Tips for Maintaining Your Dump Truck
When it comes to working in the construction industry, it’s no secret that project success is directly linked to the involved workers’ skills. However, there’s another factor to consider as well when looking to improve job completion rate—their equipment. The machinery and materials used on a job site are key to the finished product’s speed and quality. As such, it’s the job of a qualified construction worker to not only know how to use these things but to take proper care of them as well. Use these tips for maintaining your dump truck to ensure each job goes off without a hitch.
Give it a Regular Power Wash
Dump trucks tote around many different materials. From gravel and dirt to steel shards and hot asphalt, these things are essential to construction jobs, yet they leave the vehicle a little worse for wear after delivery. If left alone, traces of these materials can build up along the truck’s surfaces and affect how the machine operates. Because of this, dump truck operators often give their truck a power wash after a certain number of jobs.
Install a Dump Truck Bed Liner
Additionally, depending on the materials that the dump truck is transporting, it could also sustain heavy damage that can shorten the equipment’s lifespan. Scrapes, gouges, and even puncture marks are common when moving sharp steel items, and all of them can make it much more difficult to transport other materials in the future. So, to keep these damages from occurring, it’s recommended that dump truck drivers get professional-grade dump truck bed liners installed in their vehicles. These protective surfaces prevent the materials from coming into direct contact with the truck bed, making them easier to dump and less likely to cause damage while doing so.
Operate the Truck With Safety in Mind
Another important tip for maintaining your dump truck is to be conscious of how you’re using your truck. On a busy day, it’s easy for a driver to pull over on the first patch of land they see and make the drop-off. However, trying to dump materials on uneven ground can lead to more harm than good if you aren’t careful. Dump trucks are designed to tilt upwards at a series of different angles to accommodate the load they’re carrying. Unfortunately, though, the higher the truck lifts, the more unstable it becomes. Should a truck lose its center of balance, it can result in serious damages or even tip over. As such, part of caring for your tuck is knowing when it’s safe to operate it and when it isn’t.
