 material to and from job sites. Towing equipment needed to get the job done and keeping our highways open for travel and commerce during winter storms. Jobs like these require a big truck with a lot of power and they require an operator with a lot of skill. Of course watching these programs won't make you a skilled driver. Only experience will do that but they will cover some points that will make you a better operator if you apply them consistently. Here in part one of this program on dump truck operation we'll cover pre-trip inspections. The daily preventive maintenance you should do before you leave the yard. Then we'll cover startup procedures and some of the transmissions you'll be using as a dump truck driver. In part two we'll go over basic maneuvering, operating the dump box and shutting down at the end of the day. Now as you know the department has a lot of trucks old and new, different makes and models and some procedures will vary from truck to truck. We'll concentrate on the tandem axle dump truck here but for more detailed information on the truck you'll be using read the operators manual. Get to know any special operating instructions and the location and function of the various instruments and controls. Okay let's begin with pre-trip inspections. Follow the inspections outlined in the operator's daily checklist. Make a note of any problems you find and inform your supervisor of anything you can't fix yourself. The reason for making this check is simple. You don't want this to happen to you. Start with the engine compartment. Look for leaks or damages, anything that could cause problems out on the road. Check the engine oil every day. Keep the level between the full and add marks on the dipstick with the right type of oil. And note the condition of the oil. If it's thin or really dirty schedule an oil change. If it's discolored, gritty or smells of fuel get the problem diagnosed and corrected. Check the air filter restriction indicator. If the filter is clogged the indicator will show red at the bottom. That means the filter element should be cleaned or replaced. Next check the coolant level. Make sure it's above the radiator core and never check the coolant in a hot engine. Some radiators have a sight glass on the side and if you can see coolant in the glass you've got enough. Check the condition of the fan belts and hoses. Tighten any that are loose and replace any that are worn or cracked. Keep the battery clean. That'll discourage corrosion. Make sure the terminals are tight and in good shape. Check the battery water level once a month. Just remove the caps and make sure the water covers the baffles inside. Now if the fuel filter on your truck has a petcock on it, drain a little fuel from the filter and check for signs of water or sediment. If you detect water in the fuel, drain a cup or so from the fuel tank. That should get rid of any water that is condensed in the tank. Then continue your inspections. Check your tires every day. Use a gauge if you think you've got low pressure. Under inflated tires wear out quickly and make the truck harder to control. Some operators check inflation by thumping each tire with a hammer. Under inflated tires will have a duller sound and there will be less rebound when you hit them. Look for deep cuts on the tread and sidewalls and check for loose or broken lug nuts. There are still a few more checks to make yet but they should be done after startup which we'll cover now. First make sure the parking brake is set and the transmission is in neutral. Then depress the clutch pedal and turn the key to start the engine. Don't crank the starter for more than 30 seconds. If the engine doesn't start, wait a couple of minutes then try again. Once you get it started, let the engine idle for five minutes. This warm-up period is important to establish an oil film on the internal engine parts and it gives you time to complete your daily checks. Check the gauges. You should get an oil pressure reading right away. If the gauge reads zero or low pressure, shut the engine down. It might be a bad oil filter or pump. Check the air pressure gauge. A warning light and buzzer will stay on until the pressure in the air brake system reaches about 60 pounds and that's enough to move the truck slowly in the yard. But to be absolutely safe, wait until the pressure gets up around 90 to 120 pounds before you take the truck out on the road. Make sure the battery is charging and the temperature gauge is working and of course check your fuel. Make sure your lights are working, headlights, flashers and beacon. Ask someone to check your turn signals, brake lights and backup lights. Make sure your backup alarm is working and check your windshield wipers and horn. And make sure your fire extinguisher is charged, secure and accessible. Sign the inspection card every month. Check the free play in the clutch pedal. If you have more or less than an inch and a half of free travel, it's time for an adjustment. If you'll be using the dump box during the day, now's a good time to check that too. We'll go over the procedure for raising the dump box later on in part two. Whenever you have to get under a raised dump box, block it with the safety props or with a sturdy block of wood so it can't come down on you and never get under a loaded box under any circumstances. Then get out the grease gun and lubricate the fittings around the pivot points. Check for damage or leaks around the hydraulic ramp, cylinder and lines. After greasing, remove the safety props and get ready to go for the box all the way down. Fasten your seat belt. Nothing adds more to your safety than the few seconds it takes to buckle up. Adjust both of your rear view mirrors for maximum visibility. Test the brakes a couple of times before you leave the yard. Make sure there's no pulling to either side. As you can see, the daily inspection routine doesn't end after you start the engine. In fact, it continues throughout the day. Keep an eye on the gauges. Look, listen and feel for signs of trouble. Inspect your vehicle for damage occasionally throughout the day. Get to know your truck so you'll be able to spot, report and describe potential problems. Now let's take a look at the types of transmissions you'll use as a dump truck driver. Besides a healthy concern for safety, knowing how to use the transmission properly is about the most important skill a truck driver can have. And it's probably the hardest to learn. We'll start with automatic transmissions. Automatic transmissions in trucks are very similar to those in cars. They just have more drive positions or ranges. You'll use the highest drive positions most often. In this position, the truck starts out in second gear and shifts automatically through the higher gears. It's for normal driving at highway speeds. The middle positions are helpful in low speed stop and go operations like plowing snow where you need more traction and speed. The lowest drive position isn't used very often. Only when you're off the road and there's a chance of getting stuck. Always stop the truck completely before you shift in to or out of low gear. Okay, that seems simple enough, but operating a manual transmission is a bit trickier. And no wonder. Some of the manual transmissions are five speed, 10 speed and 13 speed plus more gears in reverse. Then there's high range, low range, direct drive, under drive and overdrive. It all gets a little confusing. We'll use a 10 speed transmission to show you the procedure here. But learning to shift a manual transmission takes time and practice. Be sure to read the operator's manual for instructions on shifting gears in the truck you'll be using. Before we get started, let's cover some basic points. The shift pattern for your truck will be on a decal somewhere in the cab. Learn the position for each gear. Each gear has a governed speed. That's the maximum revolutions per minute or RPM the engine can reach in any one gear. Running the engine over the governed speed could damage it. Use the tachometer to help you keep track of the RPM. Don't let the engine run too fast or too slow for the gear you're using. Okay, let's look at the 10 speed transmission. This diagram shows the shifting pattern. There are really only five positions for the 10 gears, but there are two ranges for each position. Low and high. You select the range with this knob on the gear shift. Pushed in, you're in the low range. Pulled out, you're in the high range. Let's see how it works. Start out in a gear that lets you get rolling without slipping the clutch. If the dumpbox is empty and you're on a good road, you can probably start out in second gear in the low range. Notice how quickly this driver up shifts from one gear to the next. That's progressive shifting. Shifting into a higher gear before the engine reaches governed speed. That saves fuel and creates less noise. After you go through the first five gears, pull the range selector out and repeat the shift pattern. Now you're in high range. Watch the tachometer and listen to the engine. Again, don't let the engine run too fast or too slow for the gear you're using. As your speed decreases and the RPM's fall, downshift to the next lower gear. To downshift from sixth gear to fifth, simply push the range selector in for low range and shift into fifth. Downshifting saves a lot of wear on the brakes because it lets the engine help slow the truck. As I said, it's going to take some practice. The load you're carrying, the driving conditions, the sound of the engine and the tachometer will influence which gear you choose. But with experience, you'll begin to select the correct gear almost instinctively. The only hard and fast rules are these. Always start and park the truck in low range. Never shift ranges while moving in reverse. Stop the truck first, then shift. And finally, don't ride the clutch. Resting your foot on the clutch pedal will wear it out and could possibly damage the engine. Okay, here's something that may be new to you. The differential lock or power divider. It's not really part of the transmission, but it may help you get out of some tough situations. On tandem dump trucks, both rear axles drive independently to power the truck. But if you get into an area where there's a good chance of getting stuck, let up on the accelerator and engage the differential lock. That gets both rear axles pulling together for better traction. Disengage it when you get out of trouble. But remember, never engage the differential lock when your wheels are spinning. That could damage it, the driveshaft or the rear axles. Okay, that's it for part one. Pre-trip inspections, start up procedures and transmissions. In part two, we'll get out on the road and cover basic maneuvering, operating the dump box and shutting down at the end of the day.