One of the benefits of driving dump trucks is that you’re always busy. You’re not just busy, you are doing a variety of jobs. Dump truck drivers don’t just drive from A to B all day. They are in and out of their trucks on a regular basis, especially when setting the hopper and dumping a load. Dump truck drivers are always home for dinner as well, and you don’t have to spend any time sleeping in your cab.

Dump trucks are a vital part of any construction team. When it comes to road building, a road simply wouldn’t be built if it wasn’t for the dump trucks bringing in the necessary materials, in particular the materials used to form a road base. At the same time, dump trucks are necessary in the removal of excess dirt and debris that is being cleared to make way for a road. Dump trucks are also necessary when it comes to general construction, particularly in the removal of unwanted material.

There are two main requirements to becoming a dump truck driver. The first is the training required to drive a dump truck, and the second is to acquire a commercial drivers license without which you cannot drive on an open road. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools can help you achieve both. In fact, you can be ready to work as a dump truck driver within weeks of commencing your training, and that includes completing the requirements for a commercial drivers license.

If you’re looking for an interesting and varied career, then dump truck driving could be for you. You’ll be home each night for dinner, and you’ll always be busy – the one thing you won’t be is bored.

What do you think a dump truck driver’s job entails? Most people consider dump truck driving to be a simple fill up at A and dump at B type job. In other words, fairly boring! There are times when this view is fairly accurate, however, dump truck drivers are often called on to do fairly complex tasks.

Dumping in itself can be fairly easy, if you are only going to dump a load in the one spot. When it comes to road building, for example, dump truck drivers are often required to dump their load, not in the one spot, but spread evenly along the new road’s surface. This takes some skill in both the operation of the dumping mechanism, the operation of the hopper door, and the speed of the dump truck itself. When all three come together well, an experienced dump truck driver can quickly empty his load evenly over 100-200 yards.

This skill takes quite a bit of practice, however, once mastered, becomes a valuable tool in any dump truck driver’s skill base. Dumping in the one place can also take a good deal of skill as well. Dump truck drivers don’t just dump a load on a flat or level surface. Dump truck drivers may be required to dump their loads into pits, large holes, or even over the edges of cliff-like areas. This takes skilled driving, especially in reverse, to place their vehicle in the right place to enable a safe discharge of their load. There are many stories of dump truck drivers who misjudged the edge, and either ended up in the pit, or dumping the load on the edge of the pit rather than in it.

Dump truck driving takes a lot of skill and patience. Learning to drive a dump truck is not the challenge, learning the fine skills is the real challenge, and that comes on the job with a lot of practice. We can deliver your dump truck driver training, and we can help you find your first job. From there, it’s a matter of getting as much experience as possible.

Dump truck drivers can generally find work all year round. In from spring through to fall there’s a lot of construction work across the country whilst in winter northern drivers are employed in a range of activities including snow and ice control (carting salt, for example). In the south, construction continues through winter, there’s hardly any let up at all. Some dump truck drivers have the best of both worlds – they spend their summer months in the milder northern regions and their winter months further south.

There is a shortage of truck drivers in general across the country, and that included dump truck driving. One of the disadvantages to sticking with just the one truck type is the competition, especially in winter. Some truck drivers opt for dump trucks because the work is local and they are able to spend more time with their families. Having said that, if you build up a good reputation as a dump truck driver, you’ll always be in work.

Driving a dump truck takes a different set of skills compared to most other trucks. The vehicle you’re driving tends to be shorter than most trucks, however, it can carry a lot of weight for its size. A dump truck driver will also need to learn dumping skills, and these can sometimes be quite tricky and require precision.

You can learn to become a dump truck driver in just a few weeks. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools have a proud truck driver training record that goes back 50 years. To survive this long, we have had to deliver truck driver training to industry standards. This means our graduates are ready to start work the moment they acquire their commercial drivers license.

When most people think of heavy equipment, they think about the typical machines seen at a normal construction site. Some of these items might include cranes, bulldozers and backhoes, but there are some pieces of heavy equipment most people will never have the opportunity to see. One of these monster machines is the Rock Truck. These monstrosities are used on large construction sites, in mining operations and on other work sites that require the transport of a lot of material or very large materials. Here is a video of a rock truck in action:

Much like a dump truck, the rock truck is used in moving around dirt or rocks and to dump the load in a particular area. The main difference between a normal dump truck and a rock truck is their size. The rock truck is manufactured to carry usually between 100 and 300 tons of material. These mammoth vehicles are used extensively off the road because their enormous weight would damage the roads as they passed over them. This actually results in another issue: How are these humongous trucks transported? The answer to that question would be that they actually need to be disassembled into manageable pieces to be moved off the site to ensure no damage is done to the roads.

Due to the size and power of these monster trucks, additional training and certification needs to be performed prior to a heavy equipment operator being able to drive a rock truck. This training will include classroom work as well as behind the wheel hands on training. The heavy equipment operator will need to prove he can handle the rock truck on rough terrain. This rock truck training can truly add another dimension to any heavy equipment operator’s resume.

There are some in the community who consider dump truck driving to be less skillful than most other truck driving jobs. There’s no doubt that dump truck driving requires slightly different skills, but those skills are important and make dump truck driving just as skillful as any other truck driving job.

To a certain extent, dump truck drivers have a greater responsibility. They do a lot of their driving in and around towns and cities. Their loads are constantly changing and it’s the driver’s role to ensure that none of that load ever lands on the road, or on other vehicles. Considering how many miles a dump truck driver has to do each day, making tight turns, and constantly stopping depending on traffic flow and traffic lights, ensuring that no part of their load causes any problems is a demanding skill in itself.

A dump truck driver also needs to learn how to operate the dumper, the most important part of a dump truck’s existence. In many situations, operating the dumper is easy – just reverse up to where you want the load dumped, and switch the dumping action on. In other situations, the process is made a little harder as the truck needs to be moving to gradually spread the load as it is dumping – that is another skill that most truck drivers never acquire – unless they want to become dump truck drivers.

Dump truck drivers require training like any other truck driver. To drive on open roads, they generally also require a commercial drivers license. Dump truck drivers are not second rate truck drivers. They are first rate truck drivers that require special skills to successfully operate their vehicle – but then, so too does a big rig driver, a tanker driver, or any other form of truck driver. Interested in becoming a dump truck driver? Contact us for more information on dump truck driver training.

Dump trucks are an essential part of a construction team as they work to either bring in construction materials or to cart away unwanted material. The one thing that most dump trucks rely on is another piece of heavy equipment to fill their dumpers. In some cases, there are silos that can be used to fill dumper with sand, soil, or gravel that is required on a construction project.

When it comes to removing unwanted material from a site, dump trucks have to rely on the speed, skill, and accuracy of loader operators and backhoe operators to fill their dumpers. Most teams develop a communication system that even tells a dump truck driver when their dumper is full and ready to be driven away. It’s an interesting process to watch from a distance – a little like ants running around slowly filling that dumper.

Dump truck drivers that drive their vehicles on public roads will generally require a commercial drivers license (CDL) before they can be employed. Leaning to drive a dump truck can be completed in a few short weeks. With the current state of our construction industry, employment opportunities are opening up every day – and the demand is set to rise as spring turns to summer.

Is the job of a dump truck driver boring? Never. Driving on the open road is challenging these days, especially with a fully-laden dump truck. The work is varied with operators often required to spread their load rather than just dumping and running. Spreading takes considerable skill as the dumper’s gate is only opened enough to let a steady stream of material escape. The dump truck driver needs to drive at the right speed while raising the dumper to allow a smooth and even flow of material over the surface. If you are ever near a road building project, watch the dump trucks as they spread gravel along a stretch of newly forming road. With those skills, it’s never boring!

Wherever you find natural disasters occurring, there is bound to be a huge clean-up to follow. Whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, or floods as we have seen in Brazil and Australia, the debris that’s left behind always needs to be carted away. That’s where dump trucks come into their own.

Dump trucks have a couple of features that make them ideal for use in these situations. They have deep dumpers that can hold a lot of material. They are, for their size, pretty nimble when it comes to maneuvering in awkward situations. More importantly, they can cart the debris away, and very quickly empty their load without the need for any more equipment. Just like a child’s dumper, the operator hits a lever and the dumper rises emptying the contents in a matter of minutes.

With dump trucks able to quickly take load after load away from any site – or bring material in when it comes to new construction, dump trucks and experienced operators are always in demand. Learning to operate a dump truck is not as difficult as it may seem. Training basically boils down to learning how to drive a truck well enough to pass the assessment for a commercial drivers license. While learning, you will gain experience in using the dumper component and how to maneuver your vehicle for quick and easy filling.

If you are considering a career as a dump truck driver, then you will need to find a training program that will help you to gain your CDL with ease. ATS has been training truck drivers for almost half a century – that’s a lot of experience and a lot of truck drivers plying their trade today. Employers have come to respect the training offered by ATS, giving graduates a distinct advantage when applying for vacancies. The truck driver training program offered by ATS can be completed in as little as three weeks – this means you could be working as a truck driver within a month of starting your training. Who knows? You may be called upon to help clean up after a natural disaster.

Something must be afoot because every where I look I see dump trucks. They must be the busiest trucks in work as they scurry around taking their loads to wherever needed. There is so much in the way of road building and general construction going on at present that dump trucks don’t get a moments break. I know in some areas they are being worked 24 hours a day every day of the week (except perhaps Sundays).

Dump trucks are fairly versatile – think of any loose material such as sand, gravel, sawdust and rock and they can transport. The term dump truck is apt since, on arrival at their destination, they simply need to raise their dumper to empty the contents. However, don’t think of a dump truck driver’s job as lacking in skills; it’s far from it. While driving from point A to point B is a fairly straightforward truck driving job, dumping the load at the other end can be quite tricky.

Drivers may be required to back up close to the edge of a pit, or to drive their vehicle while slowly tipping the contents across a desired stretch of ground – think a stretch of road that needs gravel spread evenly along its length. To operate a dump truck you require a commercial drivers license. You will need to complete testing by your local truck licensing authority – this includes a driving test to assess your skills. The best way to achieve a successful driving test is to undertake truck driver training through a recognized truck driver training organization.

ATS Truck Driver Training Schools have almost fifty years experience training the nation’s truck drivers. Whether it’s a big rig or a humble water truck, we have the experience and the expertise to produce quality drivers not only ready to pass their driving tests, but ready to tackle the world as professional truck drivers.

Dump trucks come in all shapes and sizes and are generally found around construction sites. When thinking about a dump truck, the image generated is generally of a large vehicle with a deep tray on the back that can be tipped to empty the load. The tipping action gives rise to the use of the word ‘dump’ in the truck’s name. However, they are not the only vehicles used – there is one vehicle that is very important in construction, especially when it comes to road building, and that is the water truck.

Water trucks, while different in shape and size to dump trucks, are no different when it comes to operating skills. Dump truck drivers need to learn how to ‘dump on the go’ – this is the process of tipping back the tray then driving down the road as the contents are spread behind them. Water trucks, whilst not tipping, are required to operate at a steady pace as they ‘water’ the road. Why water the road?

There are several reasons why water is used on new road constructions – or general construction for that matter. One is very simple – dust control. Wet ground does not kick up dust. The second use of water, particularly in road construction, is the damping, holding and lubricating effect it has on certain soils. By wetting the area before running a heavy roller over it, the soil compacts better thus providing for much harder and more stable surface to lay the finishing surface too.

Because the skills used to operate a water truck are similar to those used by dump trucks, experienced drivers can often move between the two vehicles. You will need a commercial drivers license to operate either vehicle and this will require training. Dump truck driver training covers both vehicles and should prepare students for their commercial drivers license tests. Look for a truck driver training program that includes plenty of hands on driving experience, especially in areas such as reversing and driving in traffic. Dump trucks may be the backbone of most construction sites, but water trucks ensure they are as dust free as possible.

If there is one career that will continue on for decades it is that of the garbage truck driver. These drivers operate what is essentially a modern day version of a dump truck. The major differences being that it is a semi-sealed unit, can compact the contents, and has special arms to raise and lower trash bins. What they do have in common with a standard dump truck is the need for a commercial drivers license (CDL).

Now here’s a question. Do you know how long it takes to train to become a truck driver? To gain your commercial drivers license you need to pass both a theoretical and practical test. When it comes to the theoretical side, that is learning the road rules associated with truck driving. Do you have a good memory? The practical test is a piece of cake if you have had the right training. ATS Truck Driver Schools can have you trained, with road experience, and ready for your CDL test in as little as three weeks.

That means you could be working as a truck driver a month after starting your truck driver training course. That’s a good turn around, especially when compared to most other careers. Truck drivers are always in demand. Let’s face it, no matter how bad the economy is, we still need to eat and we still manage to dispose of a lot of trash. That means truck drivers are involved in both the supply and removal of our daily needs.

If you’re considering a career change and truck driving is one of your career options, contact ATS Truck Driver Training Schools for more information. We have several campuses around the nation with training programs commencing at regular intervals. You can also find more information on our website.