination becomes an issue, a dump body is a popular addition to a Class 5 to 7 chassis. Dump trucks are typically used in any application that requires moving or spreading material to jobsites and can handle 3 to 8 cu yds of materials, depending on the body’s size. A dump truck’s ability to carry materials directly to the jobsite is extremely important in utility work. Contractors, municipalities and public utilities all benefit from a dump truck’s ability to haul and unload both large and small materials around town or at any jobsite.
“The material dump trucks move can be large in size such as boulders or quite dense such as gravel, sand and dirt,” says Samantha Parlier, vocational product marketing manager for Kenworth Truck Co. Dump trucks may also be used to move asphalt and debris away from jobsites.
There is no one specific type of dump body. They range in size from 8 to 12 ft in length and are available in two types of materials — carbon steel and stainless steel. Carbon steel is the material of choice for most contractors looking for a dump body, but stainless steel is gaining in popularity.
Municipalities, for example, have been favoring stainless steel over carbon steel for plowing snow and spreading salt since stainless bodies have no paint and there’s very little rusting. Stainless steel dump bodies are lighter than carbon steel; however, they’re more expensive, typically costing twice as much.
The cost of a dump body can range from $6,000 to $9,000, depending on the size of the body, type of material the body is made of and any other additional equipment. Some original equipment manafacturers (OEM) of dump bodies include Workman, Duraclass, Crysteel, Henderson, Gallion-Goodwin, Knapheide, J-Craft, Omaha Standard, R&S, Rogers, STAHL, Rugby, Swenson Spreader, Warren and Valew, notes Shawn Waterman, field marketing manager for Sterling Truck Corp.
A Perfect Pair
Purchasing a chassis and dump body can be an overwhelming task for anyone; it is important to understand what features the two should have to create a productive dump truck. Good communication between the dump body manufacturer and truck salesperson is essential when specifying both the dump body and the chassis, says Parlier. Since there are many different dump bodies, customers must work with truck and body equipment dealers to spec the right truck to meet their individual needs and applications.
One of the first steps a dealer and a customer must take is to determine what kind of loads the dump truck operator is expected to haul. The material an operator is hauling and how they are going to dump the material will determine the options that are included on a dump body and the chassis, says Waterman.
For example, a different chassis would be needed when carrying loads such as sand or gravel rather than large pieces of debris from a site. If the truck will be mostly used for carrying heavy boulders or larger materials, the dump body and suspension will need to be increased to handle the hefty loads. When pairing the truck and a dump body, the salesperson must make sure that the truck chassis is able to handle the loads that the dump body will exert on it.
“The size of the body will impact the resistance to bending moment [RBM] requirement that the frame rail will need to meet. The larger the dump body, the higher the RBM the larger the rail [or combination of rails as nested frame rails, or inserts] will need to be,” says Parlier.
The truck should also have a powerful enough engine to adequately perform the dumping duties at hand. However, a person looking to purchase a dump truck should be aware of just how much horsepower he or she is getting out of an engine, because too much will increase the cost of the overall machine and use up more fuel during operation.
Anywhere from 350 to 400 hp is sufficient enough to efficiently use a dump truck without burning unnecessary fuel and risking any damage to the drivetrain, says Brian Lindgren, vocational market sales director for Kenworth Truck Co. The truck’s transmission should also have a wide ratio range — making sure it has a low enough gear to get out of a hilly jobsite and a high enough gear to achieve and maintain proper highway speeds, adds Lindgren.
Lift axles are an important addition to a chassis when preparing it for a dump body. The axles are able to increase the payload-carrying capacity of the chassis and in turn, increase the amount of material the box can carry, explains Parlier. Steerable lift axles also save on tire wear and chassis stress, while maximizing the truck’s overall efficiency.
Watching the weight of the dump truck can save money and limit stress on the vehicle, especially if the truck is expected to haul large loads daily. One way to decrease the weight is opting to use aluminum parts over steel components such as wheels, fuel and air tanks.
“Use the smallest fuel tank you can get away with,” advises Lindgren. “Some operators can get away with a 56-gallon tank, but most will need at least 75 to 90 gallons to get through a day.”
Other truck and dump body pairing issues involve ensuring the proper back of cab clearance, preparing the electrical system on both the truck and body and that any valves and cylinders are protected from the elements, says Waterman.
As for the actual dump body itself, customers can personalize their picks with three different floor types: slanted, elliptical and straight. Chutes may also be added to the bodies.
Two common types are coal chutes and metering chutes that let an operator know exactly how much material he or she is dumping in a particular location.
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| When in the market to purchase a dump truck, open lines of communication are important in making the right purchase
to meet all of your needs. Since there are many different dump bodies, working with truck and body equipment dealers
to spec the right truck is essential to getting a vehicle suited to handle the jobs you and your crew take on. |
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Safety First
Like any vehicle, safety is just as important in operating a dump truck. As for safety features, there are various options that may be added to both the chassis and the dump body to increase safe driving practices when operating a dump truck. For example, International offers the Diamond Logic Electrical System, which features an electronic interlock that can be programmed to limit the top speed of the truck to 5 mph when the dump body is raised, says Mark Johnson, marketing communications manager for Severe Service at Navistar International.
This particular feature helps protect the dump truck operator from driving the vehicle down the highway while mistakenly having the dump body raised. It also helps to avoid hitting an overpass or spreading any unwanted materials onto the roadway.
Other safety features include large curved windshields for an increased field of vision and break-away mirrors for a reduced chance of damage and fold-away capability so the truck can maneuver in tight areas, says Johnson. Strobe lights can also automatically be programmed to operate whenever a dump body is in action, so crew members and the surrounding public can be alerted that the truck is dumping material in the area.
Using a driver who is proficient at operating trucks with heavier payloads is best suited for driving a dump truck, says Johnson. As with any payload, dump truck drivers should make sure that the weight does not shift and that the dump truck has a good roll stability and suspension system.
Pam Stask is a contributing editor of Utility Contractor.
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