 You see trucks on nearly all road maintenance jobs, hauling tons of aggregate or as faulty mixtures, towing rollers, pots, crack sealers, air compressors, carrying weed spraying equipment, traffic control devices, sanders, and plowing snow, all to keep our highways in good condition. The department has all kinds of trucks, from the single axle maintainers and dump trucks to the tandem axle dump trucks, oil distributors, and transports. Because trucks are so important to our highway maintenance force, you need to know what you, the operator, can do to keep your truck in top working condition. And you need to know how to operate your truck properly and safely. This video program is the first of five dealing with dump truck operation and maintenance. It deals with the daily check you should make on your truck, as well as with the startup and shutdown procedures you should follow. The other programs cover basic operation, shifting, driving, dumping, and tailgate spreading, as well as working with pups, pavers, and other equipment. The final program in the series covers the PMA. Because our trucks are made by different manufacturers, you should become familiar with the operator's manual for your unit. Also get to know the requirements of the department's equipment preventive maintenance manual. In addition, the training requirements manual for both gasoline and diesel engines contains a lot of helpful information on vehicle maintenance and operation. So to begin, the daily check. To make sure your truck is in good condition before you operate it each day, perform the inspections included in the daily check before you leave the yard. The daily check consists of under the hood or engine inspections, in cab checks when you start the engine, and the walk around inspection. It should also include a dump bed check if you're going to use the dump bed during the day. So start under the hood, in the engine compartment, check the engine oil every day. Keep the level between the full and add marks on the dipstick. And note the condition of the oil, especially if the level is higher today than it was yesterday. If it is discolored, gritty, or smells of fuel, don't start the engine until you figured out the problem and corrected it. Then visually check the fuel filter and fuel lines for leaks. Now observe the coolant level in the coolant reservoir, or in the radiator if your truck doesn't have a reservoir. Keep it at the level recommended by the manufacturer. Some radiators have a sight glass on the side. If you can see coolant in the glass, you've got enough. On trucks with older cooling systems, check the radiator cap. If the gasket is worn, get a new one. But for trucks with the new systems, don't open the cap too often. The system will lose pressure. Inspect the radiator and hoses for leaks. Next, check the fan belts. If they're too loose, tighten them. If they're worn or cracked, replace them. Whatever needs doing, do it now. No sense risking a breakdown out on the road. Check the level of the power steering fluid, and inspect the hoses and connections while you're at it. Finally, if your truck's battery is in the engine compartment, take a look at it now. Check the water level in each cell. Be sure the terminals are clean, and check the tightness and condition of the clamps and cables. If the battery is on the side of the truck or behind the cab, check it later when you do the walk around inspection. But before that, you need to get in the cab, start the engine, and do the in-cab checks. Now I'll interrupt the daily check for a moment to explain the basic startup procedure. First, make sure the parking brake is set, and the transmission is in neutral. Then depress the clutch pedal, turn the key, and press the starter button. The engine should start right up. If the engine doesn't start right away, keep pressing the starter button until it does, but not for more than 30 seconds continuously. If the engine doesn't start within 30 seconds, release the button and wait one to two minutes before trying again. Continued cranking will just wear down the battery and may damage the starter. Once the engine starts, let it idle to warm up. Never rev a cold engine. The warm up period is important for several reasons. First, it allows time for oil pressure to build up, producing an oil film on internal engine parts and lubricating turbocharger bearings. You should get an oil pressure reading right away. So check the gauge. If it shows zero or low pressure, shut down the engine. You've got a major problem. The warm up also allows the pistons to expand to fit the cylinders. It allows the coolant temperature to increase, and it provides time for air pressure to build up in the braking system. A warning light and buzzer will stay on until the pressure reaches 60 pounds. Finally, the warm up period gives you time to do the walk around inspection. So check the tires every day. Use a gauge if you think they've got low pressure. Under inflated tires wear out quickly and make the truck harder to control. Also check for loose or broken lug nuts and for deep cuts or unusual wear on the tread or sidewalls. Look under the truck. Any sign of leaks, fuel, oil, or water? If so, find the source of the leakage and get it taken care of. Walk all the way around the truck, checking the tires, looking for leaks, noting anything broken or missing. Take care of any problems now. If you'll be using the dump bed during the day, now's a good time to check if too. If you're going to get under it, block it with the safety props or a sturdy block of wood so it can't come down on you. Check for damage and hydraulic leaks around the hydraulic ram and lines. Be sure too that the bed is empty and clean. Then get back in the cab and finish your in-cab checks. Look at the gauges. Oil truck's been warming up for a few minutes, so all the readings should be up. You can start out as soon as you get a reading from the temperature gauge, but move slowly and avoid hard pulls until the engine reaches normal operating temperature about 180 or 190 degrees. The oil pressure should be about 60 pounds per square inch. The air pressure gauges should be above 60 psi before you move the truck. Don't drive it until the warning light and buzzer go off. To be safe, however, wait until the air pressures between 90 and 120 before you take the truck out on the road. Check the amp meter to make sure the battery is charging and the bolt meter to note the condition of the battery. Also check the air filter restriction indicator. It'll let you know when you should clean or replace the air filter. Finally, check your fuel gauge. The last thing you want to happen is to run out of fuel on your way to the work area. Now just a few things left before heading out, but important ones. Keep your windshield clean as well as the windows and mirrors. Use the mirrors if necessary. Now check your lights, headlights, running lights, turn signals, strobe. Check them in back too, but you'll need help to check the backup lights and brake lights. If a light isn't working, it may be a loose wire or a burned out bolt, but whatever it is, you need your lights. Find the problem and fix it now. Check the free play in the clutch pedal. You should be able to depress it at least an inch and a half before the clutch starts to disengage. Finally, fasten your seat belt. Nothing adds more to your safety than the few seconds it takes to buckle up. Then off you go, confident that your truck is in good shape and ready for a day's work. Once you make these checks and procedures part of your daily routine, they'll go quickly. Of course, checking your equipment never really stops. Even when you're out on the road, you need to watch, listen and feel for problems. I'll say more about this in later parts of the course as I talk about operation. Before I finish this program, however, I want to cover shutdown. Obviously, there's more to shutting down than just parking and shutting off the engine. If you're not parking in the shed, be sure to park on fairly level ground. Put the transmission in neutral and set the parking brake. Pretty obvious steps, right? But I'll give you a reason that's not so obvious. If a diesel truck is parked in gear and it begins to roll, the engine could start by heat of compression. So transmission in neutral, parking brake set and a level parking spot if possible. If you have to park on a grade, block the wheels or turn them toward the curb. Now engines should idle from three to five minutes to cool down gradually. The idling allows the lubricating oil and water to carry heat away from the iron masses of the engine block. While the engine cools, clean up the cab. It's easy enough for the cab to get cluttered during the day, but don't let that be an excuse for leaving it that way. Whether you or someone else will be operating it tomorrow, straighten up the operator's area today. Then get out and do a quick walk-around inspection. Just a general look for obvious damage. Finding any now will allow you to get it corrected that much sooner. It's a good idea to fill the fuel tank at the end of the day. You save the time it would take you to refuel in the morning and you prevent water from condensing in the tank overnight. Just be sure to go through the cool down period first. First you have to shut off the engine while you fuel up. So once the engine has cooled enough and the truck's parked where you want it, shut down the engine. It's a good idea to check the power steering fluid while the engine's still warm. But never overfill it or any other fluid. That's usually as bad as not having enough. And finally, every other day or so, bleed the air tanks. Using them will get rid of any moisture built up in the system. So that covers the daily check and start up and shutdown procedures on single and tandem axle dump trucks. Checking and servicing your truck each day, starting it up properly and following the correct shutdown procedure will help make the equipment safe to operate and keep it running smoothly. This is part two in our series of programs on dump trucks. In part one, I covered the daily check, start up and shutdown, the procedures that apply to both single and tandem axle dump trucks. Now I want to concentrate on the single axle dump trucks, often called bobtails. I'll cover shifting, general driving, braking, turning, backing, loading, dumping and spreading. So to begin, shifting. Our single axle dump trucks have five speed manual transmissions with two speed rear axles. Always read the operator's manual for your truck to get familiar with shifting and clutching procedures. The shift pattern is shown in the manual. It's also etched on the gear shift knob or shown on a decal on the sun visor. Study the pattern until you've got it firmly in mind. If you're new to truck driving, you'll need to practice going through the shift pattern and using the clutch and accelerator before you can do it smoothly. Even if you have some experience in driving trucks, there may be room for improvement. Proper shifting is hard on the truck's transmission, no matter who's behind the wheel. Here's a demonstration of proper shifting with the engine off. Start out in either first or second gear, a gear low enough to avoid slipping the clutch. Double clutch when you shift gears. In other words, use two clutch movements for each gear change. To shift the two speed axle into high range, lift up the switch on the gear shift. In effect, you split fourth gear by shifting from low to high range. By using the two speed axle as a splitter, ten different gear speeds or combinations are available to you. With experience, you'll learn how to use them according to different situations and conditions. For now, the important points about two speed axles are these. Please start and park the truck with the rear axle in low range. Never shift axle speeds while moving in reverse. Stop the truck first, then shift. Always keep some pressure on the accelerator. Whenever you move the two speed control switch, whether up or down, until you're ready for the two speed to shift. And as you move the control switch, depress and release the clutch pedal to allow the axle to shift. Here's what I mean for these last two points. Watch closely. While keeping pressure on the accelerator, the operator moves the control switch to high. Then he releases the accelerator, depresses the clutch pedal, releases the clutch pedal as the axle shifts and accelerates smoothly at the same time. Now that was upshifting the two speed axle. To review, press on the accelerator, move the control switch to high, release the accelerator, depress the clutch pedal and release it as the axle shifts and accelerate smoothly. The same steps apply to downshifting as well. Now, when you drive, there are two speeds to keep an eye on. The road speed and the engine speed. For proper shifting, you have to synchronize the engine speed to the road speed as closely as possible. So watch both the speedometer and the tachometer and listen to the engine. Don't run it too fast or too slow for the gear you're using. After you have the shift points for your truck memorized, mark them prominently inside the cab. Both over-speeding the engine and lugging it are damaging. Avoid them. And as a rule, don't run the engine up to governed speed in the lower gears. You'll just waste fuel and make extra noise. Keep the RPMs down to the actual power required by the engine to get the truck rolling. And as you upshift, increase the road speed in each gear with a progressive increase in engine speed. Finally, two more points. First, never coast in neutral while you're driving. That lessens your overall control of the truck. Second, don't ride the clutch. Resting your foot on the clutch pedal while you're driving will wear out the clutch and possibly damage the engine or transmission. As I said earlier, it'll take practice to shift smoothly, and it will take further study and experience to know what to do in various situations and conditions. Your instructor and the department's training manuals will give specific examples, explain more of the fine points, and answer your questions. Now I want to cover some points about general driving. You know, the public probably judges us more on how we drive our trucks than on how we operate all other types of equipment put together. We've got so many units out there on the road that if we don't drive courteously and safely, our mistakes will catch up with us fast. I'm not talking about anything you haven't heard before. No matter what you drive, from a subcompact to an 18-wheeler, you should know and follow the rules of the road. But we all tend to overlook them at times, to relax or get in too much of a hurry to obey them in certain situations. So basically, develop good driving habits and follow them consistently. Use your mirrors. Know what's behind you as well as what's up ahead. Steer with both hands on the wheel, except when you're shifting or using the radio, of course. You'll get in some spots where sloppy steering would be disastrous. Stay within the lane lines and signal when you change lanes. Observe speed limits and remember, they're just that, limits. Go slower than the posted speed when road conditions, traffic or your load require it. For example, when you tow another piece of equipment, keep your speed down, regardless of the legal limit. In addition to checking your speedometer occasionally, look at the other gauges as well. Fuel, pressure, temperature, air restriction indicator, and the others. Watch for warnings of trouble before the trouble gets serious. Obey signs, signals, and lane markings. Taking a state dump truck on official business doesn't exempt you from doing so. Take your turn at intersections. Remember that public image you're trying not to turn it. Avoid tailgating. Keeping a good safety cushion between you and the vehicle ahead will prevent rear-end collisions. And finally, use all your skills and good judgment when you drive in bad weather. Rain, ice, snow, and wind make all the preceding concerns even more important. Alright, braking. Our trucks carry a lot of weight, and once they get rolling, it takes a lot of force to slow them down. So first of all, as I said a minute ago, drive at a safe speed. Anticipate situations in which you'll have to slow down or stop. Then applying the brakes sooner than you would in a smaller, lighter vehicle. As you slow down, watch the tachometer and downshift to let the truck's engine assist the brakes. For downhill driving, apply the brakes to reduce speed, and then shift to a lower gear before you start down the grade. Changing gears after you're on the hill is risky. And keep the truck in gear. That enables you to maintain steering control. On steep hills, never use your brakes alone. If the road is slippery and the truck begins to slide with the brakes set, you'll lose control because you can't steer with the wheels locked. So to review braking, drive at a safe speed to begin with. Anticipate the need to slow down or stop. Begin applying the brakes sooner than with a lighter vehicle. Downshift properly to let the truck's engine help the foot brakes. And for downgrades, slow down, shift to a lower gear, and stay in gear as you go downhill. Now turning the dump truck. Because of the size of the bobtail and the weight it will often be carrying, you'll need to be careful when you make turns. Always signal well in advance, and slow down to a safe turning speed or come to a full stop as the situation requires. Stay within the proper lane while you turn. Avoid drifting into a neighboring lane, and definitely don't cross over the center line. For right turns, be especially careful not to run over curves or into sides. That's sloppy driving, and it's usually unnecessary. On curves, especially on tight ones, slow down before you enter the curve. Slow down and go into the curve under power to have better control of the truck. Here it's not like driving a car. With a truck, you need to keep your RPMs and road speed up, and keep your truck in motion. Too much slowing and braking are inefficient. They waste time and fuel. So to review turning, signal well in advance. Slow down, stay in your lane throughout the turn, and be especially careful not to cut right turns too sharp. On curves, not only slow down in advance, but downshift as well. Go in under power and keep both your engine and road speeds up. Next, backing the bobtail. Backing up is the most accident prone driving maneuver. The design of the truck restricts your vision to what you can see in your mirrors. But it's what you can't see that causes the problems. There are hidden areas behind the truck. Blind spots down low, directly behind and to the right rear. These blind spots are large enough to hide fixed objects, equipment, or personnel from your view. So if you're stopped in one place for more than a few minutes, or if you have any doubts about what's behind your truck, get out of the cab and look to make sure the way is clear. Pick out some reference points that you can back toward and keep them in view in your mirrors as you back up. Better yet, use someone to spot for you. Follow his directions to back up safely. And in any case, always use your mirrors. Don't lean out of the cab or you'll lose control of the truck. Back at a safe, slow speed so you'll be able to stop quickly if you have to. And be prepared to set the parking brake. Get out of the cab and take another look behind you, just to make sure the way remains clear. So, to quickly review backing, first check behind the truck. Use reference points or a spotter to guide you. Use your mirrors. Don't lean out of the cab and back up at a safe, slow speed. Now a few points about loading your bobtail. Park close to the material and the loader to minimize the loader's travel distance. Park at about a 45-degree angle to the face of the stockpile. This way the loader can follow a V-shaped path to travel less distance and do less turning to load your truck. And that means less fuel burned and faster loading times. On many jobs, this really makes a difference in production rates. Now sometimes you'll load your own truck. But whoever loads your truck, don't allow it to be overloaded. You, the operator, are responsible for observing weight limits. Finally, each time your bobtail is loaded, clean off the bed before you head out on the road. Now, for dumping. Always position your truck so that it's as level as possible when you dump. And be sure you've got enough overhead clearance before you raise the bed. On the bobtail, the dump bed is operated by using the power takeoff, or PTO. The hoist lever and the tailgate trip lever. To dump a load, first put the transmission in neutral and apply the brake. Then depress the clutch and engage the PTO. Move the hoist control, speed up the engine and pull the tailgate trip lever. Speed the engine just enough to raise the bed smoothly. After you've dumped the load, drive ahead a few feet to clear the pile and start bringing the bed down. Some caution here. With the bed up, sudden, jerky movements may damage the hydraulic ramp. So pull away slowly and smoothly. To lower the bed, move the hoist lever, depress the clutch, put the transmission in neutral, and disengage the PTO. Then set the parking brake, get out, and relatch the tailgate. If there's any loose material on the truck, brush it off. OK, spreading is similar to dumping, with a few added steps. First, you regulate the flow of material from the bed by adjusting the tailgate spreader change to control the size of the tailgate opening. Then you position your truck ahead of the spread area. Start raising the bed, drive forward, and trip the tailgate latch. Continue raising the bed smoothly. You want the material to spread evenly behind the truck. Then bring down the bed, latch the tailgate, and head back for another load. Now here's the procedure again in more detail. Be sure the tailgate spreader chains are adjusted for the flow of material you want. With the truck in position, engage the PTO. Put the transmission in gear, move the hoist control to start raising the bed. Drive forward and pause the hoist control in neutral. While you trip the tailgate, then raise the bed a little at a time to keep the material from spilling over the top of the tailgate. Watch the results in your mirror. And when the load is completely spread, let the bed down. Stop the truck, put the transmission in neutral, and disengage the PTO. Then relatch the tailgate. So whether you dump a load in one spot or spread it, you use the truck's transmission, power takeoff, hoist control, and tailgate trip lever. And that's it for operating single axle dump trucks and for part two of our series. In part three, I'll cover many of the same points as they apply to tandem axle dump trucks.