Question: is it difficult to drive dumptrucks?

   / Question: is it difficult to drive dumptrucks? #31  
I used to drive a 16' cattle truck, a '68 Chevy 50 series, with a 2-speed splitter. Not a dump truck but similar in being a bigger truck, at least. I found it easier to drive a stick on this than a car. It seemed more forgiving. Like others have said, you have to realize you are bigger and heavier, so acceleration, braking, and maneuvering occur slower than with a car. I was driving one morning to the gas station for a state inspection so didn't have any cattle on board. Our narrow 2 lane unstriped backroads are hilly and winding. I lost my brakes at the top of a hill and the next curve was a 90 degree. Try as I might, I could not downshift. I went up on the bank a bit to make that turn at about 35mph, but the next problem was a series of curves with houses above and below the road. If I didn't have free rein of the whole road in those curves, it was unlikely that there would be a good outcome. I could not meet an oncoming vehicle or any vehicle on that road. I was still going downhill, but it wasn't as steep. I had to stop that truck before I hit those curves. All this is running through my mind along with split second decisions and still trying to downshift. I decided to put it in a shallow ditch on the slight uphill side on the left. After a lot of bucking und bouncing, the truck came to a stop right before I would've hit the curves and lost the stopping power of that ditch. Whew! I went by a tree while in the ditch and it tore off the left-hand mirror. I wasn't hurt at all except my thumb was a little tweaked after that bank turn and I had slid across the seat. The driver's side seatbelt keeper was missing, so I had to use the one from the passenger's side. My wife was driving behind me and you can imagine how frantic she was wondering what was going on. Bottom line is to know your truck, do the pre-drive checks to make sure fluids are topped up and everything is in working order, and be careful and safe.

Was that a hydraulic brake truck or an air brake truck?
 
   / Question: is it difficult to drive dumptrucks? #32  
Don't forget to let the bed down after you dump. We had a guy here, took off with the bed up. Took out all the power lines and red lights in town on his route. But, when he hit the river bridge, the I beam shut him down. That is why insurance is costly.
 
   / Question: is it difficult to drive dumptrucks? #33  
Was that a hydraulic brake truck or an air brake truck?
It was hydraulic. It had a leak in the line that no one could find. Had to always check the fluid and top it off each time.
 
   / Question: is it difficult to drive dumptrucks?
  • Thread Starter
#34  
Wo
I used to drive a 16' cattle truck, a '68 Chevy 50 series, with a 2-speed splitter. Not a dump truck but similar in being a bigger truck, at least. I found it easier to drive a stick on this than a car. It seemed more forgiving. Like others have said, you have to realize you are bigger and heavier, so acceleration, braking, and maneuvering occur slower than with a car. I was driving one morning to the gas station for a state inspection so didn't have any cattle on board. Our narrow 2 lane unstriped backroads are hilly and winding. I lost my brakes at the top of a hill and the next curve was a 90 degree. Try as I might, I could not downshift. I went up on the bank a bit to make that turn at about 35mph, but the next problem was a series of curves with houses above and below the road. If I didn't have free rein of the whole road in those curves, it was unlikely that there would be a good outcome. I could not meet an oncoming vehicle or any vehicle on that road. I was still going downhill, but it wasn't as steep. I had to stop that truck before I hit those curves. All this is running through my mind along with split second decisions and still trying to downshift. I decided to put it in a shallow ditch on the slight uphill side on the left. After a lot of bucking und bouncing, the truck came to a stop right before I would've hit the curves and lost the stopping power of that ditch. Whew! I went by a tree while in the ditch and it tore off the left-hand mirror. I wasn't hurt at all except my thumb was a little tweaked after that bank turn and I had slid across the seat. The driver's side seatbelt keeper was missing, so I had to use the one from the passenger's side. My wife was driving behind me and you can imagine how frantic she was wondering what was going on. Bottom line is to know your truck, do the pre-drive checks to make sure fluids are topped up and everything is in working order, and be careful and safe.
Wow! No parking brake or anything on those things? Like I know it won't stop you on a dime but at least slow you down a little? Glad no one got hurt
 
   / Question: is it difficult to drive dumptrucks? #35  
Lots of stories on dumps and what can happen...

Behind my house I still find pieces of a dump truck delivering a load of gravel to the neighbors build in 1957 and it was a Chevrolet... lost brakes on a steep road and went down the ravine.

My friend had his dump on a job site and had one of the guys move dirt to another spot... he got into a soft shoulder and in slow motion laid it on the side which was a bank so it was stopped by the bank

Waste Management relief driver took out an entire Mobil home overhead electric ignoring route notes... rather than back up he made a loop through the park taking out all the power drops at 6 am...

The guy didn't lose his job and I can't understand why he didn't...

Dump delivering chips for me took out the phone and cable saying he wasn't focused on it...
 
   / Question: is it difficult to drive dumptrucks? #36  
A small thing, but important. Remember when the bed is up.
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   / Question: is it difficult to drive dumptrucks? #37  
Wo

Wow! No parking brake or anything on those things? Like I know it won't stop you on a dime but at least slow you down a little? Glad no one got hurt
Yeah, me too. I didn't even think to use the parking brake as it had limited usefulness anyway. When I parked it, I'd always put it in gear and block the tires too.
 
   / Question: is it difficult to drive dumptrucks? #38  
Wo

Wow! No parking brake or anything on those things? Like I know it won't stop you on a dime but at least slow you down a little? Glad no one got hurt

Air brake trucks with spring canisters have a pretty strong parking brake. Hydraulic brake trucks usually only have a transmission band brake for parking. Even if they actually worked which they never do on a old truck they aren’t strong enough to do anything.
 
   / Question: is it difficult to drive dumptrucks? #39  
As far as it goes, I guess those vintage drivers like me had it much easier. I started driving dumps at 17. Project involved about 2 or 3 miles of highway running back and forth between the bank being dug up to build dirt roads. Early to mid 60's Chevy and GMC dumps, 5 speeds with electric 2 speed rears. Also drove some mid 50's R190 IH's. Forget the year but one truck was an IH with a 549 gas engine. The two speed rear was vacuum acutated and very touchy to say the least. Eventually moved up to the Ford Louisville tandem with the stinky V8 diesel with a 5x4. Thought that I had died and gone to heaven so to speak when I got to drive an almost new 74 Diamond Reo tri-axle with a constant torque Cummins 270 and a spicer 7 speed. That was when the state I was living in asked if I wanted a commercial license? Just send in a few more bucks. Simple times.

For starters, cover your rear view mirrors to force you to use the side mirrors for everything. Once you get your hands on a truck, familiarize with it at home then find a big parking lot and practice just like if you were learning to drive period.
 

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