Well for the second time in a year and a half i got laid off again. Looking to go drive a concrete truck with a conveyor on it that reaches 40 ft out. Company is needing a driver and luckily i talked to them today. which is when i got laid off and start tomoro for them. Are there any tips to know other than slow and steady and dont fly around corners. its an automatic transmission which does not matter i can drive either. also are there any tricks the concrete guys like to play on the new guy. In every field there is a trick or two to get the new guy on the first day or week.
Right hand turns should be slower then left because your load is always on the left side while traveling. When backed up to a pump, DO NOT LET THE PUMP SUCK AIR!, if you do and you have a pump operator that cares you will get a reaming and then the honor of hosing off your truck and the pump. I carried a pair of the yellow rubber boots, 3 or 4 sizes larger then my regular boots that way they slipped on and off over the regular boots, I also carried a nice Mag. trowel in my truck for those times I had to deal with a homeowner doing a pour. If you get to a job that's not ready for you yet, I always slowed my drum down as much as I could, so that the 'crete kept moving but not enough to beat it. A great flush at the end of the day is priceless, an occasional dose of stone in your drum at the end of the day if the dispatcher will do it will help you keep your drum clean. The cleaner the drum, the less you'll have to get out if you have to get in the drum. An automatic will make your life so easy, because the smoother the driver you are the better the contractors will like you, and with the auto you'll have it a bunch easier then with a manual. Walk any job you get on before driving it, and the pertinent question is where the septic tanks/ leach field, any other underground problem might be. It's been 5 years since I've been in a mixer but I'm sure there'll be more I think of. Any questions just ask. Ray
ive heard that any damage on the trucks was your financial responsibility.ie bumpers steps tanks
That's a new one on me, every company has it's own policy but I don't see how something like that can be. In my time for the concrete company I used to work for, I did in a front bumper(I was on my second month on the job and had one of the top 5 senior drivers directing me, he told me I could roll a stump and it didn't move). Caught a tree stump with a passenger side fuel tank(the stump was about 4 inches out of the ground and while I was backing into the job my truck sank into the soft lawn and I lost enough clearance I hit it) on my crane, bent up some hydraulic lines on a outrigger, and probably a bunch of other minor little things and never was a second thought given to any of it. If you were to take a truck for a personal reason, I would think that would be a different story.
In New York I think it is illegal to dock employees for mistakes like that. Ask your Labor Dept.
mixer tips Yeah, Our drivers only get the stinkeye when they do minor damage, Some tips, I'd say don't leave your hopper up, 1. you'll look like a rookie going down the hiway and 2. you might back into the plant like that. If you have a tag axle check to see if the safetys are working on it, you shouldn't be able to lower it with the chute not centered and down, and it should kick up in reverse. But I doubt you have one if you have a conveyor it's probably just an 8 yard truck. Ummm, be sure to blow out you water tank , lines and open valves every night or else they will freeze and crack. Tie up your garden hose in the back really well so you don't drag it down the road. Don't let the concrete crew use up all your water cleaning their tools, save enough to clean your belt and drum. I'll try to think of more, but most importantly, Be Kind to the Mechanic!
Ooooh here's a really important one. When you start the truck on a cold morning, turn the drum speed waaayyy down, get out of the cab and and go see if your rollers are turning. If not stop the drum immediately and slowly drive into a warm shop or spray hot water on them to get them turning. It doesn't take many revolutions to give them flat spots, and changing rollers SUCKS.
yeah three days on the job learned a lot always turn the drum when in motion loaded or unloaded. check the drum in the morning too see if frost is on the rollers and not turning. get slump close at plant not too wet ever. Always wet it down at the job sight. hand signals are diffrent with every crew. wash down very well after loading and unloading keep the truck clean
Walk any job you get on before driving it, and the pertinent question is where the septic tanks/ leach field, any other underground problem might be. THIS ^^^^
well sorry to break the news but quite the concrete driving job and opted to go back wrenching again this time for john deere working on skids minis and up to 125 horse tractors. concrete driving was ok but hours were not steady enough and pay is better wrenching for deere than driving also warm heated shop is always nice for a days work compared to standing in the cold waiting on concrete guys to start poring again.
That's ok, the world needs guys fixing things more than it needs guys breaking things. And from what I've seen that's what mud truck drivers do. Good Luck with JD!