 Here in part two of dump truck operation, we'll cover basic maneuvering, operating the dump box, and shutting down the truck at the end of the day. First maneuvering, when you get right down to it, driving a dump truck isn't much different than driving your car. The main difference is size. The truck's a lot bigger and heavier, and that means you've got to be extra careful when you stop, turn, and back your truck. A loaded truck can weigh over 15 tons, and once it gets rolling, it needs a lot more time and distance to slow down and stop. So for safe braking, don't move the truck until the air pressure in the air brake system reaches 60 pounds of pressure, and the air pressure warning light in buzzer have turned off. Even then, you should wait till the pressure's between 90 and 100 pounds or so before you leave the yard. And make sure your brake lights are working. That'll help prevent accidents. Always fasten your seat belt before you head out, and test your brakes in the yard before you get moving too fast. Out on the road, you've got to be alert. Anticipate the movements of other vehicles. Slow down as you approach intersections. Remember, you need more room to stop. Use the transmission to help you slow down by downshifting. Maintain a good, safe following distance. Remember, there are no excuses for a rear-end collision. And perhaps most important, always travel at a speed which is consistent with the road, traffic, and weather conditions. So for safe braking, check the air pressure. Check your brake lights. Test your brakes. Anticipate the need to slow down. Downshift to help you slow the vehicle. Maintain a safe following distance. And travel at a speed which is consistent with the conditions. Now, turning. Keeping your tires at the right pressure makes it easier to control your truck. Check them every day. When you are making a right turn, don't drift out into the opposing lane before you make the turn. Someone could try to sneak through on the right side. And don't cut a right turn so sharp that you run into signs or over curbs. That's sloppy driving, and it's usually unnecessary. Here's the right way to make a right turn. Signal well in advance, slow down to a safe turning speed, and stay in your lane as you go through the turn. Now, there will be times when you can't avoid crossing the center line. But do it on the road you're turning onto, not the road you're turning from. That way at least you are facing possible danger and can deal with it. Okay, now left turns. What could go wrong here? Well, again, you could cut the turn too soon or too sharp. But instead of hitting a curb or sign, you could take off the fender of that vehicle waiting at the intersection. So make your left turns a little wider. Get out into the middle of the intersection before you turn. Then make your turn smoothly and without obstructing traffic. When you approach a tight curve in the road, slow down before you enter the curve. Downshift if necessary, and speed up slowly as you pass the midpoint of the curve. Okay, let's review turning. Make steering easier. Check your tires every day. Make no well in advance of your turn. Slow down to a safe turning speed. And stay in your lane as you go through the turn. And if you have to cross the center line, do it on the crossroad. Now let's take a look at backing the truck. Backing up is the most dangerous basic driving maneuver. In fact, avoid it whenever possible. So instead of backing onto this road, for example, turn that thing around and enter traffic correctly. Of course, you'll have to back up occasionally throughout the day. So here are a few things to keep in mind. There's a large blind spot directly behind the truck. A cone of danger. No, that's not it. But we can use traffic cones to give you an idea of the size of the area. As you can see, the cone of danger is large enough to conceal personnel, equipment, or another vehicle from the driver's vision. So to be safe, check your mirrors. And if you're not absolutely sure what's behind you, get out of the cab and look behind the truck. Remember the driver is responsible for any backing accidents. Pick out some reference points that you can back toward. And keep them in sight of your rear view mirrors. Or even better, ask someone to spot for you and follow their directions as you back up. Use your mirrors. Don't lean out of the cab. That's a good way to lose control of your truck. And always back up at a safe, slow speed so you'll be able to stop quickly if you have to. So for backing, remember, back up only when you have to. If you can drive around the block to avoid backing up, do that. Before backing, check behind you. And 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. One more point about mirrors, they do distort distance, especially the convex or spot mirrors. Objects may appear farther away than they really are. But your mirrors are still the only way you can check behind you without getting out of the cab. Not only when you're backing up, but also when you're out on the road. Keep an eye on vehicles approaching from the rear. You have to know if anyone is getting into that blind spot before they get there. Okay, now for the dump truck's most important feature, the dump box. To operate the dump box, you'll have to master three simple controls. The tailgate latch, the power takeoff or PTO, and the dump hoist control. Here's the procedure for trucks with manual transmissions. First position your truck at the dump site. If you're dumping into a stock pile, don't back too far into the pile. The mud flaps could get stuck and rip off when you pull away. Put the transmission in neutral and set the parking brake. Then trip the tailgate latch. Raise the box, depress the clutch, and engage the PTO. The PTO takes power off the transmission and uses it to raise the box. Move the hoist control to the raised position and accelerate the engine slightly. You don't have to floor it just enough to get the box rising smoothly. When the material slides out of the box, put the truck in gear, release the brake, and pull ahead a few feet to clear the pile. Then put the transmission back in neutral again and reset the parking brake. To lower the box, move the hoist control to the lower position, depress the clutch, and disengage the PTO. When the box is all of the way down, relatch the tailgate and inspect the rear of the truck for damage. Brush off any loose material that could fly off and break someone's windshield. Let's go over it one more time. First, position your truck. Put the transmission in neutral and set the parking brake. Then trip the tailgate latch. Engage the PTO and move the hoist control to the raised position. Accelerate the engine slightly to get the box rising smoothly. When the material slides out of the box, drive ahead a few feet to clear the pile and bring the box down. And don't forget to relatch the tailgate. If the tailgate doesn't latch, check to see if the tailgate chains are keeping it from closing. Be careful not to insert your fingers beneath the tailgate. They could be crushed. Now let's take a look at using the box on a truck with an automatic transmission. First, put your foot firmly on the brake pedal and shift into any drive gear. Engage the PTO and shift back into neutral. Move the hoist control to the raised position. And speed up the engine slightly to raise the box. To lower the box, disengage the PTO and move the hoist control to the lower position. The box will come down under its own weight. Some trucks have a front-mounted pump which drives the hydraulic system. On these models, you have to shut off the engine in order to engage the PTO. From then on, the procedure is about the same as we've seen. The only difference is that on trucks with a front-mounted pump, you can leave the PTO engaged all day. On all other trucks, however, you should disengage the PTO after you dump the material. Now a few more points about dumping. Always position your truck so that it is as level as possible. If you raise the box on a slope, you could roll the whole truck. And if you're dumping in an area with tree limbs or power lines overhead, make sure you or your spotter check the clearance. Finally, avoid driving with the box in the raised position. After you dump the load, bring the box all the way down. Okay, that's single-piled dumping. But you'll also use your truck to spread material. The procedure for spreading is nearly the same as in single-piled dumping. You use the same controls. But in spreading, you regulate the flow of material by adjusting the tailgate spreader chains to control the size of the tailgate opening. Here's how it's done. Position the truck at the dump site. Then adjust the spreader chains to get the right tailgate opening for the job. If you want a thicker spread, you'll need a wider tailgate opening. Then raise the box and drive ahead slowly. Trip the tailgate latch so the material slides out. And spreads out evenly behind the truck. Then bring the box down. Set the brake and put the transmission in neutral. Relatch the tailgate. And inspect the rear of the truck for damage, especially broken lights. Brush off any loose material. Then head back for another load. When you get back to the loading site, position your truck so the loader can go from the stockpile to the truck easily and quickly. Look for tire tracks of the other trucks. That's probably where the loader operator wants you. There are two safe places to be while your truck's being loaded. Either in the cab or well away from the truck and loader. Don't let the loader operator overfill the box. Steering a dump truck is hard enough without carrying a lot of extra weight. And besides, driving an overloaded truck is against the law. And the truck driver is responsible for any fines or penalties. The weight of the load should not exceed the legal limit for your truck. And the height of the load should not exceed the sides of the box. If it does, have the loader operator strike off the excess with the loader bucket. Or get out your shovel and level the load yourself. After you've dumped your last load, it's time to shut down. Try to keep your truck clean. Wash out the box at the end of the day. Clean equipment works better and lasts longer. Then park your truck on level ground. Back into the parking area when possible. Put the transmission in neutral and set the parking brake. Let the engine idle for five minutes. In the meantime, complete your daily checks. If you have air brakes on your truck, bleed some air out of the air tanks. That will get rid of any moisture that's built up during the day. Do a quick walk around inspection. Look for any damage that may have occurred throughout the day. Like this gash in the tire. If your truck has an automatic transmission, check the transmission fluid level at least once a week while the engine's running. Shut down the engine after it's cooled down. Put the transmission in first or reverse. On automatics, leave it in neutral and double check the parking brake. And if there's any doubt about the vehicle staying put, block the wheels. Check the power steering fluid when the engine's still warm. And remember, don't overfill any fluid level. In most cases, adding too much is as bad as not enough. Make a note of any problems or damage. And report them to your supervisor. As I said in the beginning of this program, you won't learn how to drive a truck from watching a TV show. But try to remember the points we've covered here. And apply them as you gain more experience. That, along with plenty of practice, will earn you a reputation as a skilled and responsible operator.