A dump truck is a large-wheeled truck, although they do vary in size, designed to transport and unload loose material in the volume. While they are capable of carrying a variety of substances, on-site, they mostly transport sand, gravel, soil, and waste, such as the rubble resulting from demolition.

The dump truck is easily identified through its unique feature, an open box rear bed that has a hydraulic system that allows the front of the bed to be raised, causing the load to slide out of the rear, dumping it at the desired location, and that is where the name comes from.

Operators of dump trucks can have varied jobs, enough that every day is different, and dump trucks are used in so many situations, from site work to disaster clearance, mining transport to demolition removals and so many more. In each of these situations, the dump truck is performing similar tasks, but environments and approaches can be different, with new challenges for drivers in each.

Dump Truck Drivers

For drivers, it’s all about the rules and processes on-site, because safety is the most important aspect of any operation, but especially for trucks that are operating on sites where other contractors or workers are nearby and a potential hazard. This is important in all situations, but on construction sites where there are workers also on foot, then safe operating procedures become even more important than ever.

From routes taken to speed, everything matters when it comes to safety on site, and any training for dump truck work is always focused on the safety aspects of the job. However, safety rules aside, the usual task for a dump truck, whether on a construction site, at a mine, or anywhere else, is to pick up material, transport it to a new location, and deposit it. This often requires precision driving, as sites often have restricted space, and dump trucks are generally large vehicles.

Some dump trucks are designed for one specific situation, and a good example of this would be the Haul Truck, used in the mining industry. These massive trucks are some of the largest rigid framed trucks ever made and are built to drive the flat, wide gradients of modern mines, removing material in huge volumes.

Driving these vehicles places you in charge of hundreds of tons of machine and material, and the experience is one many drivers fall in love with. While the repetition of load/unloading journeys may seem like a dull job, nothing could be farther from the truth with dump truck drivers. The skill, concentration, and dedication required to make it a rewarding, enjoyable career, one that pays well and is in much demand all over the country.

Dump trucks are the driving force behind any site, moving material to provide the environment that allows the project to be completed. It may not be the most glamorous machine you see on a site, but it’s arguably the most important.

If you’re looking for dump truck drivers or dump truck driver jobs, there are plenty of them to go around. So where can you go to get hired to drive a dump truck? Here are five employers you should be able to find in your town.

1. Construction Companies – Every construction company needs at least one qualified dump truck driver. When they excavate a location for a building, there will be an inevitable need for someone to take the excavated dirt and move it to a new area on the work site or off the work site altogether.
2. Municipalities – Local city and county governments often need dump truck drivers for a variety of tasks. They haul dirt, rocks, asphalt, and a number of other materials from one location to another all day long.
3. Paving/Seal Coating Companies – Paving companies not only work for cities and counties, but they work for commercial construction companies and private homeowners. They’ll often carry the material that is used to build parking lots and pave driveways. Seal coating companies patch driveways and parking lots. You’ll always be employed in this profession.
4. Quarries – Dump truck drivers at quarries carry rocks, limestone, dirt, sediment, and a handful of other materials. Substances are often delivered to a dump site to be carried off as refuse, but you’ll often find yourself doing other types of interesting work, too.
5. Truck Rental Companies – Many truck rental companies will not only rent the truck but the driver, too. If you want a more interesting job where you’ll be hauling different materials every day, try a truck rental company.

Interested in being a dump truck driver? Get your training today.

If you can drive a dump truck, there is winter work available right now for those skilled drivers. This is because a dump truck chassis is the base of many winter service vehicles, so the ability to operate the truck through all the variables of the job is a valued ability indeed. Since there is a lot of load shifting and the truck is generally pretty heavy, it takes skill to do the precise maneuvers necessary in snow removal.

Dump truck drivers aren’t just taking a load from one point to the next, that load is literally dumped by tipping the truck bed and that changes the center of gravity. You could be doing some spreading of the load, too — gradually losing a little bit of your pile of salt or grit by using an attached tool to spin it out or by opening the bottom of your gate as you tip the bed. Either way, it takes skill.

“Only Skilled Drivers Need Apply”

Most of the ads and signage you’ll see telling the public that CDL drivers are needed will say that “only skilled drivers need to apply.” What that means is they don’t want to mess around training somebody to do the job because they want the work done immediately.

Where do dump truck drivers get those skills? at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School. You can learn to be a dump truck driver in just a few weeks, and your training will include more than just driving a dump truck. The skills you get at ATS enable you to get a job as soon as you graduate because employers know and respect our reputation.

If there’s a big pile of something to be moved out of the way, chances are pretty good that some type of dump truck will be used to do the job. These big trucks are great for hauling loads of things that are able to be tipped out and dumped someplace else. The advantage of a dump truck is you can fill it up with smaller scoops but dump it in one operation.

There are many styles of dump trucks, and it isn’t always called a dump truck. The mining industry uses the term “haul truck”, for instance, but the basic idea is the same. The ways the load can be dumped vary, too, depending on the style of truck. But whatever you call it, and however the load is dumped, the operator needs the appropriate license in order to meet industry standards.

In most cases, that license is a CDL with specific additional certifications or training as needed for the job being done.

Where To Look For Dump Truck Jobs

If you are hoping to drive a dump truck and have the appropriate training with your Class-A CDL, the first place to start looking is the Employment Assistance Services if you are an ATS student or graduate. There’s lifetime job placement help here. But there’s also a lot of dump truck jobs around you if you look carefully.

Anyplace that is generating a big pile of stuff will need to move it out of the way, right? That could be landscapers, construction companies, mining or quarry operations, even the garbage service. After all, a garbage truck is essentially a highly specialized dump truck that collects smaller amounts until it’s full and then unloads it in one operation at the dump.

As long as people generate mountains of stuff, we are going to need some kind of dump truck to deal with it efficiently.

Were you the kid who loved to play in the dirt or the sandbox? If you were, you probably had a toy dump truck that you used to haul piles of stuff from one end of your space in the dump it in another spot. It was fun to fill up the truck and then watch the whole load tip and dump where you wanted it to. Would you like to drive a dump truck now?

That childhood activity is the reason some people decide they want to be a dump truck driver. And you know what? They still think it is fun to get the truck full and take the whole load over to where they can tip up the bed and dump it where it needs to go. There are some special skills to learn before you can be a dump truck driver, but being interested in the activity makes that training the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

Dump truck drivers need their CDL because the trucks usually go over public roads. They should know how to operate the big trucks accurately, and be acquainted with the safety measures involved. A good dump truck driver can generally be found on the job year-round because they are usually the last piece of machinery that comes to a stop.

When you get your Class A Commercial Drivers License (CDL) at ATS, you learn how to transport heavy equipment and drive tankers as well as becoming proficient in dump truck operations. You will get trained on safely hauling many materials and be able to work in any industry.

Driving your dump truck is one of the greatest pleasures of the construction work site. These guys carry heavy loads short distances, and without them, the work site’s efficiency would plummet through the ground.

If you’ve ever driven a standard transmission vehicle, then you already understand one of the most important things about dump trucks.

You have a clutch.

Something else that is important to remember about dump trucks is that you need to keep the bed lowered while driving – even if you aren’t carrying a load. The bed has a lip that hangs over the cab. When it is raised, the lip could get caught on low hanging wires or short clearances. The last thing in the world you want while driving a dump truck is an accident.

In the cab, there is a lever next to the gear shift that locks the bed. A button on the dash raises and lowers the bed. You’ll have to get well practiced in using it. Excellent dump truck drivers can move the vehicle and dump a load at the same time to keep the load smooth and even, relatively speaking.

Driving a dump truck isn’t difficult, but you do need to be trained by a safety-conscious guide with experience.

A Dump truck is a big machine, they carry heavy loads, and they can be dangerous if operated unsafely. Safe dump truck drivers are a huge asset to any construction site. They increase revenues and decrease accidents, which means they also decrease expenses. That’s why it is important to learn how to operate them safely.

If you want to learn how to be a safe dump truck driver, then we recommend the ATS heavy equipment course.

But let’s do a quick overview of what it means to be a safe dump truck driver.

A safe dump truck driver is one who

• Is aware of the foot traffic in the area of operation and is diligent to avoid it
• Inspects the dump truck before using it
• Inspects the ground where the dump truck will be operated to ensure that it is stable enough to handle the weight of the truck while fully loaded
• Creates a marker for dump truck operations
• While working at night, ensure there is plenty of lighting and enough crew members to help you maneuver around the construction site safely

Dump truck safety – in fact, construction site safety in general – is very important, for drivers and operators as well as employers. So, make sure you understand how to operate a dump truck safely. Your career will reward you.

There was a time when boys grew up playing with trucks and girls grew up playing with dolls. These days, boys and girls play with trucks (and probably dolls) and for some, it’s hard to take that child out of them when they grow up. You can find men and women working together as dump truck drivers on a lot of construction sites, and to watch them, you’d think they were still in their childhood.

So what makes dump truck driving popular? Apart from childhood memories, dump trucks offer a lot. The money is good and the work is regular. In fact, dump trucks are often the last piece of machinery to come to a stop due to weather or the completion of a project. Regular work means regular income, and that’s a must for those who take the owner-driver route.

Dump truck driving involves both team work and individual work. As a team, you need to work with heavy equipment operators so they can fill your dumper quickly and efficiently. In other situations, you will need to work with a team when dumping material, especially when bringing in material used for projects such as roads.

As an individual, you are the master of your vehicle, often buzzing around the place, loading here, unloading there – it’s never a dull moment. There are special skills involved with dump truck driving, team work being one of them, and driving another. You will also need to learn how to use the dumping mechanism, especially when it comes to slow dumping of material over a distance.

Since dump trucks are generally required to drive on public roads, a commercial drivers license will be needed before you can seek employment. We offer professional dump truck driver training along with a career service that can help you find your first job.

Being a dump truck driver can be quite challenging since the job itself involves more than just driving. There are many that consider dump truck driving to be easy, and it can be at times. If you are simply transporting material from A to B and dumping it in one spot, it’s just a truck driving job.

Dump truck drivers generally do far more than that. On construction sites, and more so on road building projects, dump truck drivers don’t just dump their load. Their role is to spread the material in their dumper, and they do this by opening the hopper slightly – the size of opening depending very much on the material being spread and how much is required. The dumper is then slowly raised as the driver moves across the area when the material is required. This becomes a real test of skill for dump truck drivers since the construction team are relying on his/her accuracy in spreading that material.

It takes a lot of practice to learn how different materials react to this spreading process. Sand will obviously move out a lot faster than gravel. The driver will also need to ensure the dump tray is being raised at the right speed. Too slow and the material won’t flow as required, and too fast will see too much of the material being laid.

Our truck driver training program gives you the opportunity to learn all about dump trucks and how to operate them effectively. You’ll get plenty of time behind the wheel to practice your truck driving skills, and you’ll get plenty of time to practice operating the dumping mechanism. If you’re looking for a truck driving job that involves more than just driving, consider a career as a dump truck driver.

Dump truck drivers often work long hours. For some drivers, it’s a dawn-to-dusk job. For most, it’s an early start and an early finish. Some dump truck drivers are home in time to greet the kids from school – mind you, they have probably left for work in the morning before the kids have woken up.

Kids gain an appreciation for dump trucks and heavy equipment from a young age. Particularly boys, who have sand pits (although these days girls enjoy these toys too). Whilst most children drift away from these toys as they grow up, you’ll be surprised at how often the site of a dump truck tugs on those memories. If you loved playing with those toys as a kid, you probably still have periods where you wonder what it would be like to drive a real dump truck.

You needn’t wonder. You can become a dump truck driver in a matter of weeks. All that is required is the desire and the time to attend to a dump truck driver training course. Once you have the skills and the necessary commercial drivers license, you’ll be ready to start work.

When it comes to truck driving, dump trucks require special skills. Sure, you’ll spend most of your working life driving from A to B, however, it’s what you do when you reach your destination that seperates dump truck drivers from other truck drivers. Dump truck drivers need to know how to use the dumping mechanism – often whilst driving, for example, when spreading gravel over a new road. It takes a lot of skill and knowledge of both your truck and the material you are spreading.

If you’re interested in truck driving but want a job that has you home in time for dinner each night, consider a career as a dump truck driver.