where did you get your start with dump trucks?

end dumps or dump trucks? end dumps hook to a fith wheel and dump trucks are straight trucksw/a dump body. ragged out but dependable and working a/c but get you home nightly is something to consider.regardless,it is a different variation of trucking and like anything new will take time to acclimate.i enjoy the varied places to p/u and deliver along w/the varied terrain but still never get in a hurry at any destination.

the interstate is different however-

 

I am also interested in this question. I live in Western WA, and on any given day, there are 3-7 dump trucks w/ trailors roaming around on I5, I9, and HWY92. But NONE of them ever have any company markings. Just straight white, or blue.

 

End dumps aren't bad, well better then regular dumps. Here is the thing with any dump company unless they are huge:

-Slow in Fall/Winter
-No benefits (Health/dental/vision/401k etc.)
-You might get 1 paid sick day and a weeks vacation if you're lucky.
-Trucks are almost always dirty/dusty inside and out unless you want to spend more time cleaning it then driving it
-Trucks are usually older
-Pay can be awful or really good, it is hit or miss
-You'll be watching the weather channel more than any other thing on TV, I had 3 weather apps on my phone


Dump trucking is a cutthroat business so there ain't a ton of money in it, end dumps are the only way I'd go now. Give me a tractor with air ride suspension and some working A/C and I'm a happy camper. I've spent years running trucks with no A/C, chalmers/hendrickson/camelback suspension and I'm done beating my body all to hell. End dumps are usually always stockpiling so they are gravy gigs, boring but, gravy.

I worked for and end dump outfit that made a 14 mile round trip, 11 times a night, 5 days a week. Boringggggggggg.


***You are gonna see alot of outfits with some shoddy rigs. Just make sure the brakes are good, dumps eat through brakes like no other.

 

My first job in the trucking buiness was driving a pos noisy dump trk.Hauled dirt,rock,gravel.Did'nt make much because it was a very rainy season that yr.

 

I started way back in January of '13. Dumps were/are my first job out of school. I really lucked out with the company I am at. I really think that hauling dirt is the only kind of trucking I would want to do now. A lot of people give us crap about driving in circles (sometimes) or getting dirty (all the time) or being stupid for both (I have an advanced degree is the hard sciences), but i choose to drive dump trucks because I enjoy it and i see me family every night. I am amazed at how many time every day that I think to myself how AWESOME my job is.

The first truck I ran was an 88 T600 Road Queen. That ###### thing would get stuck on a ###### nickel. Been pulled out a few times in that thing. Now I am driving a much newer, much shinier, and much trailer-er.

All that being said...pay attention to what trucks drive by, look into BBB to find quality companies. Talk to buddies. If it is a small company like the one I am with now, come in and buy a small load of rock and happen to mention that you want to drive dumps...magic may happen.

Hit me up if you are in the Snohomish area.

 

I had a buddy who works for the company I'm at now and got ticked off where I was working at the time, called and asked if they was looking for drivers and he said give me a minute. 20 minutes went by and he said you can start monday..


Place I'm at we have three tri axles(straight truck). We sub out to one of the biggest companies in town and they keep us busy all summer long usually. Unless it is a horrible rain storm, we still haul. Where I'm from(Canada..snow..) we keep busy in the trucks doing snow removal and hauling salt sand around. It's a good gig but like someone mentioned, your truck will be dirty inside/out no matter how hard you try to keep it clean. I usually run pit to pit and could wash mine 2-3 times a week quite regularly.

 

While traveling down the road.. Look at the name on the door, and call them.. At least one will listen to your story and maybe give you a chance to drive one.

 

I drove dump trucks when I started out. Now I haul fuel. Before I changed jobs an ex fuel hauler gave me the best advice at the time: hauling dirt pays dirt cheap. I couldn't make a living driving a dump truck even though it was fun and I had a bad ### truck.