By boosting haul truck efficiency and extending the service life of off-highway equipment, operations can increase revenue in the short term, as well as over the life of each truck.
Josh Swank
For off-highway hauling, the right truck body can greatly boost efficiency and profits for your operation. Volumetric capacity, weight distribution and the type of materials being hauled can limit the productivity of many standard OEM truck bodies. To get the most out of your fleet, consider these options.
Add a Tailgate
While it may seem like a small feature, not having a tailgate typically results in loads that are 10 to 15 percent below rated capacity. For many types of refuse, this percentage is even higher. By increasing haul volumes to meet a truck’s rated capacity, tailgates can quickly and easily boost an operation’s efficiency. For example, a 100-ton-capacity truck with a tailgate hauls nearly 15 more tons per load than a 100-ton truck without a tailgate. If a fleet of eight trucks adds 15 tons to each of their respective 10 loads per day, an additional 1,200 tons of material moves daily—comparable to adding another truck to the fleet.
Consider Rear-Eject Bodies
Rear-eject bodies can improve off-loading efficiency by pushing materials out with a blade while leaving the truck bed down. By eliminating the need to raise the body, the truck can safely dump materials while in motion and in the presence of overhead barriers. This versatility increases efficiency without reducing stability by providing a lower center of gravity and allowing dumping on downhill slopes and conditions with a soft footing. While you can purchase many articulated off-highway trucks with rear-eject bodies, aftermarket solutions can be easily adaptable to any make and model of articulated truck as well as a number of rigid frame trucks.
Look for 450 Brinell Steel
To ensure durability and extend the service life of both the truck and body, consider opting for reinforced bodies made with 450 BHN steel. Due to the steel’s hardness, abrasion resistance, and lack of ductility in both warm and ultra-cold climates, it can increase the life of a truck body by 25 to 30 percent. For added reinforcement, look for bodies with floor bolsters that run from side to side under the body’s floor, as well as load distribution cones around the “sweet spot” of the center floor section. The added strength from this floor support structure allows for maximum payload capacity by supporting the full weight of materials while not stressing the truck’s chassis.
Choose Minimal Maintenance
While high-strength steel reduces wear and extends a truck’s service life, proper maintenance is also critical. The less maintenance equipment requires, the better it reduces downtime and increases efficiency and profitability. As a general rule, fewer moving parts equates to less maintenance and fewer opportunities for breakdowns. Many end-dump truck bodies use hydraulic controls, pins and grease points to lift and operate the body and tailgate. Choosing bodies with simplified controls and fewer grease points are an easy way to reduce service time. Also, consider mechanical tailgates that open and close with the raising of the body as opposed to relying on additional hydraulics. And for rear eject bodies, built-in ejector guides provide smooth operation and eliminate the need for rollers and bearings, which frequently break or bind and can cost as much as $1,000 to replace.
By boosting haul truck efficiency and extending the service life of off-highway equipment, operations can increase revenue in the short term, as well as over the life of each truck.
Josh Swank is Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Philippi-Hagenbuch (Peoria, IL) and oversees the sales group, external licensees and all company marketing efforts. He has been with the company for 18 years. His previous roles include Global Sales and Marketing Manager and Account Manager. Philippi-Hagenbuch has been building equipment for off-highway haul trucks since 1969 and has become a global leader in off-highway truck customization. The company designs and builds custom HiVol® specialty bodies, rear eject bodies, vehicle recovery tools, lowboy trailers, tailgates and water tanks for nearly every make and model of off-highway truck available. For more information, call (800) 447-6464, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.philsystems.com.