10 Different Types of Dump Trucks

10 Different Types of Dump Trucks

What are the different types of dump trucks? Dump trucks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, as you’ll see here.

They are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. From monster heavy haul Cat mining trucks to “smaller” everyday conventional dump trucks, there’s something for everyone.  

A dump truck, also known as a dumper truck or tipper truck, is a construction vehicle that transports dumps such as sand, gravel, or demolition trash.  

An open-box bed on a dump truck is hinged at the back and fitted with hydraulic rams to elevate the front, allowing the material in the bed to be dropped (“dumped”) on the ground behind the truck at the delivery site.  

Dump trucks come in various sizes and configurations to suit almost any need. The numerous different types of dump trucks are listed below. 

1. Standard Dump Truck

A typical dump truck consists of a vehicle chassis with a dump body attached to it.

The back of the bed is hinged at the back of the car, and it is raised by a vertical hydraulic ram located under the front of the body or a horizontal hydraulic ram and lever arrangement between the frame rails.  

Additionally, the tailgate can swing up on top hinges (and occasionally fold down on lower hinges) or be designed in the “High Lift Tailgate” type, where pneumatic rams lift the gate open and up above the dump body. 

2. Articulated Dump Truck

Articulated dump trucks are another type of dump truck. Rigid haul trucks lack a center point of articulation, but ADTs do.  

Although the articulation allows for more maneuverability on uneven terrain, they are not as capable of hauling as rigid haul trucks.  

Furthermore, ADTs are primarily manufactured in the 25–45-ton capacity range, with a few multinational OEMs producing variants in the 10–30-ton range.

Additionally, at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2017, Volvo Construction Equipment unveiled the world’s largest ADT, the Volvo A60H, a 60-ton ADT. 

3. Super dump Truck

This dump truck has the same features as a standard dump truck but with the addition of a liftable trailing axle. The dump truck can also carry a lot of weight thanks to this axle.  

Due to the trailer’s presence, the vehicle is longer than a typical dump truck.

However, the trailer’s movements may be changed due to its lifting capability, and the driver can maintain and run the dump truck efficiently. 

4. Rigid Haul Truck

Rigid haul trucks are another type of dump truck. On the other hand, most miniature tough haul trucks have a capacity of roughly 60 tons.

Additionally, these trucks have up to 500 tons on the bigger end. They are only utilized in mining applications, while ADTs are employed in earthmoving, road building, heavy civil, quarry, and mining.

Furthermore, Caterpillar, Liebherr, Belaz, Terex, and other companies make rigid haul trucks.  

Terex sold its rigid haul truck line to Volvo Construction Equipment, which continues to market them under the Terex brand. 

5. Semi-trailer Bottom Dump Truck

This vehicle consists of a three-axle tractor pulling a two-axle trailer. The clamshell construction of this version is one of its distinguishing features, as it allows for more control over the hauled materials.  

Furthermore, the fundamental advantage of these dump trucks is that they allow material to be stacked in a straight line.

Meanwhile, the cross-spread design is another alternative, as it equally distributes the materials. 

6. Transfer Dump Truck

A transfer dump truck is also one of the different dump truck types that tow a trailer with moveable cargo containers.

They may be filled with construction aggregate, gravel, sand, asphalt, clinkers, snow, wood chips, triple mix, and other materials.  

It rides on rails from the trailer’s frame into the empty primary dump container (“A” box) on little wheels. Moreover, it increases cargo capacity while maintaining the regular dump truck’s mobility.  

However, transfer dump trucks are commonly encountered due to the unique weight constraints on roadways in the western United States. 

7. Truck and Pup

A truck and a pup are essentially the same as a transfer dump truck, except for one change. The trailer (sometimes known as a pup trailer or simply a pup) can be dumped on its own.  

In contrast to a transfer dump truck, the controls for hydraulically lifting the dump on the pup are situated on the pup rather than on the truck.

At the same time, the pup is just a standard trailer without these controls. 

8. Semi Trailer End Dump Truck

Semi-trailer-end dump trucks are also one of the different dump trucks. This is a straightforward and effective dump truck transporting materials to building sites.

Due to its vast carrying capacity, this dump truck is still used today.  

Additionally, the semi-trailer dump truck features two hydraulically powered axle trailers. However, they have an axle on the truck’s backside.

This type of dump truck is ideal for unloading because it is more efficient. 

9. Double & Triple Trailer Bottom Dump Truck

A two-axle tractor pulls one single-axle semi-trailer and another full trailer in a double or triple bottom dump (or two full trailers in the case of triples).  

Meanwhile, the driver of these dump trucks can place material in windrows without exiting the cab or halting the car.

The most significant disadvantage is that backing double and triple units is tough. 

10. Roll Off Truck

A Roll-off is one of the different types of dump trucks. It has a hoist and a subframe, but no one, and it transports containers that can be removed.  

The container is loaded on the ground, winched, and cabled onto the truck’s rear. After the truck has been dumped, the empty container is taken and positioned to be loaded or stored.

The hoist is raised, and the container is slid down the subframe, landing on the ground at the back. 

Meanwhile, the back of the container includes rollers, and it may be moved forward or back until the front is lowered onto the ground.  

Furthermore, the containers are mostly open-topped crates for rubble and construction debris, but garbage compactor containers are also transported.

A contemporary hook-lift system serves the same job, but instead of a cable and hoist, it uses a boom to lift/lower and dump the containers.  

In Conclusion, a thorough grasp of the different types of dump trucks will not only help you learn more. But it will also assist you in selecting the one that best suits your needs.

Your search can begin once you’ve decided on a dump truck and a task to perform. 

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