Cool mods to the shell hauler

Since retiring and selling my big dump truck (8 axle transfer rig) I needed a way to haul shells.

IDEA
Bought a 3 yard dumpster (Cheap, the lift arms were welded on wrong and the garbage truck could not dump it) CARE LESS FOR THE LOW COST

Anyway
The getting and hauling is easy, getting the stuff out was a !@#$%

One pail at a time and dump it in a barrel, then again and again.

Getting too old for that stuff.

Decided to add a little knife gate on the bottom that will allow us to fill a 5 gallon pail at a time.

This will definitely speed up the process a bunch.

Now this sucker AIN'T pretty.

I sorted through the scrap bin at the local steel shop, plus pawed through my own.

About $5 worth of tid bits and a little "McGyver" and we are ready to roll.

Got the rig loaded this morning and backed it up to the shop door and went after it.

Took a couple hours of fooling about.

Looks means nothing, function is everything on this rig.

The car hauler, 3 yard dumpster, two 4 x 6 timbers to keep the dumpster centered while transporting.
4 large self contained winch straps to hold the dumpster, and two straps to hold the timbers from becoming some poor souls hood ornament.

Unit has worked great, but the long dipping had to go.

Everything to do with getting shells is a well honed system with all it's own parts that are kept at the ready and stored where nobody gets their paws on them but me.

Easy lift handle on the little gate, 3-11/2 inch hole to drop shells into a bucket.

 

The shell stuff is flowable enough to come out of that small a hole? Thought it would bridge up like a mongrel.
Below is the barrels we use for moving the pits around once we take it out of the 100 ton silos. We bring it in by B double, 60 ton at a time. A lot more expensive than you nut system though.
THe barrels are from the plastics industry, I would kill to get some more.....




to come out of that small a hole. Thought it would bridge up like a mongrel.

 

"B double" Think that's what we call a "B train"
Has a 3 axle tractor, semi trailer with 3 axles in the back with a fifth wheel and then another 2 axle semi behind, 8 axle total ??????

I used to own and operate an 8 axle Dump transfer, 4 axle dump truck with a 4 axle trailer that has the box that rolls into the truck.

Here in Oregon we are limited to 105,500 pound gross on an annual permit (Daily hauling)
Special permits are available for much more weight, but 105,500 is the normal max loaded weight on heavy haul dump rigs.

The 3-1/2" hole will allow the shells to flow like water, at least until the can is about 1/2 full, then we will need to get after the stuff a bit with a shovel to pull it to the hole.

This setup is a "make do" since I retired from trucking.

Here are some pix of the rig and doing the shell thing.

Easy with the rig, just wash it out (no rocks) tailgate had a ditch gate in it that could fill a drum in a few seconds.

The good old days.

Truck was a 1995 Western Star with a 500 hp cat and an 18 speed.
Enjoyed that rig.

Anyway
The dumpster thing gets us by just fine.
Cost me $300 for the dumpster as it was made with the lift hooks wrong and the company sold it as scrap.

I grab it with skid steer and a couple chains and sit it on the trailer, then tie it down with ratchet straps.

 

You and Thomas Edison would have been good friends! Really enjoy your postings. thanks

 

Thanks.

 

i always liked those Western Stars with the old style cabs. I ran a White Road Boss in '75 with that cab. A little heavier than my favorite Pete 359 or 379 but really nice just the same.

The worst part of owning a Star is having to buy parts from the local Freightshaker dealers...

 

Cool truck.
Yep you got the b double right. The dual tipper of yours is a "super dog" here.
The roads around here are only rated to these size trucks. Once you get into central Australia you go to "road trains" which are typically prime mover with 3 tri-axle trailers. Buggers of things to get around.

 

I have watched videos of the Road trains in action.

Those are beasts.
But out on the open roads in the outback they are certainly the best way to gitterdone.

The Transfers as we call them here are the best ticket to get huge amounts of material to inner city jobs.
They handle well even in the city streets and all ya do is drop off "The wagon" in a safe spot close by, then head in and dump.
Go back and "Swap the tin" as we call it (Roll the rear box into the truck with the hydraulic drive chain) then head back in and drop that load.

If the job has good easy access the entire operation from roll in to having the outfit back together and heading back can be done in 5 minutes or less if things are perfect.

The 5 minute part is going at it like you're killing snakes.

I put in 2 million miles as captain of one of those transfers.

Slang term here is "Slam banger"

Years ago when they first started using them and the mechanism to load the rear box was either electric motors or GRAVITY the boxes would many time go in BANG

Hence the term Slam bangers.

Great job.

The star was a great rig. Mine was a 1995, long before the Freight Shaker folks got in on it.

Mine was a Kelowna built truck

That 500 Cat was just right for the job too.
The 18 speed fuller box was absolutely a joy to shift.