Pit & Quarry, December 2017

Top iT off Custom truck bodies help reduce truck and equipment maintenance expenses and allow for optimal capacity by JOSH SWANK ining operation managers often consider custom truck bodies as a means to help maximize payload and overall productivity However in addition to boosting capacity and improving efficiency custom bodies can M also provide significant savings through reduced maintenance and extended equipment life By addressing weight distribution equipment wear and maintenance costs in addition to payload custom bodies can provide a substantial return on investment and faster than expected Custom truck bodies can extend the life of front tires by up to 40 percent Typically rigid frame haul trucks are designed to carry one third of a loads weight on the front axle and two thirds on the back When loading standard bodies though operators often center the load too far forward in order to prevent spillage By continuously loading materials toward the front additional stress is put on the chassis axles front tires suspension and hydraulic systems Front tires for example can only support so much weight before they blow or rim damage occurs By optimizing weight distribution custom bodies can extend the life of front tires by as much as 40 percent With most mining truck tires costing more than 10000 apiece and some larger ones topping out at 100000 the costs are high Combine those costs with the downtime associated with replacing tires and the impact can be devastating to an aggregate producers bottom line ExtEndEd sErvicE lifE With the intense around the clock beating that off highway trucks receive its important that they are up to the task To help some manufacturers run steel bolsters from side to side under the body f loor as opposed to bolsters being butt welded to the frame rail These bodies may also have the bolsters running through the frame rails doubling up on the sweet spot within the center floor section Intersecting the bolsters with the frame rails creates a super structure that wont buckle under the weight of high capacity loads This design is often coupled with exceptionally strong steel to further extend the life of the truck Within higher performing bodies the steel is used only where necessary the greatest load and impact areas to provide durability without sacrificing payload Constructing the bodies in such a way can increase the life of a truck by 25 to 30 percent A pErfEct mAtch Custom bodies can also be designed to complement a sites loading equipment Matching the body to the height and style of loader helps to reduce damage to both the truck and loading equipment Widening the body to allow the loading equipment to reach the floor of the body can further help by lowering the drop height and reducing the risk of equipment damaging the sides of the body Dropping the load from a lower height can reduce the impact on the floor by as much as 30 percent From extending the service life of expensive equipment to reducing wear and downtime the benefits of custom bodies can add up quickly and are certainly not limited to improved efficiency p Q Josh Swank vice president of sales and marketing is a 17 year Philippi Hagenbuch associate Photo courtesy of PhiliPPi hagenbuch hAuling 44 pit QuArrY December 2017 pitandquarry com