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Dump trucks or "tippers" are mainly employed for the transport of construction materials such as earth, stone aggregates, sand and rock. However, dump trucks come in a wide variety of types, from four-wheelers for 2 or 3 tons payload to massive, heavy-duty articulated and drawbar outfits grossing 50 to 60 tons or more.
Most dump trucks are equipped with hydraulic rams to raise the body. These can be front-mounted or underbody-mounted, the latter being the only option for three-way dump trucks, which can be tipped to either side as well as to the rear. Most hydraulic pumps are driven from a gearbox power take-off. As well as "open" dump trucks there are covered versions commonly used for grain and bulk feed. Even most open dump trucks carrying sand and aggregates are sheeted over nowadays, since stricter regulations regarding safety and pollution have come into force in many countries. Dump-truck bodies, like those on tankers, generally tend to be purpose-built to cater for certain types of loads. Those for heavy, dense materials like earth, clay and sand have lower sides and therefore less cubic capacity than those used on lighter materials such as coke, coal and grain. The latter are generally referred to as "high-sided bulk dump trucks" in the UK. Materials used in the construction of dump-truck bodies also vary. While light alloys are suited to lightweight, bulky goods, materials such as rock and granite ballast require harder wearing steel. Massive earthmovers, which operate off-highway, are designed to tip, but they are generally known as "quarry dumpers" as opposed to "tippers". Many bulk tankers are also equipped with tipping gear to aid discharge of the load.
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