DUMP TRUCK O/O QUESTIONS???????? - Trucker Forum

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To start with, I suggest if you want to buy a dump truck to get more than 3 month experience. Dumps tend to be seasonal. You can do will when the weather is good, but may do more sitting when the weather turns bad. Insurance will likely be expensive since you essentially have no experience. Most insurers want at least 2 years experience. You will want to do most of your maintenance yourself. Dumps go through a lot of abuse. Thing are always going to break. You need to either be able to do the repairs yourself or have the money to have them done by someone else. The cost of base plates will vary from state to state. My niece and her husband had dumps in Tennessee and I believe that they paid about $800 for each truck. I pay about $200 for an oil change. Mine cost more due to the CAT filters I use. If I had a place to do them myself, I would. I could save a lot of money. How often you do a change will depend on either how many hours your engine runs or the number of miles. I change my oil at around 15M miles. Since dumps are off road much of the time, you will probably want to grease everything more often than a road tractor. Your maintenance costs will depend on how and where you drive. As far as getting business, you will probably want to contact contractors and paving companies in your area. You should have business lined up before spending money on a truck. Prices of dumps can vary according to time of year and location. There are some on this forum who can probably give you more detailed information on prices and maintenance. Again, I suggest getting more experience before you go out and buy a truck. There is more to truck ownership than getting in and turning a key. I am glad to see you asking questions before you jump into the frying pan. Good luck. 8)

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Thanks for the response and keep'em coming.

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GMan, you did not mention how many Air Filters you go through....lol.

My CDL instructor is a Dump Truck O/O. He has been DTing for about 8 years. Says he has the steady cliental (new subdivisions/etc..) He charges by the hour and bases a lot of the costs on fuel.

Make a long story short. At $3.00 a gallon for fuel his rates are $48 per hour. Even with the overhead that does not sound too bad. Said he would go to $50 PH when prices go to $3.50 PG (notice I said WHEN :cry: )

Otherwise he will give his wife the permission to fill the DT with LOAM :lol: :lol:

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gcal, I have been running a dump trailer since 75. I alternate between running the road and hauling rocks. You haven't specified what you are going to run. Semi? or 6 wheeler?
There are really only 2 ways to make it in this business starting out new. But since you have a chunk of change to put down, there could be 3. I say this because my first truck cost me 6 grand and my trailer was 4 grand. I was working on this thing every other day for the first year. Every year after-wards, I would upgrade my equipment, until I had good enough equipment where it was no longer necessary.. With gravel, you can do this, because you're never far from home and your toolbox.
First of all, if you drive t/t you will need about 10,000 grand up front for insurance. (you may be able to get on a monthly or semi annual plan here) Next, you may need up to 4 weeks operating expenditure's, depending on how you will get paid. This includes fuel, mortgage, and all the family and homeowners expenses. You may have a breakdown your first few weeks, so you need cash for that
When you haul rocks, you have better be somewhat mechanically inclined. You will need to do on the job repairs to some extent. (Basic stuff) Oil changes every 8-10,000 miles, fuel filters included. Air cleaners, depending on what you do for work once or, twice a year. Tires every 2 years, give or take, brakes every year. Plus all the nickel and dime crap. This is where your mechanical aptitude will come in handy.
Be prepared to work on your truck once a week for a good 6-8 hours in a day. There is always something to fix.
I painted the worst scenario for you because this is the facts. It's not easy by no means easy, but it can be done with a good PM program and the willingness to sacrifice your own time and labor.
Good luck to you, It can be done!

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomad_

GMan, you did not mention how many Air Filters you go through....lol.

My CDL instructor is a Dump Truck O/O. He has been DTing for about 8 years. Says he has the steady clientele (new subdivisions/etc..) He charges by the hour and bases a lot of the costs on fuel.

Make a long story short. At $3.00 a gallon for fuel his rates are $48 per hour. Even with the overhead that does not sound too bad. Said he would go to $50 PH when prices go to $3.50 PG (notice I said WHEN :cry: )

Otherwise he will give his wife the permission to fill the DT with LOAM :lol: :lol:

Fortunately Nomad, I don't go through that many air filters. I do change things as needed. $48/ seems low for fuel being what it it right now. You didn't mention the size of dump he is using. I believe my niece and her husband were getting more than that several years ago before fuel went through the roof. Of course, you may be able to run off road diesel if you are only on a construction site. Then there is the problem if you get on the highway while running off road fuel. :?And no offense, gcal, but if you don't think you can make a living driving someone else's dump, how do you think you will be able to make it owning the truck? There are times, especially starting out, when you could make less owning than driving for someone. It takes time to build contacts and get your money coming in. I am glad to hear you say that you plan on getting more experience before buying a truck.

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