Dump Trailer Experience

[ajt3138]

my dad started our construction company in 1961. our equipment grew in size enough to finally warrant buying our first semi tractor. i think we bought our 1961 B in the mid seventies. we acquired the truck in pennsylvania and drove it to our shop in northwest ohio. i was in my teens at the time. we bought it with a lowboy trailer so we could move our dozer which was a 850 case at that time. the trailer was not operable as detach anymore so we planked over the rear dovetail. we also purchased a dump trailer so we could haul gravel for our jobsites. around this time we purchased a building in our local town to use for setting up a retail hardware store. we had to do a lot of cleaning and junk hauling. there were also some old foundations we dug out that had to be hauled away. we were hauling most loads to the local landfill. i remember dumping that trailer for $19 a load. didnt matter if you had feathers or concrete on it. we loaded the dump trailer one afternoon late. it was too late to go to landfill. without thinking we let it set outside all night, and we received a rain shower that night. the next morning dad told me to take that load to the landfill and dump it. i got out to the landfill, backed in allright, and checked trailer for level. everything looked fine. so i started raising her up. it was going just fine. some material had just started falling out the back when all of a sudden, one side of the load stuck while the other side let go. and over she went. i remember walking up to the ticket office in a daze. i was shaking so bad i couldnt hardly dial the phone. the B and i were forever bonded.

[other dog]

my dad started our construction company in 1961. our equipment grew in size enough to finally warrant buying our first semi tractor. i think we bought our 1961 B in the mid seventies. we acquired the truck in pennsylvania and drove it to our shop in northwest ohio. i was in my teens at the time. we bought it with a lowboy trailer so we could move our dozer which was a 850 case at that time. the trailer was not operable as detach anymore so we planked over the rear dovetail. we also purchased a dump trailer so we could haul gravel for our jobsites. around this time we purchased a building in our local town to use for setting up a retail hardware store. we had to do a lot of cleaning and junk hauling. there were also some old foundations we dug out that had to be hauled away. we were hauling most loads to the local landfill. i remember dumping that trailer for $19 a load. didnt matter if you had feathers or concrete on it. we loaded the dump trailer one afternoon late. it was too late to go to landfill. without thinking we let it set outside all night, and we received a rain shower that night. the next morning dad told me to take that load to the landfill and dump it. i got out to the landfill, backed in allright, and checked trailer for level. everything looked fine. so i started raising her up. it was going just fine. some material had just started falling out the back when all of a sudden, one side of the load stuck while the other side let go. and over she went. i remember walking up to the ticket office in a daze. i was shaking so bad i couldnt hardly dial the phone. the B and i were forever bonded.

Good story and pictures. Not that tipping over is good. Reminds me of the early chip hauling days- paid $30 a load from Dillwyn to Covington,Va. Sometimes you'd have 20 tons,sometimes 25. Sometimes you'd wait in the mill for hours to get dumped but it all paid the same $30 a load. 9 or 10 loads in a week was a very good week.

[Lmackattack]

you got lucky that the tractor stayed up. most frame trailers like to take the tractor with you when they go over. First job in Trucking I pulled a 24' frame end dump. leared the dos and donts real quick...knock on wood I never turned one over (yet) but came close a few times.

[randyp]

you got lucky that the tractor stayed up. most frame trailers like to take the tractor with you when they go over. First job in Trucking I pulled a 24' frame end dump. leared the dos and donts real quick...knock on wood I never turned one over (yet) but came close a few times.

I turned turtle in one during my younger days, truck, trailer, and all (also all tools in floorboard),,its not fun and something you wont ever forget,,,,Randy

[Freightrain]

Neat story.

I think, like riding a motorcycle. It's not "IF", but "WHEN" something bad is going to happen.

[Mike]

I can relate to that Larry with motorcycles. I can't top AJ's but a good story. I was sitting in my F700 box bed had been hauling 2500 pound paper rolls that afternoon when all of a sudden my boss tossed a roll in the truck with the roll clanp and when it hit the front of the bed it made the truck bounce causing me to hit the cab roof. I was dazed by that. Normally I would have been on the dock ready to chock my load. But that day when he saw me, said to me, we got to -hit and git tonight. Yea it became a nightmare evening for me.

mike

[Lmackattack]

a little story about hitting your head on the cab.

Was in a new dump site just off of Cermack and I-294. the road in of the street was paved and then turned into gravel. they would spray water at the entrance/exit for dust control. the water had pooled in a low spot in the haul road. under this pool of water was a large pot hole at the edge of the entrace side of the roadway. it was right ware the pavement stopped and gravel started. anyways I was on my way out of the dump and a guy in a newer CH was heading in. I slowed and was going to let him over to my side to avoid the pot hole. It must have been his first time in this dump because he drove right into the hole. the right tire fell in. he hit his head on the driver side window and as the tire came bouncing back out of the holeit pretty much thru him the rest of the way out of his seat and onto the gear stick. I Stopped and saw he was ok but a little shook up. I told the scale house and they had it fixed by the time I got back. the look on his face was priceless.

[randyp]

Neat story.

I think, like riding a motorcycle. It's not "IF", but "WHEN" something bad is going to happen.

very well put freight, very true, I know that ever since my lil turnturtle incident years ago, to this day I am very cautious and careful about what is loose in the cab. I remember to this day the thud that big metal fire extinguisher made when it flew against the door. It probably would have been a fatal blow in the head.,,,Randy

[Rob]

very well put freight, very true, I know that ever since my lil turnturtle incident years ago, to this day I am very cautious and careful about what is loose in the cab. I remember to this day the thud that big metal fire extinguisher made when it flew against the door. It probably would have been a fatal blow in the head.,,,Randy

Prolly woulda dented my fire extinguisher if it hit me in the head.

Rob

[Mike]

I remember my days training in the Police Academy the SGT. saying that whatever was loose in a vehicle traveling say 60 miles per hour, that when the vehicle comes to a sudden stop as in a headon collision. Any items big or small is still traveling at that speed.

mike