When you picture a dump truck, there's a good chance that you picture a truck in which the dump body is designed to dump to the rear. This style of truck is common, and it's difficult to drive past a construction site without seeing this configuration. It's important to note, however, that there are many other dump trucks on the market. If you're shopping for this vehicle, you can expect to see side dump trucks. As their name indicates, these are trucks in which the dump body tips to either side of the vehicle's chassis. Here are three benefits of a side dump truck.
Tight Areas
Dump trucks occasionally need to release their loads in areas that are tight. In lots of these areas, it's simply not possible for a conventional dump truck to dump its load where you want it. While the truck could dump the load in a nearby area, you'd need a bulldozer or other equipment to then move the load from where it sits to where you need it. Doing so presents another step in the project, which isn't ideal. A side dump truck allows you to deliver loads to places that a conventional dump truck can't reach. For example, if there's a narrow pathway and you need to load to either side of it, a side dump truck is the ideal vehicle.
Low Overhead Clearance
When a dump truck that dumps to the back has the dump body tipped up, it will stand high over the body of the truck. This can be an issue in areas where there's not a lot of overhead clearance. Obstacles such as tree branches and power wires can limit a conventional dump truck's ability to fully raise its dump body and empty the load. These areas won't be a problem for a side dump truck. In the dumping position, this truck's dump body won't extend nearly as high into the air.
Less Tipping Risk
A conventional dump truck will be sturdy on a flat surface when its dump body is fully elevated, but this isn't always the case on sloped terrain. The elevated dump body raises the truck's center of gravity considerably, and it's possible for the truck to tip over. Side dump trucks have considerably less of a tipping risk because the dump body remains lower to the ground. This will allow you to operate the truck on terrain that might not be safe with a conventional dump truck.
For more information, contact a dump truck service in your area, such as Hoelscher Bobby Trucking Inc.
