How To Prepare Your Truck for Hauling Asphalt

Asphalt is one of the most useful materials in the construction or infrastructure industry. Not only does this resource contribute to the building of many modern structures, but it’s also what allows us to effectively fix cracked roads. Because of this, dump truck operators find themselves transporting asphalt a lot. Doing so is very lucrative. However, asphalt’s raised temperatures and sticky texture can contribute to a few mechanical problems. Read on to learn how to prepare your truck for hauling asphalt and preserve the condition of your equipment.

Perform Required Truck Maintenance

Firstly, it’s important to perform any pressing truck maintenance prior to a job where you’re hauling asphalt. Since this substance is in a combination of a liquid and solid state, it’s often heavier than other materials and harsher on the components it comes into contact with. Because of this, hauling asphalt in a truck that has broken parts can cause any performance issues to get worse. As such, immediately repairing these problems can prevent something more serious and costly from happening down the line.

Install a Dump Truck Bed Liner

The next step to preparing your truck for hauling asphalt is to install a bed liner. As previously mentioned, hot asphalt is incredibly sticky, and it reduces the overall efficiency of your truck’s dumping process. Material build-up also impedes safety by forcing you to dislodge large chunks of debris by hand. Installing a quality dump truck liner with a stick-resistant surface allows you to dump asphalt much quicker and reduces the mess left behind afterward. This can not only save you time during cleanup but preserve your asphalt dump truck for future projects as well.

Clean Your Dump Truck Equipment

Another thing you should do before taking on an asphalt delivery is clean your asphalt dump truck from top to bottom. Even finer materials such as dirt and gravel can still leave some debris behind after jobs. When this happens, the asphalt will combine with them and form additional buildup despite your previous efforts. So, taking the time to wash your bed liner—and the rest of the vehicle while you’re at it—can save you a lot of trouble overall.

Apply a Releasing Agent

If you feel it’s necessary, you can even spray a releasing product over the surface of your asphalt dump truck bed. These products aren’t typically needed to get the best use out of your dump truck. However, they can help break down materials and further reduce your chances of developing buildup. Additionally, you should always clean the products you use with your company prior to applying them. This way, you’re guaranteed the maximum amount of effect.

At Linings Inc., hot asphalt is one of the main materials we design our products to handle. Our QuickSilver truck liners are a half-inch thick, which allows them to better withstand the stress from heated substances. Formulated throughout the liner is a six percent silicone release agent, which is a huge advantage for our QuickSilver truck liners. Six percent is the highest industry standard by far and gives our liners the best release for the asphalt. We also use high-quality UHMW-PE resin when making them, so your truck’s bed will be slick enough to resist any sticky buildup.