Live Bottom Trailer - Henderson Blackbelt

[Devo]

First, i'd like to say hi to everyone since this is my first official post on the forum. I'm new here, but i've been operating for a few years.

With that out of the way I'm wondering if anyone here has experience with live bottom trailers, specifically the Henderson Blackbelt?

We recently bought a new tractor and are looking for an end dump or live bottom. I'm advocating for a good live bottom, but others are pressing for an end dump. I happened upon the Blackbelt a year or so ago and thought that this unit might be exactly what we need.

For a bit of background we do mainly municipal services, site prep, and blasting. We currently use tandem dumps for all of our hauling needs, but we have found that we are moving much more material over the road and need a higher capacity truck. Most of are materials are granular, but we do haul a substantial amount of blast rock. The rock, however, is mostly being moved around a site or from a trench to a stockpile so the end dump/live bottom wouldn't have to move much.

Can standard live bottoms handling hauling bank/pit run type material with oversize rock? How about wet materials? I have no experience with them directly.

I know the end dump will get the job done, but I hate building ramps and generally making dump sites for them. It takes time, takes patience and burns fuel. The only thing I hate more than building level pads for end dumps is watching one dump on rough ground. The live bottom just seems to make sense for me - if you can back the trailer up in an area you can unload it there.

Am I on the right track here? Any advice or suggestions? Any experience with the Blackbelt?

Thanks!

 

[hvy 1ton]

Kinda funny i was watching this video on youtube yesterday. They load some pretty large rock towards the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkc2koCeS7s

 

[Devo]

Thanks for the reply!

That was the video that sold me on the unit. No one in their right mind would load that kind of rock in a live bottom, let alone with a loader! It almost seems to good to be true. What did you think of the unit as a whole?

 

[hvy 1ton]

I've never played with one of the hendersons. I stumbled upon that video after watching one about belt trailers for ag tractors.

 

[Devo]

Anyone else have any thoughts on these live bottoms? I'm sure someone here is using 'em!

 

[JDOFMEMI]

I don't know about them, but the video looks good. It looks like a well built unit, but like you, I would like to hear from someone who has worked with them. It looks like they are pretty new, so there may not be many out there yet.

I could think of a lot of advantages of a trailer like that. One drawback would be the empty weight. It looks to be a bit heavier than an end dump.

 

[janesbros]

I have 2 of them a 2012 and a 2013 and I wouldn't reccomend anyone to buy it especially if you are in canada i'm learning badly, they are fine at plus 20 but in the winter they are the pits, they have alot of trouble with there valving and they have no theter on there axles so if the axle goes down in a dip in the pit the axle drops to much and pops the air bags, the pulley fell off on the tarp after using it for about 30 loads, i'm not happy with them and the warranty here in alberta from the dealer is the ****s they have no parts and you have to fight with them and also i have lost so much in downtime for this its crazy.I hope this helps.

Corey

 

[johndeere123]

Here they are extremely popular, I've used ABS and the trail king trailers, they are a bit heavier but you never have to worry about them going on their sides. I've hauled asphalt, sand, stone, and up to 12 inch rock. For large rock, you defiantly want an excavator loading. That trailer in the video looks like its too long for a tandem and you would most likely be running half full to make weight.