how to check dubious jobsite soil for dump truck

[damnescavator]

I deliver gravel/dirt to residential customers and about 75% of them want their loads dumped out back but have no idea whether it is safe for me to drive there. The usual thing is either no opinion at all or worse, "I got uncle's Louie's pickup in there yesterday dude". I've nearly got stuck 50 times and been stuck a time or two as well (my truck in photo). Cost of a tool to check a drive path would be worth its weight in gold. There MUST be some tool for this! It just needs to test the dirt for how strong it is so a heavy rig can drive on it without excessive risk. Attached is a picture of a farm soil compaction tool (Agtronix). Surely other guys are having this issue. Anybody found a workaround or a tool?

 

[MarcusZ1967]

I deliver gravel/dirt to residential customers and about 75% of them want their loads dumped out back but have no idea whether it is safe for me to drive there. The usual thing is either no opinion at all or worse, "I got uncle's Louie's pickup in there yesterday dude". I've nearly got stuck 50 times and been stuck a time or two as well (my truck in photo). Cost of a tool to check a drive path would be worth its weight in gold. There MUST be some tool for this! It just needs to test the dirt for how strong it is so a heavy rig can drive on it without excessive risk. Attached is a picture of a farm soil compaction tool (Agtronix). Surely other guys are having this issue. Anybody found a workaround or a tool?

With that standing water in the yard...... My first reaction would be OH H#!! NO!!.... On a skid steer tire, if I see any dampness, I back out FAST!!
HUH, learn something new today. Penetrometer.

Diagnosing Soil Compaction Using a Penetrometer (Soil Compaction Tester)

A diagnostic tool to measure the extent and depth of subsurface compaction is a penetrometer, or soil compaction tester.

extension.psu.edu

 

[Former Wrench]

I deliver gravel/dirt to residential customers and about 75% of them want their loads dumped out back but have no idea whether it is safe for me to drive there. The usual thing is either no opinion at all or worse, "I got uncle's Louie's pickup in there yesterday dude". I've nearly got stuck 50 times and been stuck a time or two as well (my truck in photo). Cost of a tool to check a drive path would be worth its weight in gold. There MUST be some tool for this! It just needs to test the dirt for how strong it is so a heavy rig can drive on it without excessive risk. Attached is a picture of a farm soil compaction tool (Agtronix). Surely other guys are having this issue. Anybody found a workaround or a tool?

How about a combination of common sense and experience followed by "No, sorry, that looks too soft."

 

[Old Growth]

A clause on the signed invoice stating if you get stuck dumping where customer requested then they get to cover recovery costs or tow you with their own equipment

 

[MG84]

Being able to judge the ground takes experience and sometimes just luck. It's the old abandoned septic tank, cistern, etc that no one knows about is where the luck comes in. As for experience, you need to be able to judge if the ground is/was fill dirt or virgin ground, high organic content, poorly drained, etc. Not always an option, but if you go fast enough you can get over some pretty soft ground without getting stuck.

Honestly, the situation in the picture doesn't look like that bad of conditions, I surely would have tried it. Looks like you made it in and dumped the load fine, then buried it in the ruts on the way out. I always take a different path in/out on every trip over an area if there is room. Once you've made a rut/soft spot and broken the crust your chances of getting stuck there are very high. Also if there is clearance, I leave the bed up when pulling out of a soft area, transfers more weight off the front and on to the drive tires.

 

[PeterG]

Well you should get a 4WD dump truck (Hard to find), like an old International 4900 derrick truck converted with a big PTO winch in the front. Then some off road tires and some shovels mounted on the truck. Then a long legal document the homeowner signs saying your not liable for any damages, and a long legal document saying they will pay for the tow out. Then I just wouldn't do it when it's been raining a lot or looks like it could be a problem! I know my truck (Not 4wd) can get stuck real easy even during the summer.

 

[IceHole]

Does that penetrationrmeter work for measuring compaction of a gravel pad or just for stuff like potato fields?

 

[MarcusZ1967]

Does that penetrationrmeter work for measuring compaction of a gravel pad or just for stuff like potato fields?

Looks like just Ag fields.... still neat....

 

[IceHole]

How about a combination of common sense and experience followed by "No, sorry, that looks too soft."

I haul firewood and I always makes use they know it'll probably leave ruts in their golf course yard.

"I drive my car over it"

Sure, but this is a 4 ton truck with 5 tons of wood in the bed. Car is what, 1.5 tons, 2?

 

[JPSouth]

24 years in mixer trucks, most of that front discharge Oshkosh. Everything from the top of ski lift trams to alleyway homeowner jobs. The little voice that keeps you out of trouble does come at a cost, but after enough nightmares he does show up and your days become considerably more stress-free. I've been running my own dump truck for 8 years now, and it's a walk in the park compared to mixer work, especially pre-pump trucks.

Keep a long, burly screwdriver in the cab, before backing the load in, grab it and take a quick walk, stab the ground and pry here and there. Lots of times the top feels pretty dry, but muck underneath - this method's saved me numerous times. If possible, back into the site, make position so if you have to get pulled out it's easiest. Keep as level as possible, that way if you have to dump the load, no chance of tweaking the lift frame, or, worse yet, tipping over. As mentioned above, lots of markers that come with experience to assess what's underneath.

Biggest thing is to be sure in who shoulders the risk. Remember, if you get dug in but good without a piece of paper nailing responsibility for recovery to the customer, it can be a really, really expensive day. Better to just dump the load and p*** everybody off than wind up a 30 ton lawn ornament buried to the frame.

 

[crane operator]

I don't think any kind of sensor is needed to determine that you were going to get stuck there. How bout just not driving in a mudhole?

 

[damnescavator]

"How about a combination of common sense and experience followed by "No, sorry, that looks too soft.""
~~~~~~
"I don't think any kind of sensor is needed to determine that you were going to get stuck there. How bout just not driving in a mudhole?"
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Thanks these are words of sheer wisdom. What happened here is the truck missed a narrow concrete pool rim by about an inch on the left side. Might have happened to anyone (except maybe you).

 

[skyking1]

Backfilled pool is a terrible thing. To quote star wars.

Yeah that is not a natural situation.
The other one that throws people is big rocks or chunks of concrete. They think "hey this will be strong"
WRONG
You never get good compaction around/under it. and then it draws up all the water on the planet it seems.
Then an unfurtunate wanders in there and you go down all the way to that sharp pointy stuff that got buried.

EDIT: Alabama tree crane guy found a septic tank that was not properly abandoned and down his rig went. When I demo stuff I like to punch a hole in the bottom to let the water go through, after I knock the whole top off and about 1/3rd the walls too.

 

[skyking1]

If you had a soil probe at that picture above, at least you would have known just how bad it was. Somebody suggested a probe. That's not a bad idea.

 

[Spud_Monkey]

The ripped out bumper is a indication of how one got stuck there.

 

[PeterG]

Actually a big worry is just breaking up/punching down/damaging the concrete or asphalt driveway even with the truck empty, especially along the edge. If they have a brand new driveway of asphalt/concrete, or I have to cross a brand new sidewalk to get into the driveway (subdivision), I likely will not take the job. This is also with the mini excavator.

 

[MG84]

My uncle told a story of how after the kids grew up he back filled the in-ground concrete pool in the back yard. They might have punched a hole or two in the bottom, I don't remember. All looked great, got it seeded, grass growing nice. Next season he went over it the first time with the mower and it about went out of sight! lol Had to dig the whole mess out, get all the concrete out, re-back fill and compact.

 

[mowingman]

I used to fill in quite a few swimming pools for customers. I always broke all the concrete, or gunite, up in the bottom and packed it down along with shallow lifts of backfill material. This allowed for drainage in the future. With drainage, and properly compacted back filll, I never had to go fix any settlement or standing water problems. I still would not drive a truck over it though.

 

[CM1995]

The customer is not always right and sometimes you have to tell them no. The common person has no clue as to weight, ground conditions, traction etc - that's on you as the professional and that means telling a customer that where they want the material dumped is just not going to happen.

Sometimes it's better to lose a customer than damage a truck or piece of iron. What was the towing bill compared to the profit on the load of dirt?

 

[skyking1]

My favorite sidewalk breaker is a big transfer truck bringing in the 2nd box. Those things are brutal. Then again I have not dealt with those 8 axle super solos. They mostly pave around here anyway.