Tips for plant operators to enhance safety during haul truck loading
We read in the “Loadout Tips” article in AsphaltPro that not all haul trucks should be loaded in the same manner at the hot-mix asphalt (HMA) plant. The article offers sound advice for using the three-drop method in the appropriate truck bodies, and details tips for proper loadout of live-body trailers. There are some safety tips that apply to all truck types that drive onto the scale.
Depending on the control system you use, start with determining readings on your display panels by “settle time,” rather than by detecting motion. Not all truck drivers brake in the same fashion, thus it may take the plant operator watching for the settle time and assuring the loadout controls that they have achieved “no motion detected” status.
Next up, make sure drivers frequenting your plant know what different signals indicate at your facility. For example, if you use a traffic stoplight at the silos to let the driver know when to stop to receive the first drop, when to back up for the second drop, and when to move forward for the third drop, make sure each driver understands what the colors and order of coloration means. You don’t want the driver to see a green light after the first drop and drive away with one-third of a load.
The same concept applies to facilities that sound a horn to signal the driver can move forward or backward. Communicate to drivers ahead of time what these visuals and sounds mean so you don’t have errors or accidents.
Remember your three-drop method? Here it is!
- Pull the truck under the designated silo to receive one drop in one end of the truck bed.
- Then move the truck back for the second drop.
- Then move the truck forward to receive the third drop in the center of the truck’s body.