Live Bottom Trailers vs. Dump trucks

Dump trucks are one of the most commonly seen construction vehicles on the road. Who didn't have a toy dump truck growing up? However, dump trucks might be going the way of the dodo bird thanks to the popularity of live bottom trailers in recent years.

Rather than "dumping" out a load of gravel or asphalt like traditional dump trucks, live bottom trailers pushes material out the back instead using a conveyor belt bed, which has several advantages over a tandem dump truck.

Live Bottom Trailers and Safety

By simple virtue of not having to lift its whole body into the air in order to unload, live bottom trailers have a much lower risk of rolling over than a tandem dump truck. That factor also means they can be unloaded anywhere, even on uneven terrain. Plus, the risk of an inexperienced driver knocking over power lines when they raise the bed is completely erased.

Live Bottom Trailers and Convenience

Because live bottom trailers don't unload their entire haul at once, but rather discharges it at a steady pace, you can empty out partial loads at different locations. This slower method also ensures an evener spread of materials, making precision tasks like laying down asphalt much easier.

The conveyor belt also means less detritus and residue stick to the bottom of live bottom trailers than a tandem dump truck, meaning that cleaning it out after a job is much faster. It's also easier on whoever drew the short straw at the end of the day.

Advantages of a Tandem Dump Truck

While live bottom trailers are superior to dump trucks in many ways, there are still many jobs you need a good ol' tandem dump truck for.

Tandem dump truck capacity is better suited for transporting dense materials like heavy rocks or tires, making them ideal for carrying demolition waste.

Despite tandem dump truck capacity, one major advantage live bottom trailers have over traditional dump trucks is lower insurance costs because of their enhanced safety capabilities.

A&G The Road Cleaners offers a wide variety of dump trucks and live bottom trailers for rent in the Greater Toronto Area. From a traditional tandem dump truck to live bottom trailers in three different sizes, we have the perfect material transportation vehicles for whatever tasks your job site requires. 

Contact us today to learn whether a tandem dump truck or one of our live bottom trailers is best suited to your needs.