Author Archives: Tom Norcross

Load King LK-2060-40-3 Bottom Dump Trailer
The Original Bottom Dump Trailer – Custom Truck One Source

It’s rare that any company is the first one to do or make something. That’s why Load King is so proud of their bottom dump trailer. It’s also how it got its name: The Originator. No, this trailer isn’t starring in a movie with Arnold Schwarzeneggerr, but it’s still something to get excited about. We brought the very first belly dump to market in the 1960s, and this is the same reliable unit but at a more competitive price.

Unique Features

The Load King 20-60 Bottom Dump Trailer has a lot of great features that were designed with the people actually using the trailers on a daily basis in mind. The first is a rubber bushed 5th wheel plate and grease zerk. Since many people don’t ever detach the truck from the bottom dump, the grease zerk makes sure the 5th wheel is still always greased

Every stock trailer has infinite gate control. This allows you to open gate from 2 inches to fully open. You can open the gate at any width you want from the inside cab or the at the back of the bottom dump trailer. It also comes with a hand-held walk along control. This will help keep your workers safer, because they can stand away from the trailer while operating the gates.

A 60 gallon air tank feeds the gate operation. This larger air tank allow for extended operation of the gate for applications. Rubber bushings at all 4 corners keep the vibration down.

The front fenders of this trailer are welded on. We do this for all of our trailers, with front and rear fenders, but this is an option you can decide against if you don’t want the fenders.

Built to Last

One of our main goals is to ensure that all Load King trailers are designed to live a long life. We use diffuser plates everywhere we have welds to prevent cracking. The bottom dump trailer has cast iron corner castings. This diffuses any cracking at  a very  high stress point at the corner of your hopper. This has been a part of Load King’s design from the very beginning.

At the pivot point of the gate, every bushing is greaseable and replaceable, resulting in longer life and reduced maintenance cost. The cylinders are located outside of the hopper and behind the  gate for protection against damage.

On the back of the trailer, there is a heavy duty push block. This has a bolt on design with a bolt on ICC bumper. If you damage just the ICC bumper, with this feature you won’t need to buy the complete unit. This Load King design also prevents damage from the blade locking into the recess and putting harmful pressure on the frame.

Bottom Dump Trailer Walkaround Video

Does this all sound good, but you want to see the bottom dump trailer for yourself? Check out our video below for a walk-through of all of these great features. You can also find additional specs on our website.

 

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Load King End Dump Trailer
End Dump vs. Bottom Dump Trailers – Custom Truck One Source

For materials-moving operations, you need to consider all your options when choosing dump trailers. What are the choices that you have? There are a few configurations of dump trailers including end dumps, bottom dumps, side dumps, etc. However, people generally must choose between end dumps and bottom dumps.

You need to determine the right type dump trailer for your operation. This may not be as easy as it sounds. To make the right choice, it is imperative that you find out the use of both end dump trailers and bottom dump trailers as well as the difference between the two.

Understanding the Differences Between End Dumps and Bottom Dump Trailers

Compared to a standard dump truck, an end dump trailer can carry larger loads. Additionally, it offers rapid unloading. Not only that, end dumps are also capable of hauling difficult materials such as large demolition debris. How are end dump trailers able to handle such abusive material? By incorporating a heavy-sided design. Typically, end dumps have higher sides than bottom and side dumps and thus carry more cubic yardage. However, this doesn’t necessarily translate into more weight.

Bottom dump trailers are dump trailers comprising of a clamshell dump gate on the bottom of the trailer. Opening the clamshell allows materials to be precisely laid in a window left and right or spread evenly across the rear of the trailer when it opens front to rear. Bottom dumps are commonly used for three types of applications: stockpiling, material transport, and asphalt paving.

Bottom dumps can offer an extremely quick turnaround time as their wheels never stop turning. You can drive a bottom dump right through the dump zone and can dump an entire 21-yd. load in about 25 ft. Additionally, the loader or dozer can easily handle the material.

Bottom dumps trailers are also a popular choice for laying a window of asphalt in front of a paver laydown machine. This is possible due to the ability of bottom dumps to produce a higher quality mat with fewer seams. While the bottom dump is quite versatile in its use, it has its limitations. There are restrictions on material size that can come down through the gate and flow out cleanly underneath the axles.

Load King, the manufacturing arm of Custom Truck One Source, has been manufacturing Bottom Dumps and End Dump Trailers for over 50 years, in addition to several other types of trailers and vocational trucks. Check out the latest models of End Dumps and Bottom Dumps and contact your local sales or rental representative if you have questions or would like a quote.

 

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