From: A Dump Truck by any Other Name
The Anti-Dump Antidote
An alternative to the traditional dump truck, whether articulated or rigid, is the side-dump trailer. Instead of a hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear and attached to a truck body, it features hydraulic rams that tilt the dump body onto its side, spilling the material to either side of a trailer pulled behind a semi.
“The side-dump design allows the operator many options when dumping,” explains Ralph Rogers, president and chief executive officer of Side Dump Industries in South Sioux City, NE. The operator “can stop and dump the load, windrow it, or dump it over a K-rail or bridge rail.”
One advantage of the side dump is the ability to carry more weight. Side Dump Industries, founded in 1992, lays claim to the biggest payload in the industry, which makes them particularly well suited to site prep work. Kelly Knodel of Knodel Contractors in Freeman, SD, concurs. One of several subcontractors working on TransCanada’s 2,148-mile Keystone Pipeline, he says, “They need to build approximately 1,379 miles of pipeline just here in the US That’s a lot of site preparation and materials to be hauled. I had no doubt we could handle this site prep work faster, cleaner, and more efficiently than anyone else. What I can haul in one load would take a contractor running end dumps up to four trucks alone. My drivers can place product, whether it’s dirt, gravel, or rock, exactly where it needs to be. It can all be done on the run, too. In the time it takes other contractors to do that, my guys are already down the road getting another load.”
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Photo: Side Dump Industries
Side-dumping trucks offer the ability to carry more weight. |
Another benefit of the side-dump is increased stability due to a lower center of gravity, which also reduces risk of tipping. “SDI has the lowest center of gravity on the market,” Rogers claims, “due to the load being carried on the hinge points. Our hinge points alone are 10 feet to 13 feet lower than other side-dump manufacturers.”
Although side dumps have less risk of tipping over while dumping, this can occur if dumping is halted prematurely. In addition, if the pile of materials expands widely enough to cover the trailer’s wheels, the side dump can become stuck. That, however, can be alleviated with a 50-degree dump angle.
“As the original innovators of side dump technology, we understood the importance of achieving the best dump angle,” Rogers explains. “Our 50-degree dump angle means our clients can dump their loads faster and cleaner.” Knodel agrees. “The product I’m dumping comes out faster and cleaner. Nothing sticks to the tub. That’s especially important when I’m hauling dirt.”
Loads release faster from a straight side and better dump angle. Chuck Rogers, in charge of research and development at SDI, elaborates: “We’ve worked to create the widest dump angle in the industry for quick product release. Our innovative tub and pivot-point design also means that the operator dumps the product, whether it’s dirt, gravel, or rock, farther away from the frame and protects his tires.” That not only alleviates the risk of tipping, but, he says, it makes their trailers perfect for site prep. “The dump distance is so far from my wheels,” Knodel adds, “I never worry about running over the product or damaging my tires.”
Yet another benefit is SDI’s unique bolted construction, which helps eliminate downtime. Chuck Rogers notes that SDI bolts the frame, cross-member, fenders, and suspension together—a timesaving construction. “If one of our customers ever has a problem on a job site, they can quickly make the repairs in the field. Replacing a fender that is bolted on takes minutes, compared to having to cut, grind and reweld a fender, like on other manufacturers’ models.”
September 2009
From: A Dump Truck by any Other Name
The Anti-Dump Antidote
An alternative to the traditional dump truck, whether articulated or rigid, is the side-dump trailer. Instead of a hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear and attached to a truck body, it features hydraulic rams that tilt the dump body onto its side, spilling the material to either side of a trailer pulled behind a semi.
“The side-dump design allows the operator many options when dumping,” explains Ralph Rogers, president and chief executive officer of Side Dump Industries in South Sioux City, NE. The operator “can stop and dump the load, windrow it, or dump it over a K-rail or bridge rail.”
One advantage of the side dump is the ability to carry more weight. Side Dump Industries, founded in 1992, lays claim to the biggest payload in the industry, which makes them particularly well suited to site prep work. Kelly Knodel of Knodel Contractors in Freeman, SD, concurs. One of several subcontractors working on TransCanada’s 2,148-mile Keystone Pipeline, he says, “They need to build approximately 1,379 miles of pipeline just here in the US That’s a lot of site preparation and materials to be hauled. I had no doubt we could handle this site prep work faster, cleaner, and more efficiently than anyone else. What I can haul in one load would take a contractor running end dumps up to four trucks alone. My drivers can place product, whether it’s dirt, gravel, or rock, exactly where it needs to be. It can all be done on the run, too. In the time it takes other contractors to do that, my guys are already down the road getting another load.”
|
Photo: Side Dump Industries
Side-dumping trucks offer the ability to carry more weight. |
Another benefit of the side-dump is increased stability due to a lower center of gravity, which also reduces risk of tipping. “SDI has the lowest center of gravity on the market,” Rogers claims, “due to the load being carried on the hinge points. Our hinge points alone are 10 feet to 13 feet lower than other side-dump manufacturers.”
Although side dumps have less risk of tipping over while dumping, this can occur if dumping is halted prematurely. In addition, if the pile of materials expands widely enough to cover the trailer’s wheels, the side dump can become stuck. That, however, can be alleviated with a 50-degree dump angle.
“As the original innovators of side dump technology, we understood the importance of achieving the best dump angle,” Rogers explains. “Our 50-degree dump angle means our clients can dump their loads faster and cleaner.” Knodel agrees. “The product I’m dumping comes out faster and cleaner. Nothing sticks to the tub. That’s especially important when I’m hauling dirt.”
Loads release faster from a straight side and better dump angle. Chuck Rogers, in charge of research and development at SDI, elaborates: “We’ve worked to create the widest dump angle in the industry for quick product release. Our innovative tub and pivot-point design also means that the operator dumps the product, whether it’s dirt, gravel, or rock, farther away from the frame and protects his tires.” That not only alleviates the risk of tipping, but, he says, it makes their trailers perfect for site prep. “The dump distance is so far from my wheels,” Knodel adds, “I never worry about running over the product or damaging my tires.”
Yet another benefit is SDI’s unique bolted construction, which helps eliminate downtime. Chuck Rogers notes that SDI bolts the frame, cross-member, fenders, and suspension together—a timesaving construction. “If one of our customers ever has a problem on a job site, they can quickly make the repairs in the field. Replacing a fender that is bolted on takes minutes, compared to having to cut, grind and reweld a fender, like on other manufacturers’ models.”