Problem
Manlius Township was finding that truck drivers carrying road salt for melting winter snow and ice were having difficulty getting the entire load to empty out of the truck bed. This not only delayed the drivers in effectively spreading the material to improve road safety, but it also encouraged drivers to engage in potential unsafe activities, such as climbing into the truck bed to shovel out the remaining material. In some cases, drivers would raise the bed higher than normal, which could make the trucks top-heavy and lead to accidents. Previous attempts to use truck vibrators had been only marginally successful.
Solution
To test the potential solution, a Cougar® DC 3200 Truck Vibrator was installed on one truck, while a second truck with a competitor’s vibrator was used for comparison. Before installing the Cougar® DC 3200 Truck Vibrator, the first truck had resisted complete unloading, prompting the driver to rock the truck back and forth by repeatedly jamming on the brakes and eventually climb into the bed to shovel it out manually. The truck with the competing vibrator fared better than no vibration at all, but still had to be shoveled out by hand to completely evacuate the load.
Results
The truck with the Cougar® DC 3200 Truck Vibrator emptied its load completely, without the driver engaging in any activity that could potentially damage the truck or pose a safety risk. “I’ve been around dump trucks with vibrators most of my life, and I’ve never seen anything shake like that,” said Road Commissioner Rob Allen. Now that the Cougar® DC 3200 Truck Vibrator is in place, drivers are able to spend more productive time plowing and salting roads, with less downtime trying to clear uncooperative loads. The end result is greater safety for city employees and motorists.
