How to tell that the truck is finished loading

[digger242j]

I learned a little something today.

Somewhere, sometime, when I was driving a dump truck, the operator indicated that he was finished loading by extending the excavator bucket out alongside the truck. It seemed like a good idea; a good way to communicate that the truck was loaded and expected to pull out. Prior to that time, when I was done loading a truck, I'd just give a couple beeps of the horn. Since then, I'll usually do both.

Today, I was about to put one more bucket on the truck, and he, quite to my surprise, took off. The bad part was that I was positioned high on the dirt pile, near the edge, boom and dipper stretched out, and my bucket wasn't very far above the tailgate of the truck. I can see how if I'd curled out to dump, and my teeth had been lower than the top of the tailgate, he'd have pulled me right off the pile.

I wanted to discuss this with the driver on the next trip, but as fate would have it, he broke down and didn't come back. I did talk about it with the driver of the second truck, and he suggested that the first guy may have heard a beep from something else on the site--there was a concrete pump and about four mixers working on the lot next door.

Sometimes I'll deliberately reach into a truck to even out the top of the load, or push down on a stray rock that's sticking up. Certainly, I don't want the truck pulling out while I'm doing that. It occurred to me that putting the bucket where the driver can see it assures the driver that my bucket is not involved with his truck, and it's safe to go. If it's not there, he's making an assumption that may or may not be correct.

So, for the sake of discussion, does everybody do it this way, and for this reason? Have I been doing something right for all this time and not really understanding why it was right?

 

[td25c]

In my opinion you are doing all you can digger .

Problem could be is the truck driver is to obsessed with the smart phone in hand and not paying attention to the job site .

It don't hurt to hop out & walk around while being loaded .

 

[clintm]

first of all remember you dealing with truck driver's .I've had air horn's on the excavator's and they couldn't hear them . Reached out and grabbed bottom dump's drug them up on the bank with me and then picked them up and threw them back down where he was supposed to have stopped and the driver had the window's down and that was before smart phones.

 

[lantraxco]

With the advent of air conditioning and Ipod ear buds, as well as a hundred dam* backup alarms going off all day long, beeping the horn is kind of a gamble at best. On jobs where we ran site trucks, artics mostly, we went over it at the safety meeting in the morning. I prefer the bucket alongside my window especially since my hearing has been bad for a long time, and if I'm doing paperwork or digging into my snoose box just shake the bucket once. A lot of hoe operators really don't like making the effort, they want to be digging the next scoop after pushing the horn button. Usually a *good* driver will kinda know how many scoops it takes and be looking in the mirror for the high sign, which is usually eyeballs and a nod.

 

[CM1995]

I prefer the one beep to stop and two beeps when loaded. It works well for us. Normally we have the same trucks and drivers so they know the process. Also I like to take the bucket and smooth off the top of the load. I like to push the truck a little so they know to hear for the 2 horn beeps meaning they are loaded and ready to go.

Also use the "extend the stick and shake the bucket by the cab method" when they don't roll after the second beep.

Oh yeah, need to put a few more buckets on that truck - it's not loaded.:tong

 

[51kw]

The drivers that **** me off are the ones that cant count. I always try to load each load with the same number of buckets. Three or four depending on which hoe I have. That way we both know that after x buckets its time to go. If in material that isnt consistent I use the horn if they cant see my face for the nod.

 

[Randy88]

I keep it simple, trucks have mirrors and doors for a reason, either see me in the mirror or open the door and get out and look, they had better make eye contact with me and I give the thumbs up to move the truck, I also use hand gestures to where I want them to park, basically they can do their job, open their eye's and pay attention or we have words. Anyone pulling out when I'm not done or can't put the truck where I need or want it, isn't going to be behind the wheel long, they can take care of paperwork, make phone calls and stroke themselves when they are not in the truck and on the payroll. Nobody climbs in or out when I'm loading either, if they are out when I start, they can stay out till its loaded and I'm done, but I usually load over the side and can see the driver in the cab, I seldom load over the back like in your photo just for that reason. Nobody is allowed to stand on the back side of the truck either, just in case something would fall off the back side, and oh yea, nobody smokes in any of the trucks, pickups or any cab either, its not only frowned upon, they are fired on the spot, I've got lung trouble and I can't handle cigarette smoke at all, and nobody smokes anything around me for any reason, so how's that for harsh?

The beep thing doesn't work for us, there are times we need the truck moved as we load and unless the driver is paying attention, he doesn't know what I need or whoever is running the hoe needs, basically the hoe operator is god and gets what he wants, and everyone else can obey, safety is more important than someone's feelings being hurt, especially loading demo or tree debris. We only beep if the truck driver isn't paying attention, trust me its not a good thing to hear a beep, most usually jump when a beep is heard and have heads up really quickly.

 

[RonG]

I count the buckets whether I am loading or if I am driving.Out of consideration for the operator I wait for whatever signal that we have agreed upon but if I am the operator I count the buckets to insure that each load is the same.Ron G

 

[Jumbo]

As a driver, the operator hangs the bucket over where he wants me to land. I tell him when I am leaving; I have the scale in my truck that tells me when I am loaded. He does not. I have stood on the fuel tank, before radios and scales watching the operator, which does not always work either as some operators just like to swing and dig. All that went away at least a decade ago when we got scales in our trucks. Operators have no accurate idea if I have a legal load or not. They usually guess pretty accurately, but scales never lie. As a site truck, I usually get loaded until it rolls off the sides…. All this being said, both drivers and operators in this new generational batch seem to have difficulty paying attention to the task at hand. Not all, but many. As an aside, I have issues with most people spotting me as I dump. Either point to the general direction if it does not matter, or, if it is necessary to be accurate, put your toe where you want my rear wheel on either the truck or pup. Waving arms like you are going round with angry wasps just drives me nuts. I have told spotters this time and time again, but they all seem to like making like they are starting to fly. :my2c:stirthepot

 

[lantraxco]

Spotter training: "Stand with your toes where you want the gate, take three steps back for safety, when I get there one arm goes straight up as you turn to walk away. Keep your eyes on my mirror, if you can see me, I won't hit you, but if you move, that trailer is gonna follow you, so stand still!"

 

[CM1995]

Waving arms like you are going round with angry wasps just drives me nuts. I have told spotters this time and time again, but they all seem to like making like they are starting to fly. :my2c:stirthepot

That's not a spotter, thats a site superintendent.:tong

 

[RonG]

Spotter training: "Stand with your toes where you want the gate, take three steps back for safety, when I get there one arm goes straight up as you turn to walk away. Keep your eyes on my mirror, if you can see me, I won't hit you, but if you move, that trailer is gonna follow you, so stand still!"

That requires an extra man,most of my employers can't find anyone who works for free so it has to be someone who would be there anyway......the dozer operator.
It depends on the job of course but the rule of thumb on my jobs is for the drivers to dump in front of the blade and it is up to me to put the blade where I want the load.They generally know how the job is going and if I don't make it obvious they will find a place to dump.Of course you get the wise guy who will hold you to your word and chase you around the foundation and maybe get stuck himself in the process just to be cute but it generally goes pretty good that way.
I try not to hold the trucks up and the drivers know it so that is a priority.If you are back filling a foundation you can't dump against the foundation unless you are using pure sand as a boulder with a head start from the load can crack that green concrete so the material has to be dumped back from the edge and gently pushed in hopefully not in a direct line against the wall.
If you are building a road base the rules are generally the same,dump back from the edge and let the dozer do the work.This is a good topic,something we can all pick up some pointers from.Ron G

 

[lantraxco]

Eh, we were doing building pads and rocking parking lots, too many trucks coming too fast to get by without a spotter... usually a dumb kid, it's just the way this outfit did things...

 

[CM1995]

We only beep if the truck driver isn't paying attention, trust me its not a good thing to hear a beep, most usually jump when a beep is heard and have heads up really quickly.

Well the horn method has worked well for my operation for many years and 1,000's of loads, I won't be changing anytime soon.

 

[dieseldog5.9]

i do more wrenching than anything but most guys around here use a 2 way radio, hard to get that confused. However I knew an older logger who would hang the bucket beside the truck and shake it because the horn was broken.