In non-stop operations like waste facilities, redirecting multiple resources for haul road maintenance decreases productivity, but neglecting critical road maintenance can have a similar impact over time.
By Josh Swank

People never stop producing waste. Roughly 680 million tons of refuse is generated in the U.S. each day, leaving no off season for landfills. When other industries are catching a breather and taking care of maintenance that has been piling up, waste facilities still have their nose to the grindstone. This around-the-clock operation causes wear and tear across all aspects, and haul roads often get pushed to the back burner or go unnoticed. Avoiding this pothole, that icy spot and powering through the washboard sections become second nature. Although hardly noticed by the drivers, this slowly chips away at efficiency and productivity until the day a tire blows out and productivity comes to a dusty, screeching halt.

A change to rear-eject truck bodies is one solution for more efficient haul road maintenance. Operations that opt for rear-eject truck bodies rather than traditional end-dump trucks are finding some much-needed relief. A dumping-on-the-move design opens up numerous opportunities for landfills to perform haul road maintenance more safely and efficiently while also decreasing downtime for a quick return on investment (ROI). Here is how landfills can use these innovative truck bodies to keep up with haul road maintenance while not slowing down their year-round operation.

The Usual Holdup
Traditional haul road maintenance methods involve carefully trying to meter out aggregate with a loader from a large pile. This tends to leave an uneven spread of material that needs to be smoothed either by a loader or additional support equipment. In the winter, when icy roads occur and grit must be regularly applied for safe and efficient use and much needed traction, a crew of two to four workers might spend their whole day spreading sand. This reduces a waste facility’s overall efficiency as labor and resources must be reallocated for the task.

By using a rear-eject body, a single operator can effectively distribute sand, grit or other aggregate from the comfort of the vehicle’s cab, resulting in better workforce use and increased productivity.

Left: Adding a material spreading attachment to a rear-eject body
provides maximum equipment versatility in every season. These
attachments are available from industry-leading equipment manufacturers and are designed to integrate seamlessly.
Right: Rear-eject bodies provide the operator with complete control of discharge and the ability to dump materials on the go.
Photos courtesy of Philippi-Hagenbuch

Maintenance on the Go
Rear-eject haul trucks can increase efficiency for tasks where materials need to be evenly and precisely distributed, such as road maintenance. Truck bodies with this style provide the operator with complete control of discharge and the ability to dump materials on the go—something highly discouraged with end-dump trucks due to increased safety risks such as tipping or material bridging. The ejector blade pushes material out of the rear-eject truck body at a steady rate, even while the vehicle is moving, offering a uniform distribution of material to fall behind the truck. This enables landfills to maintain their haul roads without needing additional personnel or slowing down critical operations.

Fan It Out
Adding a material spreading attachment to a rear-eject can adjust the material spread to fit numerous road widths and provide maximum equipment versatility in every season. These attachments are available from industry-leading equipment manufacturers and are designed to integrate seamlessly with rear-eject bodies. They can handle a wide range of aggregate—from very fine to 2-inch-plus-sized material—and drivers can adjust the spread width from approximately 5 feet to 60 feet or more (1.5 to 18.3 meters). No matter the season, rear eject bodies with a spreader attachment can be put to use, easily adding traction to icy roads and surfaces throughout a landfill or evenly spreading material to build up deteriorating haul roads during warmer months.

In non-stop operations like waste facilities, redirecting multiple resources for haul road maintenance decreases productivity, but neglecting critical road maintenance can have a similar impact over time. Rear-eject haul trucks with a material spreader attachment offer a solution by eliminating the need for multiple personnel, additional equipment or inhibiting productivity for unplanned downtime. A landfill with clean, smooth roads allows workers to focus on key tasks instead of clearing and repairing their roads. Additionally, partnering with a custom equipment manufacturer ensures that a rear-eject body will meet the specific facility’s requirements, increasing overall efficiency and safety, and providing a quick ROI. | WA

Josh Swank, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Philippi-Hagenbuch (Peoria, IL), oversees their global sales team and has been with the company for more than 21 years. His previous roles within the company include global sales and marketing manager and account manager. Outside of, Philippi-Hagenbuch, he participates in multiple industry and philanthropic organizations, including the National Stone Sand & Gravel Manufacturers & Services Executive Committee, the NSSGA Young Leaders and the National Mining Association Board of Governors. He is a trustee of the JWAS Foundation and active within the Peoria, IL, technology startup community. For more information visit www.philsystems.com.

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