Flatbed dump truck?

oakiemac · January 17, 2005, 07:57:19 PM

I need a flatbed truck. I was thinking of getting a flatbed dump that way I could load logs or lumber onto truck then deliver load to other end without necesarily having a loader there. I could simply dump the lumber or logs.
Anyone doing this out there? Any draw backs to this?
I would like to find a truck just under the CDL requirements which I beleive is 26000 GVW.
Another option would be a dump trailer but then I would have to get a big truck to pull it.

dutchman · January 17, 2005, 08:15:14 PM

I've hauled in a 4x4 one ton dump when logs were loaded by crane or excavator.
The height of the bed when loading is the biggest problem.

Woodcarver · January 17, 2005, 08:53:12 PM

I hauled logs with my dad when I was a teenager. The truck we hauled with was a 2 1/2 ton flatbed dump.

We loaded white oak logs cross-wise on the truck. The logs were cut to be milled into railroad ties and were about 8' 6" longs, so we were stretching the 8' legal limit. We were never ticketed, though. The dump made quick work of unloading.

beenthere · January 17, 2005, 09:07:29 PM

Woodcarver
In the 60's we cross-hauled 8' 6" logs on a 2½ T flat bed (49 Ford flat v-8 ) and I believe because we were hauling wood products, they could exceed the legal 8' limit at that time, but the ends needed to be lined up pretty good.
We loaded using a frame at the front of the truck bed, with a winch PTO driven, cable up through a pulley at the top of the frame, and two log hooks at the end of a Y in the cable. Laid out two planks to the ground and pulled the logs cross wise up the planks and onto the rest of the logs on the truck, with a hook in each end of the log. Worked very well. Skidded all the logs out of the woods with an 8N Ford with tongs on the 3pt arch. Sometimes it would take one or two hanging on the front hood to keep the 8N front wheels close to the ground, but it was amazing what that little tractor would snort out of the woods.

Brad_S. · January 18, 2005, 02:33:20 AM

I run a Ford 350 1 ton dually flat bed dump 4x4 with the ability to add either solid or stake sides. The GVW is 12,700 lbs. and I wish I could haul more (legally, anyhow) but adding GVW adds costs in fuel, insurance, tires, etc.
In my opinion, once you've owned a dump, you'll wonder how you got along without one before. ;D
When delivering lumber and dumping, make sure to put a few extra strapping bands on the stack or they will end up in a jumbled pile when you're done. :D

Ga_Boy · January 18, 2005, 06:49:31 AM

Okie,

I have been considering the same option. I think using a stake side dump body is the way to go. But, until I better established I'll keep using my trailer and unloading by hand.

I am keeping my eye out for a Chevy C-50 or 60 size diesel with a stake dump body. A friend of mine who runs a circle mill just picked up an old International and he loves it.

Something else to consider is a truck with a roll off body.

I just got my fork lift attachment for my tractor. That thing is better than sliced bread. You gotta have a fork lift. 8) 8) 8)

Mark

Frank_Pender · January 18, 2005, 07:21:31 AM

Oakie, I use a '99F450 Diesel 4 x 4, onto which I installed a 10 to hoist. For the bed I installed a box off of a 1954 Dodge duce and a half. The fella said he wanted to sell the whole truck and not just the box. I was ready to give him $1,000 for just the box, but I gto the entire truck for tht mount. The reason I went with the pickup type box was the fact the insurance company wanted more money for a flatbed than a boxed truck bed. I designed a wire rack unit that is easily removed. It makes it a bit of a challenge to load lumber and logs. To load logs with my loader tractor I simply heal the logs with the bucket. As to loading lumber, I set one end on the bed of the truck and the other on a high sawhorse (4') and get the tractor on the end with the forks, pick up and bit and push in the load. The GVW is listed on the door at 15,500. I have been up to 22,500 with no trouble. 8)

Tom · January 18, 2005, 07:22:27 AM

Before you get too enthralled about a dump truck, check out the insurance charges with your insurance company.

Frickman · January 18, 2005, 07:31:05 AM

We're currently running an old Ford F-700 flatbed dump with a 13 foot bed for local hauling. It is liscensed at 26,000 GVW and has removable log racks and sideboards. We've hauled logs, lumber, dirt, grain, junk cars, and most anything else for years with it, and yes, I couldn't live without it.

One real nice thing about it is at about 10,000 pounds tare weight we can haul one thousand feet of logs and still be under 20,000 pounds, which is the posted weight limit on many local rural roads. We avoid posting a bond on the roads, which we would have to do with a larger truck. We can use the dump bed to unload the logs along a main highway and have a larger truck come in to haul them to their final destination.

Another nice thing is with no CDL required there is a larger pool of drivers I can hire from than if it was a bigger truck.

markct · January 18, 2005, 09:42:18 AM

i have a ford L600 that has a 12 ft flatbed with stake sides, its a dump body too so it works nicely for alot of stuff, unfourtanatly it hasnt been registered in a year or so, insurance was about 800 a year and registration another 250 so until i realy have a need for it i wont have it back on the road, it sure is handy tho when ya need it

Brian_Bailey · January 18, 2005, 10:12:09 AM

I have a Ford F-450 with a flatbed dump GVWR 14500 lbs. Sure beats shoveling off by hand. When I have my Auto crane on it I tend to go over weight when fetching logs. Would like to upgrade to a F-600.

New York requires a non-CDL class C license ( additional written and road test and fee ) to drive a vehicle with a GVWR between 18,001and 26,000 lbs.

But you can can tow a vehicle with a GVWR of more than 10,000 lbs. providing the GCWR is not over 26,000 lbs.with a regular drivers license, go figure ???.

Larry · January 18, 2005, 11:11:23 AM

Insurance, maintance, taxes, cdl, and DOT have convinced quite a few guys around here to go with one of these.

Belongs to a neighbor.

bull · January 18, 2005, 02:07:28 PM

How can a 6 wheel 1 ton be a 4x4. F 350 or F450 ????? Just a question ;)

I have a 1996 F450 superduty w/a 10 ' dump great truck I stole it in 2000 for $17,500.00 w/ only 25,000 original miles.
I have 2' and 4' side boards w' a swing gate. also stakes for hauling logs. I prefer not to haul logs w/ the dump.I pull a 16" trailer w/ tandem axle and load an unload w/ fork if needed.. for very small jobs. otherwise its cheaper to hire a log truck.
The F450 is 15,000 GVW and is a class C vehicle in Ma. your required to carry a CDL health Card....insurance is $2500.00 per year.

UNCLEBUCK · January 18, 2005, 07:21:48 PM

When I had a grain truck I insured under the farm policy and I use to do the same for my dump truck and it didnt cost very much at all . Having a clean cdl actually lowers insurance cost especially if its a clean one and doesnt take more than a few days to get and its really just a piece of plastic until one gets out makes money with it .

DanG · January 18, 2005, 07:29:24 PM

Hey Bull! I ain't sure about them 6 wheel 4x4s, but what is an "original" mile? ???

:D :D :D

Woodcarver · January 18, 2005, 09:31:40 PM

beenthere, the loading rig you describe is nearly identical to what my dad had on his truck.

The truck was a '57 chev, straight-six. We had a boom hung from the loading frame with a pulley for the winch cable to run through. With the boom we could load logs length-wise over the side of the truck or cross-wise over the end. The truck had to be parked with the front-end downhill, though, to load cross-wise. Otherwise, it was a tussle to get logs to the front of the platform. :D

Time frame was little earlier than yours, late fifties. Judging from your location on the member map you aren't too far from where we were hauling. We hauled in a three county area, Richland, Grant and Sauk counties. The logs went to the Grell Mill at Gotham. The mill is still in operation. A son of the orignal owner operates it now.

Frank_Pender · January 18, 2005, 10:01:48 PM

Bull, I ordered my F450 4 x 4 build by the factory. ZIt also has the long whellbase. The military box is 7.5' inside and 8' outside, by 13' overall outside and 12' 6' INSIDE. With the wire racks I can haul 15 yards of sawdust or chips. 8)

beenthere · January 18, 2005, 10:05:49 PM

Burt Grell, was the name of the original owner at Gotham, wasn't it? I use to visit there fairly often in the 60's, as well as the saw doctor (Harry Schell?) at Blue River (name slips my mind at the moment, but he was very well respected around the country for circle saw blades). A guy by the name of Owen Smith had a mill in Richland Center, if I remember right. You may have sent logs there too.
I knew a fellow who had a portable circle mill in the early 50's in SW Wisconsin. His name was Hiram Hallock, and he went on to become a world expert in sawing, and nurtured Stan Lunstrum along the way. Small world sometimes.

Woodcarver · January 19, 2005, 06:05:39 AM

You are exactly right, beenthere, Bert Grell was the owner. His son, who runs the mill now, was named for Bert. He's always referred to as Junior Grell.

The loader my dad had on his truck was built in Blue River by a fellow who had a blacksmith shop there. I wonder if that would be the Harry Schell you refer to? It is, indeed, a small world.

oakiemac · January 19, 2005, 01:21:01 PM

Larry Copas,
The taxes, DOT, maintenance, insurance are all reasons that I was also looking into a dump trailer but I can't find one that is flatbed. The one in the picture you showed can't be loaded by a fork lift. Anyone seen a flatbed dump trailer?

Stump Jumper · January 19, 2005, 02:11:46 PM

oakie check out bri-mar trailer . com i got one with removable sides

Larry · January 19, 2005, 03:09:42 PM

I did a quick google and found couple for ya.

http://www.trailersforless.com/flat_bed_dump_trailer.html

and

http://www.homesteadertrailer.com/trailer-pages/dump-trailer.htm

where they say the flatbed is an option.

Most of these trailers outfits are small and will build anything you dream up. I bought some trusses while back and the guy brought them on a custom made flatbed dump that would handle trusses up to 42' long.

The trailer in the picture comes in about 6 different models (no flatbeds). I pulled a gooseneck with the same size box to Arkansas with 1,500 BF of dry lumber and came back with the box full of sassafras logs this summer. The gooseneck pulls lot easier than the bumper hitch.

oakiemac · January 19, 2005, 03:23:43 PM

Thanks Larry and Stump Jumper. These are kind of what I'm looking for.

RacinRex · January 19, 2005, 05:00:24 PM

Back when I worked on the farm up in Enfield, NY the old timer I was working for had a 1969 Ford F-600 W/10 ft dump box on it. The old V-8 gave way on us and I helped with my first motor swap over to a 460 that was sitting in a pickup in the hedge. That was a handy truck for everything around the farm. We had the advantage of a little White 2-65 4x4 tractor with fork front end loader. It would pick any log I grabed with it and with the FARMI winch on the rear was pretty controllable. took them up over the top and let them drop in with the rear gate down like the tailgate on a pickup truck. Great lil dump truck... except for the fuel consuption I wish I had it today. It did however have air brakes but since with was registered with FARM plates that allowed us to get around having a CDL. Made hauling back to the ole Frick 00 very easy. load drive and dump.

ElectricAl · January 19, 2005, 05:20:05 PM

Oakiemac,

If you get a trailer, get the 8' pull out ramps so you can take the 873 or the 801 to load your logs.

Your friends gooseneck dump trailer was pretty slick, too bad the sides are solid. It would be a good clean unit to buy.

The Bri-mar trailer is the most popular around here. Several of our customers have them.