So i’ve been watching tipping videos to see if its something i’d might enjoy as i’ve been reading its a job most drivers enjoy.
Came across some videos of the hydraulic pipe thing bending and then exploding. I’m guessing its a MUST to be on a horizontally level ground but whats the likelihood of the load getting stuck on one side while tipping? wouldn’t this cause it to stress on one side resulting in the pipe to bend? tippers do have legs (not sure if all do) but ive seen one video of it exploding from the bottom of the hydraulic pipe and another bending in the middle.
How rare is this? is this a case of stupidity? do you need to drive forward a little each time? what happens if the trailer door gets caught on the ground and the hydraulic is still trying to push?
Just really curious. Not many comments under these videos either.
The ‘hydraulic pipe thing’ is the tipper ram! I think that one in the first video was probably overweight anyway to blow like that? I had 20+ years on rigid tippers and never saw one break, and only one fall over, but artics do seem to be more vulnerable to laying down on the job! I think it’s a combination of the load sticking/being loaded on one side/not getting the body up quickly enough? With a rigid I was taught early on that it’s best to get the body up as fast as you can, once the load starts moving away from the body front it’s unlikely to overbalance, however artics tend to raise slower, carry more and also tip higher so more care is needed. Level ground seems essential for artics as well, generally with a rigid you can tip almost anywhere although I’ve had some arse clenching monments tipping across slopes when a set of wheels leave the ground!
windrush:
The ‘hydraulic pipe thing’ is the tipper ram! I think that one in the first video was probably overweight anyway to blow like that? I had 20+ years on rigid tippers and never saw one break, and only one fall over, but artics do seem to be more vulnerable to laying down on the job! I think it’s a combination of the load sticking/being loaded on one side/not getting the body up quickly enough? With a rigid I was taught early on that it’s best to get the body up as fast as you can, once the load starts moving away from the body front it’s unlikely to overbalance, however artics tend to raise slower, carry more and also tip higher so more care is needed. Level ground seems essential for artics as well, generally with a rigid you can tip almost anywhere although I’ve had some arse clenching monments tipping across slopes when a set of wheels leave the ground!
So i’ve been watching tipping videos to see if its something i’d might enjoy as i’ve been reading its a job most drivers enjoy.
Came across some videos of the hydraulic pipe thing bending and then exploding. I’m guessing its a MUST to be on a horizontally level ground but whats the likelihood of the load getting stuck on one side while tipping? wouldn’t this cause it to stress on one side resulting in the pipe to bend? tippers do have legs (not sure if all do) but ive seen one video of it exploding from the bottom of the hydraulic pipe and another bending in the middle.
How rare is this? is this a case of stupidity? do you need to drive forward a little each time? what happens if the trailer door gets caught on the ground and the hydraulic is still trying to push?
Just really curious. Not many comments under these videos either.
I worked for a good number of years with artic tippers, mainly on feedstuffs but general tipper work too. I would say that firstly artic tippers over time will be phased out in a lot of work with walking floor trailers. Reason, health and safety. I did see one ram break on an artic (not mine) and it was almost at max height, came down and twisted the chassis of the trailer into a knot. Main reason load sticking on one side of the trailer at the front. One hint if you have things like beet pulp or palm kernel try avoid loading them on Friday evening and tipping on Monday morning. They settle and bed themselves into the trailer and you may end up having to use a shovel for encouragement especially if you have a trailer with a well used floor. They also run the risk of the load sticking on one side and creating perilous situations.
In general I found the work enjoyable and varied. You will like of course to have horizontal ground but if you are unloading at farms or sites, well we don’t live in a perfect world. I remember also delivering fines to landfill sites and you tipped and they used the excavator bucket to hold the trailer from turning over . I expect the adrenaline rush of such activity is prohibited now!
They can be a bit dodgy depending on the environment where you are tipping. I did artic tippers for a few years mainly scrap work. You always want your unit and trailer straight and a clear space directly in front to drive into. Some places just didn’t have the room and even a bit of tilting of the body in my mirror when lifting made me clench my ■■■■. Some places were not flat so you tried to park on an angle to counter the lean.
Only one lad where I worked tipped it over at max height, another had the hose split by the ram so the body came crashing down and everything nearby was covered in his hydraulic fluid. Never seen a ram break. You tie your doors open so they don’t touch the ground. Depending on what you are tipping the main concern was not smashing your back lights.
Many years ago, the company i worked for had a job running two loads of limestone a day from Buxton to a steelworks in South Wales on a Neville Dumptrailer, the boss did the night run and I did the days. One morning I arrived in the yard at 5.30, expecting him to roll in any minute from Buxton with my load. He rolled in - empty - just after 11! Seems he had reversed into the shed, not realising part of my load was still on the floor. He tipped up and moved forward as the stone slid out, suddenly coming to a dead stop. The tipper ram and fully raised body was hard up against the top of the door frame! He had to wait for the day shift to arrive to dig him out with an excavator!
Make sure you have got room in front of you before you start to tip!
Ste46:
Many years ago, the company i worked for had a job running two loads of limestone a day from Buxton to a steelworks in South Wales on a Neville Dumptrailer, the boss did the night run and I did the days. One morning I arrived in the yard at 5.30, expecting him to roll in any minute from Buxton with my load. He rolled in - empty - just after 11! Seems he had reversed into the shed, not realising part of my load was still on the floor. He tipped up and moved forward as the stone slid out, suddenly coming to a dead stop. The tipper ram and fully raised body was hard up against the top of the door frame! He had to wait for the day shift to arrive to dig him out with an excavator!
Make sure you have got room in front of you before you start to tip!
Steve
I’ve been racking the few remaining braincells which place that would be . I can only think of Cardiff as I used to take care there , with a triaxle I could just tip with the body ending up very close to the door top . they were slow to tidy up with the shovel when you had tipped .
Ste46:
Many years ago, the company i worked for had a job running two loads of limestone a day from Buxton to a steelworks in South Wales on a Neville Dumptrailer, the boss did the night run and I did the days. One morning I arrived in the yard at 5.30, expecting him to roll in any minute from Buxton with my load. He rolled in - empty - just after 11! Seems he had reversed into the shed, not realising part of my load was still on the floor. He tipped up and moved forward as the stone slid out, suddenly coming to a dead stop. The tipper ram and fully raised body was hard up against the top of the door frame! He had to wait for the day shift to arrive to dig him out with an excavator!
Make sure you have got room in front of you before you start to tip!
Steve
I’ve been racking the few remaining braincells which place that would be . I can only think of Cardiff as I used to take care there , with a triaxle I could just tip with the body ending up very close to the door top . they were slow to tidy up with the shovel when you had tipped .
Can’t remember the name now, just before Swansea and long gone now.
I work on artic tippers mostly with grain and feed. Never seen a ram itself break although I have had a bracket that holds the ram fail, luckily only on one side and I was lifting the body on the hydraulics at the time, so a swift change of direction on the lever and the body was back down again. That was on a bulk blower trailer so the load was still inside. (Whole different set of problems than the ram with those trailers tbh).
Most of my work involves farms and they will have different problems to the H&S consious mills and factories. Uneven ground, mud, cowsh…■■■, dogs trying to bite the tyres, “helpful” farmhands guiding you back whilst stood completely behind the trailer out of sight, the usual “We get artics all the time in here” or “Don’t worry the fields solid enough to turn round”, Delivering/Collected in the winter months can be a challenge with the dark unlit farmyards and many obsticles. On the plus side your reversing skills will improve greatly after a couple of months.
Tipper work is easy enough but dont expect to stay clean all day (Although some seem to manage it, No idea how personnally!). Dont expect to be first off the lights when you’re loaded. To make the job pay you’ll invariably be at top weight (Watch out for over zealous farmers that will just put the extra bucket on). However as most trucks on bulk are at least 500hp often more, you can usually give Salesman Sid in his fleet spec Beemer a run for his money when you’re running empty or even better bobtail.
A couple of tips…
If you get stuck on a farm try to get the farmer to push you with a large hay bale rather than towing with a chain. I’ve seen the front end of a truck pulled off by a tractor when the farmer jolted the chain.Plus if you’re being pushed as soon as you gain traction you’re away and haven’t got to stop to undo the chain.
Never Ever show a farm dog any attention by petting, stroking or throwing a ball. It will be the only attention its had for a while and will not leave you alone, often jumping up just after wandering through the cow shed.
If you are offered a brew, never refuse…you wont get asked a second time. But beware…some farms use their own unpasteurised milk, often “straight from the cow” and it’s an acquired taste. If offered I usually specify a black coffee, then put my own milk in!
I likke tippers ,have done waste work and tar for road building. Its easy work no need to chase your tail ,quarries wont let you out if over loaded . Its not like Hell Drivers nowadays.
alamcculloch:
I likke tippers ,have done waste work and tar for road building. Its easy work no need to chase your tail ,quarries wont let you out if over loaded . Its not like Hell Drivers nowadays.
You obviously haven’t seen Mgeorge boys then, or any other muckaway firm.
I did lots of tipper work many years ago, rigid and rolonoff and artics with anything from offal to grain to leather to steel scrap broken concrete and aggregate.
It’s better than being stuck at a bloody supermarket concentration camp any day of the week.
Like all things once you get used to it and take care its a safe job, i never had one go over or come near to (body pivot bearing and ram hinge wear is part of the reason they go over) , with a tailboard tip depending on consistency and stickiness of load you have to be ready to let the vehicle move forward as the load drops suddenly or the tailboard could get trapped, you can feel the load shifting and the vehicle wants to move anyway, you just control it…wet leather and not wet enough offal the fastest off once they get moving, if its a floor drop and you didn’t allow the vehicle to surge forward the tailboard could get ripped completely off.
Grain goes through the rear hatch.
Toowise , your farm advice made me laugh as it’s so true , so I have edited parts to this : Never ever show the farmers wife any attention as she wont be getting any action as the old man always has a bad back .
Don’t pet her or stroke her either or throw a ball .
The farmer is always at the market when a delivery is due , if he is there , he will say he had a bad year last year, didn’t make a penny as you clock two new Range Rovers and the kids go to private school .
The farm dogs have a more precise aim than an Exocet missile and will attack when you least expect it , for example hiding in between two large milk tanks inside the milking parlour , when bitten on the leg , the farmer will say Shep’s never done that before .
Why do they leave abandoned 30 year machinery in the long grass where you need to drive over to get in and out , watch out for overhead power lines , BT line and the electric fence line too .
The slurry smell never goes in the lorry cab , a pair of Wellies is ideal then hang them on the catwalk .Some farms let you stay overnight as it’s free security for them .
Ste46:
Many years ago, the company i worked for had a job running two loads of limestone a day from Buxton to a steelworks in South Wales on a Neville Dumptrailer, the boss did the night run and I did the days. One morning I arrived in the yard at 5.30, expecting him to roll in any minute from Buxton with my load. He rolled in - empty - just after 11! Seems he had reversed into the shed, not realising part of my load was still on the floor. He tipped up and moved forward as the stone slid out, suddenly coming to a dead stop. The tipper ram and fully raised body was hard up against the top of the door frame! He had to wait for the day shift to arrive to dig him out with an excavator!
Make sure you have got room in front of you before you start to tip!
Steve
I’ve been racking the few remaining braincells which place that would be . I can only think of Cardiff as I used to take care there , with a triaxle I could just tip with the body ending up very close to the door top . they were slow to tidy up with the shovel when you had tipped .
Can’t remember the name now, just before Swansea and long gone now.
Dave, woke up this morning and a light bulb lit up - it was Briton Ferry - at the very end of the Heads of the Valleys, a huge patch of derelict land when I was last down there!
Oh yes Ste , used to go there back in the 70s , crap place and crap tip . We had Atki 8 wheelers then and they were as difficult to tip in the shed , as you say , long gone now . If i remember right the access was under a low bridge . Dave
rigsby:
Oh yes Ste , used to go there back in the 70s , crap place and crap tip . We had Atki 8 wheelers then and they were as difficult to tip in the shed , as you say , long gone now . If i remember right the access was under a low bridge . Dave
We had a foundry like that we delivered to in the West Midlands Dave, could only get the body of even a short rigid six up two rams so had to get in the back and shovel the rest off and make sure you didn’t go out into the hopper with the stone! They only had ten tonnes at a time though so there were seven tonnes less than usual to shovel.
. I expect the adrenaline rush of such activity is prohibited now!