Whether you need to move large amounts of sand, stone or rock, a dump trailer is an excellent option to help you transport and place the materials. However, before transporting anything, you should follow several precautions to ensure you use the semi-trailer safely. Below are some strategies to help you when you load and unload the semi-trailer.
loading
- Avoid overloading. Always be mindful of the listed weight limit on your dump trailer before filling it. If you place too much inside, you can damage the hydraulic pump and body when you try to dump the materials. The pump may not even work if the weight is significantly higher, requiring you to remove excess material by hand before it functions properly. For large transportingprojects, take two smaller trips that you can dump safely so that the trailer stays in excellent condition.
- Pay attention to load weight distribution. The load distribution must be such that no component part of the trailer is loaded beyond its rating. This means that you must consider the rating of the tires, wheels and axles. For tandem and triple axle trailers, you must make sure that the front-to-rear load distribution does not result in overloading any axle.Excess weight could cause the trailer to sway while driving, creating safety hazards for other drivers.
Unloading
- Maintain a Low Center of Gravity.Many drivers do not know that they do not need to completely raise the trailer to empty it. By not raising it all the way, you are keeping the center of gravity with a heavy load lower to the ground. The chances for tip over in those specific conditions are much less than for the driver going all the way up. Drivers have to know how far they need to go up to dump effectively and leave it.
- Align the hitch before you begin to unload.
- Observe the grounds before unloading: There are no slopes, stability of the ground, there are no holes, and make sure when opening the tailgate is free of all obstacles (walls, electrical wires, etc.)
- Maintain a secure distance in the case of side by side unloading.
- Always deflate the pneumatic suspensions.
- Remain in the cabin and leave your seatbelt on at all times while unloading.
- Wait till the dumper has completely lowered back to the correct position before leaving.
It’s good that this article discussed the importance of making sure there is proper load weight distribution in dump trailers to avoid swaying while driving and creating safety hazards for other drivers. I imagine if you got your house demolished for a remodeling project, it would help to have a dump trailer take care of the debris. I’ll keep this in mind if I ever need to hire dump trailers in the future.