A buddy and I are looking to get into the dump truck business here in Portland and need a truck able to deliver up to 26 tons of gravel, asphalt, etc. It seems that there is a 50/50 split here between transfer trucks and trucks and pups. What are the reasons we would consider one setup over the other? Thanks for whatever input anyone can provide.
Original poster here. I forgot to mention that we were also considering a 7 axle superdump and wonder how that compares with the other two options. Thanks.
Yair . . . jesse75. Ah ha, transfer dumps mentioned again, those jiggers fascinate me and the last thread about them kind of died. So to put me straight what do you call a truck and pup? Any transfer trailers I have seen pictures and video of are two axle "dogs" that is to say they have a turntable . . . "pup" is (or used to be) a one to four axle trailer with no turntable, it can be backed just like a semi . . . in some places they are called "pigs". If the operator is good enough a dog is more manoeuvrable although if fitted with an air-locker can be backed up just the pup or pig. I believe the rules must have changed because I rarely see pups or pigs these days and the four axle super-dogs are becoming common . . . and then of course there is the "stag" which in effect is a pig or pup only the hitch is beneath the floor of a conventional semi-trailer and it will jackknife (I think) ninety degrees and the front trailer tips across the hitch. What I don't follow with the super dumps is that the trucks appear to have a body inside a body. I can get my head around the strange lift axle arrangement out the back. I assume that is to artificially get maximum distance between front and rear axles to get around the bridge laws. I can't fathom the need for the sliding body though, could you set me straight on that. I have been out of trucking for many years and in some cases my comments will not be relevant even here in Australia . . . I still have an interest in how folks do things will follow your thread with interest. Cheers.
It's all about the room where you need to dump. If you have room to turn a truck and pup, and side cast the pup while backing to dump the truck, they're more efficient and given the weight laws in Oregon/Washington can gross up to 105,500 if they haven't changed the rules. I used to drive transfer some, obviously you can turn them around in tighter places and as long as there is a place to park somewhere near the dump site, you get to run what is essentially a solo to and from the spot you're dumping. Since you have to unhitch for the first load, transfer for the second, untransfer and rehitch when done, it does take a bit longer. All things being equal if you have space on both ends and flat ground to work with, tandem belly dumps and a cabover is the most efficient way to move material, but they don't work well on typical job sites. Some transfer trailers have a desire to be on their sides all the time also, if you turn the drawbar and front axle too far sideways when pulling forward! If it was me I would probably vote for a transfer, just because it's the most versatile. YMMV Truck and pup: Transfer, a lot like the one I drove:
Back in the day when I ran a dump truck we used a pup (we called it a Pony around here) trailer. A few guys had transfers but they were few and far between, but mostly because the haul distances were too short to justify them. In most cases there would be enough room to back the pup in, dump it and only in rare situations did I have to pull out to the street, unhitch the trailer and then back in again to dump the truck... The drawbar on our trailers were probably only about half the length of the one in lantraxco's picture so they were a lot easier to find room for when dumping the tractor...
The super dump/trailering axle was popular here until the uglys came out. Tippy on road and off, rear axle problematic (death wobble), hard on frames, have to watch the wheels up top when loading. Most guys took the axle off the back or sent em to auction.
I've wondered about the super dumps I asked in another thread but didn't get a good response
Yair . . . DoyleX I can understand all you say about the Superdump concept can you explain the sliding bodies though . . . and okay I'll bite, what the hell are "uglys"? (big grin) Cheers.
I think the super dumps don't have sliding bodies thats just bed floor and sides that extends out past the rear lift axle hinges and cylinders
Yup. I know there was a grey area in the length law because they were over 40' in length, also in axle bridge because of the little pusher wheel spacing. What I meant by "ugly" is the things that show their face and get ugly after a bit of time. Things that you wouldn't expect to see until some run time adds up.