Buying An Articulated Dump Truck? 12 Things to Consider During the Demonstration

When you’re ready to purchase an articulated dump truck — whether it’s your first ADT or an addition to an existing fleet — be sure to get input from your entire team. Owners and fleet managers usually have different input compared to operators and service team members.

It’s important to find a reliable truck that can move the most material at the lowest cost, but there are several other factors to consider so you have the right truck for the type of work you’re doing. These tips can help during an ADT demonstration with a dealer.

ADT DEMONSTRATION TIPS FOR OWNERS AND FLEET MANAGERS

#1 – Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): While the initial price of an articulated dump truck is important, it’s only one factor to determine how much a haul truck can impact your earnings, plus what it will likely cost you to get the work done. Most dealers and manufacturers can help you determine the TCO of an articulated dump truck on your jobsites. Make sure the ADT you end up selecting will give you the biggest ROI for the time you intend to keep and run it.

#2 – Fuel Efficiency: If you can get the same amount of work done and burn less fuel doing it, that should be a deciding factor. Over time, excess fuel consumption can eat away at your profits. As a part of evaluating TCO, ask about fuel-saving features that cut back on consumption — for example, here at Volvo, owners of our A25G through A45G enjoy a fuel efficiency guarantee.

Another feature I want to point out is our Volvo Automated Traction Control system, which consists of a number of sensors that control the differential locks with signals to the machine’s electronics (ECU). These sensors immediately sense the slightest wheel slip and engage the needed drive combination automatically. This means you’re always running your haul truck with the right drive combination, increasing your tons per gallon moved.

Two Volvo ADTs hauling rock in a quarry.

#3 – Cycle Times: How long does it take to get from point A to B and back? That’s an important number to know when looking at a new articulated dump truck. Look for features like Volvo Dynamic Drive, which allows our haulers to accelerate quickly by being able to skip gears to get to max speed faster.

#4 – Matched Tires for the Application: It’s critical to ensure your ADT has the right tires for your specific application. When considering E3 tires versus E4, for example, be sure to look at more than the ground conditions — also consider the distance you need to travel. The chart below is a good quick reference.

A chart showing when to use E3 and E4 tires for articulated dump trucks.

Also, each tire manufacturer has a rating on them called TMPH (ton miles per hour), which is the maximum recommended load the tires can carry at a particular speed. An easy way to explain this is that a tire needs time to cool down. If you’re doing very long runs (10+ miles) at high speeds, rigid haulers might be a better match because their tires can dissipate heat faster than ADTs. The tires on an articulated hauler are meant more for rough terrain than nice, hard-packed roads.

Another ADT tire consideration is whether or not you should use standard 29.5 tires or consider putting on a set of 875 metric tires (these are the tires we use on our A40 ADTs and A45 ADTs). The metric tires are wider and can provide less ground pressure by distributing the weight over a larger contact point on the ground, giving the hauler more flotation in really poor under footing conditions.

#5 – Material Density: The old saying goes, “What weighs more — a ton of feathers or a ton of bricks?” Both weigh the same, right? But what’s the volume it will take to get the capacity to be efficient with the hauler? Be sure to look at material volume versus weight before selecting a new haul truck.

As an example, are you maximizing every load with a 45-ton haul truck, or are you only getting 30 tons with each load? This is important to know because you may need factory-fitted options like a spill guard or sideboard extensions to add more volume to your haul truck.

Another thing to consider is a tailgate. At Volvo we have multiple tailgate versions, but the most popular is our overhung option. If you’re hauling large rocks and worried about them getting stuck in the tailgate, an underhung version might be a better solution so you can get maximum payload out of each load.

Volvo articulated hauler illustrations showing the bed liner, spill guard and tailgate options

#6– Material Type: It’s also important to consider the type of material you’re planning to haul. Is it sticky? If so, find out if your hauler comes with a bed heat option. Is it abrasive? If so, you might want to add factory liners to extend the life of the bed. Be sure to ask about these types of options depending on what you’re hauling.

ADT DEMONSTRATION TIPS FOR OPERATORS

#7 – Comfort with Easy Access to Controls: A good articulated dump truck will have a simple cab with set-it-and-forget-it controls. Be sure to look for optimized control features like downhill speed control, cruise control and optimized braking features like Volvo’s patented reverse-by-braking (RBB) feature on most 2019 and newer models.

View out the front of an articulated hauler from an operator’s perspective.

#8 – Automatic Drive Combinations: Automatic drive combinations — like our unique 6×4 drive combination — can improve performance and comfort, plus the TCO of the haul truck over its life. By being in 6×4 mode, for example, you don’t burn as much fuel or have nearly as much tire wear. 6×4 is the best option if your jobsite has nice, hard-packed roads with flat runs.

#9 – In-Cab Machine Control Apps: Even the best operators can use an assist from time to time. Ask if the hauler you’re looking at includes an in-cab monitor showing critical information such as tire pressure, the capacity of each load (e.g. on-board weighing), along with a cycle counter so you don’t have to click a button each time.

An overhead view of a surface mine with various machines circled and haul roads mapped to show how Volvo Haul Assist mapping works.

Some OEMs like Volvo also provide a maps app that allows you to see the other haulers — even vehicles and people — on the jobsite too.

ADT DEMONSTRATION TIPS FOR SERVICE MANAGERS AND MECHANICS

#10 – Service Access: Make sure the haul truck has long service intervals and that service access is easy — if so, you’ll experience less downtime. On Volvo ADTs, for example, there’s no daily or weekly maintenance on our haulers. You don’t have to grease our haul trucks until 250 hours.

#11 – Telematics Support: Make sure your articulated haul truck gives you access to telematics data. That way you’ll know if your operators are utilizing a delayed engine shut down feature and if they’re correctly using the retarders versus using the service brake, as examples. Using information like this can save you a lot in unnecessary downtime and/or costly repairs.

#12 – Common Service Parts: If you run a fleet of different machines, you should check to see if the new ADT has the same parts as your existing equipment. Common parts like filters and hoses make service much faster and easier. With Volvo, for example, an L220H wheel loader, an EC480E excavator and an A40G truck all run Volvo D13 engines — so all the filter and a majority of the engine parts are common, making routine maintenance a much simpler process.

For your next articulated haul truck demonstration, be sure to prepare and take checklists that your team can use to evaluate the truck thoroughly. Getting a holistic view from key roles can help make sure the articulated truck you ultimately go with will help you maintain or increase productivity, maximize efficiencies and keep crews safe on your jobsites.

If you work in mining, we also have tips to help you size haul trucks and excavators for optimized productivity and efficiency. Be sure to check it out.

By Tyler Smith