A few more dump truck questions

When the PTO is IN it is engaged to dump the bed.

The handle is a manual control for the tailgate if the truck did not have a air powered tailgate.

I would guess about 14 tons. $8.25 a ton would pay $115.50 a load for 14 tons. Thats enough to pay for the fuel and not much else. I would pass on that.

I have never signed any contracts in my 13 + years in the business. As unstable as the fuel prices are a fuel surcharge would be mandatory for any long term contracts.

 

Well my experience is driving a manual t plate dump truck. For the pto in should be on. You should be able to tell when the pto is engaged. On a manual you have to put the tranny in neutral and push the clutch in to engage the pto, then when you let the clutch out the tranny spins and the pto engages. Not exactly sure how it works on an auto.

And that lever is the tailgate release lever. Take the hoop off and pull the lever down and it releases hooks on the bottom of the tailgate to allow it to swing out when you dump your load (lol I said dump your load).

 

Is there a button in the middle of the raise lower handle? Push it in, hold it and the raise it or lower.

 

There's a knob atop the lever... you might have to push down on it in order to get it to be able to move. Can you post a photo of your PTO controls?
The lever on the side of the bed.. it's good to have a backup.

 

+1
For sure pass the contract almost sounds like he knows your just getting into dump work..

 

I agree, some local guys around here run 13$ a ton. Take a picture of your PTO and bed controls. Im guessing you have to push a button down ontop of the bed controls to get them to move.

 

Huh?

The Power Take Off (PTO) drives the hydraulic pump, and it is either going to be on or off. If it is not engaged when the switch is "out", then that would be off. Generally, air pressure will engage (turn on) the PTO, and spring pressure will disengage (turn off) the PTO.

You should have another switch which controls the pump...also probably an air switch. This switch should normally be in the center position. Move the switch one direction and the bed should go up (if the PTO is engaged). Move the switch the other direction and the bed should go down. You will want to make sure when you lower the bed that the pump is off. Store-bought controls automatically disengage the PTO when you lower the bed. If yours is rigged up using generic switches, you will want to be sure to disengage the PTO prior to lowering the bed to avoid damage to the pump.

Here's what my store bought controls look like:

When I am driving: PTO is off. Control is in "hold" position:




When I'm ready to dump, I position the truck then engage the PTO:



Then, I raise the bed:



When the bed is all of the way up, I turn off the PTO and ease the truck forward until I'm clear of the pile and the bed is empty. Then I lower the bed:



When the bed is all of the way down, I move the switch back to the "hold" position.

That's an overly simplified "how-to" on what the controls do.

I've never driven an automatic transmission, but back when I was driving wreckers, a salesman was showing off a truck with an auto. In order to engage the PTO, he said to put the transmission into drive. Then engage the PTO. Then put the transmission back into Park. The process is similar in a manual shift transmission...you want to have the truck stopped and put the truck in gear to make sure the gears aren't spinning before you engage the PTO, otherwise it is a harsh engagement and you run the risk of tearing things up. There might be a lockout mechanism which prevents you from engaging the PTO unless the truck is in gear and your foot is on the brake...but without actually being there to see the truck or knowing exactly what you are talking about, the best I can do is guess.

I've never run a straight truck/dump...only a tractor trailer. I would assume, though, that it is would be a tailgate release...which if the previous owner had converted to an air powered release, the manual release would have been disconnected.

I guarantee your truck weighs more than 12,000 pounds empty. My truck is a day cab and a semi tractor...and without a trailer, I'm 17,000 pounds. Of the guys I work with, even the lightest company trucks are still in the 14,000 pound neighborhood...and again, that's just the semi tractor. Add the weight of the dump bed to that and at MINIMUM you are going to be between 17,000 and 20,000 pounds empty...possibly more.

One thing you want to keep in mind is that the contract is going to bind the rate...meaning for the next two years, that's what you are hauling for. While it might work out for you now, how high can fuel prices go before you're going broke? Make sure there's some sort of clause in there that allows you to charge more as the price of fuel increases...a fuel surcharge. Otherwise, you'll be paying the oil company to haul this guy's dirt instead of making a profit.