Heavy-duty 18-wheelers are great, but they are not the only thing Sharp Financial Services finances. Another popular vehicle to finance is the dump truck. We get asked a lot of questions about financing a dump truck, so we created this article to help answer questions before they arise.

• How Long Can You Finance a Dump Truck?
• How Do You Finance a Dump Truck?
• How Much Does it Cost to Lease a Dump Truck?
• How Do I Start a Dump Truck Business?
• Is the Dump Truck Business Profitable?
• How Much is Insurance for a Dump Truck?
• How Much Does a Dump Truck Charge Per Hour?
• What is a Dump Truck
• Types of Dump Trucks

How Long Can You Finance a Dump Truck?

Dump truck financing duration varies on many factors, including credit score, the value of the dump truck, down payment, interest rate, and more. The longest case scenario would be a financing arrangement that lasts the entire dump truck’s useful life, but since that is hard to estimate, wanting to pay for longer than 60 months you would most likely want to obtain a lease instead.

How Do You Finance a Dump Truck?

To finance a dump truck, you would need to get into contact with a financing company that specializes in the field. Fortunately for you, Sharp Financial Services has relationships with over 25 different funding sources to make sure that you get the best terms possible for what you want.

First, we do a soft credit pull so we can determine your creditworthiness with no harm to your credit score, then we propose terms with our lenders and work to get you the dump truck you need for your business!

Get Approved for up to $250K Within 24 Hours

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How Much Does it Cost to Lease a Dump Truck?

Leasing generally works as a pay-as-you-go plan, meaning that the more the dump truck depreciates from use, the more you pay. Ways to lower the cost of leasing include:

• Leasing an older vehicle – With less to depreciate, the costs of using an older vehicle tend to be less, although an older vehicle tends to be less reliable than a new counterpart and may lack some newer bells and whistles like satellite radio.
• Be responsible for repairs – A lease contract that says the lessor is responsible for maintenance will charge more for leasing than one that says you are responsible. This can be a risky decision, though, as a catastrophic repair may run more than the cost of the more expensive lease, and you would be contractually obligated to repair it.
• Buy out the lease – Some lease contracts allow the lessee to purchase the asset if they want to keep it, either after or during the contract. By purchasing the asset outright after giving it a “test drive”, you can keep the dump truck for as long as it runs.

In conclusion, there is no straight answer to the cost of leasing a dump truck. Do your research and understand the terms of your contract before signing anything.

How Do I Start a Dump Truck Business?

In order to start a business in running a dump truck, you need to fulfill all the paperwork to establish a business, plus extra for the specific business. Depending on the state in which your business exists, you may need:

• A standard business license. Depending on the business type, this is either paid annually or every few years. A sole proprietorship is the cheapest and quickest to establish.

• A fictitious business name license. If your business has your name in it (“Stevenson‘s Gravel Hauling”), you do not need to pay for a fictitious business name license. For the ability to name your business whatever you want (“Gravity Gravel” or “#1 Topsoil”), prepare to pay a little extra.

• Sales tax ID. For each state you operate in, you will need to collect and pay sales tax at regular intervals, which could be annually, quarterly, or monthly depending on how much revenue your company makes. Even if you operate solely in the state for your business, you will need to establish a sales tax ID with the state. Some states charge no sales tax.

Beyond these, every driver of a dump truck is required to have a Class B commercial license. This does not need to be the owner of the business necessarily, but the owner would not be able to operate the dump truck himself, which can prove to be an obstacle to business growth.

Finally, as an additional option, you can get the required endorsements to haul more dangerous materials, such as radioactively contaminated soil requiring a Class 7 endorsement. To learn more about hazardous materials and their endorsements, DMV.org is a helpful website. Note that DMV.org is a privately-owned website of information and is not owned by any state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. For specifics, contact your state’s own DMV.

Is the Dump Truck Business Profitable?

With construction always happening in the United States, there will always be a demand for raw material delivery such as stone, dirt, and sand. It is up to you to set your rates for pickup and delivery, cost-effectively fulfill the job, and succeed. With a $19 billion market size that is expected to consistently grow around 2% each year, there is never a shortage of customers.

How Much is Insurance for a Dump Truck?

The cost of insurance on a dump truck depends on many factors such as the experience of the driver, the location where the dump truck operates, the value of the dump truck, and the amount of liability coverage. Usually, a dump truck company will want at least $1,000,000 worth of liability coverage, but some smaller businesses can get by with $500,000.

Have you considered worker’s compensation insurance if you have employees? There is more than one type of insurance your business may need! To learn more about the different types of commercial truck insurance, check out our article.

There is no silver bullet insurance solution. The only way to get a quote for your specific scenario is to contact an insurer and provide them with the details necessary for a quote.

How Much Does a Dump Truck Charge Per Hour?

Again, that depends on a variety of factors. This time the answer is dependent on factors such as the location of the business transaction, the material being transported, and the number of materials. The only way to know for sure is to call a local dump truck service and ask them about details, where they will offer you a bid.

What is a Dump Truck?

A dump truck, also known as a dumper truck or tipper truck, is used for taking dumps such as sand, gravel, or demolition waste for construction. A typical dump truck is equipped with an open-box bed, which is hinged at the rear and equipped with hydraulic rams to lift the front, allowing the material in the bed to be deposited (“dumped”) on the ground behind the truck at the site of delivery. 

This article will go over the different types of dump trucks, dump truck brands, how to buy a dump truck, and how to finance a dump truck.

Types of Dump Trucks

There are several types of dump trucks for pretty much any application you can think of. Below is a breakdown of the different types of dump trucks.

STANDARD DUMP TRUCK

A standard dump truck is a truck chassis with a dump body mounted to the frame. The bed is raised by a vertical hydraulic ram mounted under the front of the body or a horizontal hydraulic ram and lever arrangement between the frame rails, and the back of the bed is hinged at the back of the truck. 

The tailgate can be configured to swing up on top hinges (and sometimes also to fold down on lower hinges) or it can be configured in the “High Lift Tailgate” format wherein pneumatic rams lift the gate open and up above the dump body.

SEMI-TRAILER END DUMP TRUCK

A semi end dump is a tractor-trailer combination wherein the trailer itself contains the hydraulic hoist. In the US a typical semi end dump has a 3-axle tractor pulling a 2-axle trailer with dual tires. 

The key advantage of a semi end dump is a large payload. A key disadvantage is that they are very unstable when raised in the dumping position limiting their use in many applications where the dumping location is uneven or off level.

TRANSFER DUMP TRUCK

A transfer dump truck is a standard dump truck pulling a separate trailer with a movable cargo container, which can also be loaded with construction aggregate, gravel, sand, asphalt, klinkers, snow, wood chips, triple mix, etc.

The second aggregate container on the trailer (“B” box) is powered by an electric motor, a pneumatic motor, or a hydraulic line. It rolls on small wheels, riding on rails from the trailer’s frame into the empty main dump container (“A” box). This maximizes payload capacity without sacrificing the maneuverability of the standard dump truck. Transfer dump trucks are typically seen in the western United States due to the peculiar weight restrictions on highways there.

TRUCK AND PUP

A truck and pup are very similar to a transfer dump. It consists of a standard dump truck pulling a dump trailer. The pup trailer, unlike the transfer, has its own hydraulic ram and is capable of self-unloading.

SUPER DUMP TRUCK

A super dump is a straight dump truck equipped with a trailing axle, a liftable, load-bearing axle rated as high as 13,000 pounds. Trailing 11 to 13 feet behind the rear tandem, the trailing axle stretches the outer “bridge” measurement, the distance between the first and last axles, to the maximum overall length allowed. 

This increases the gross weight allowed under the federal bridge formula, which sets standards for truck size and weight. Depending on the vehicle length and axle configuration, Superdumps can be rated as high as 80,000 pounds. GVW and carry 26 short tons of payload or more. 

When the truck is empty or ready to offload, the trailing axle toggles up off the road surface on two hydraulic arms to clear the rear of the vehicle.

SEMI-TRAILER BOTTOM DUMP TRUCK

A semi bottom dump or belly dump is a 3-axle tractor pulling a 2-axle trailer with a clamshell-type dump gate in the belly of the trailer. 

The key advantage of a semi bottom dump is its ability to lay material in windrows, a linear heap. In addition, a semi bottom dump is maneuverable in reverse, unlike the double and triple trailer configurations described below. 

These trailers may be found either of the windrows type shown in the photo or maybe of the cross spread type, with the gate opening front to rear instead of left and right. The cross spread type gate will actually spread the cereal grains fairly and evenly from the width of the trailer. 

By comparison, the windrow type gate leaves a pile in the middle. The cross spread type gate, on the other hand, tends to jam and may not work very well with coarse materials.

DOUBLE & TRIPLE TRAILER BOTTOM DUMP TRUCK

Double and triple bottom dumps consist of a 2-axle tractor pulling one single-axle semi-trailer and an additional full trailer (or two full trailers in the case of triples). These dump trucks allow the driver to lay material in windrows without leaving the cab or stopping the truck. 

The main disadvantage is the difficulty in backing double and triple units.

SIDE DUMP TRUCK

A side dump truck also known as an SDT consists of a 3-axle tractor pulling a 2-axle semi-trailer. It has hydraulic rams that tilt the dump body onto its side, spilling the material to either the left or right side of the trailer. The key advantages of the side dump are that it allows rapid unloading and can carry more weight. 

Besides, it is almost immune to upset or tipping over while dumping, unlike the semi end dumps which are very prone to tipping over. It is, however, highly likely that a side dump trailer will tip over if dumping is stopped prematurely. 

Also, when dumping loose materials or cobble sized stone, the side dump can become stuck if the pile becomes wide enough to cover too much of the trailer’s wheels. 

Trailers that dump at the appropriate angle, 50° for example, avoid the problem of the dumped load fouling the path of the trailer wheels by dumping their loads further to the side of the truck, in some cases leaving sufficient clearance to walk between the dumped load and the trailer.

WINTER SERVICE VEHICLES

Many winter service vehicles are based on dump trucks, to allow the placement of ballast to weigh the truck down or to hold sodium or calcium chloride salts for spreading on snow and ice-covered surfaces. Plowing is a severe service and needs heavy-duty trucks.

ROLL-OFF TRUCKS

A Roll-off has a hoist and subframe, but nobody, it carries removable containers. The container is loaded onto the ground, then pulled onto the back of the truck with a winch and cable. The truck goes to the dumpsite after it has been dumped the empty container is taken and placed to be loaded or stored. 

The hoist is raised and the container slides down the subframe so the rear is on the ground. The container has rollers on the rear and can be moved forward or back until the front of it is lowered onto the ground. 

The containers are usually open-topped boxes used for rubble and building debris, but rubbish compactor containers are also carried. A newer hook-lift system does the same job, but lifts/lower and dumps the container with a boom arrangement instead of a cable and hoist.

OFF-HIGHWAY DUMP TRUCKS

Off-highway dump trucks are heavy construction equipment and share little resemblance to highway dump trucks. Bigger off-highway dump trucks are used strictly off-road for mining and heavy dirt hauling jobs. 

There are two primary forms: a rigid frame and an articulating frame. The term “dump” truck is not generally used by the mining industry, or by the manufacturers that build these machines. The more appropriate U.S. term for this strictly off-road vehicle is “haul truck”.

HAUL TRUCK

Haul trucks are used in large surface mines and quarries. They have a rigid frame and conventional steering with the drive at the rear wheel. As of late 2013, the largest ever production haul truck is the 450 metric ton BelAZ 75710, followed by the Liebherr T 282B, the Bucyrus MT6300AC, and the Caterpillar 797F, which each have payload capacities of up to 400 short tons. 

Most large size haul trucks employ Diesel-electric powertrains, using the Diesel engine to drive an AC alternator or DC generator that sends electric power to electric motors at each rear wheel. The Caterpillar 797 is unique for its size, as it employs a Diesel engine to power a mechanical powertrain, typical of most road-going vehicles and intermediary size haul trucks. 

Other major manufacturers of haul trucks include SANY, XCMG, Hitachi, Komatsu, DAC, Terex, and BelAZ.

ARTICULATED HAULER

An articulated dumper is an all-wheel-drive, off-road dump truck. It has a hinge between the cab and the dump box but is distinct from a semi-trailer truck in that the power unit is a permanent fixture, not a separable vehicle. 

Steering is accomplished via hydraulic cylinders that pivot the entire tractor concerning the trailer, rather than a rack and pinion steering on the front axle as in a conventional dump truck. 

By this way of steering, the trailer’s wheels follow the same path as the front wheels. Together with all-wheel drive and a low center of gravity, it is highly adaptable to rough terrain. Major manufacturers include Volvo CE, Terex, John Deere, and Caterpillar.

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