Dump Truck Buying Guide

What should you look for when buying a used dump truck?

Look for a truck whose axle setup and body suit your loads, with documented weight ratings and a clean frame. Check the hoist cylinder, body floor and tailgate for wear, cracks and leaks, compare condition with the service records, watch the body raise and lower under load, and confirm what comes with the truck.

• The materials you haul and their typical load weights
• Chassis weight ratings and axle configuration for those loads
• State weight, axle and registration rules where you operate
• Condition of the frame, hoist, body floor and tailgate
• Whether a tarp system and any lift axles are included

What size dump truck do you need?

Buy for the loads you haul most and the roads you use. Single-axle trucks suit lighter loads and tight sites, tandems cover most aggregate and dirt work, and tri-axles, quad-axles and super dumps add axles for heavier legal loads where state rules allow. Dump trailers and transfers suit longer hauls with a tractor.

Single-axle dump trucks

Lighter loads, landscaping and deliveries to tight residential sites. Check the weight ratings against what you haul.

Tandem and tri-axle dump trucks

The common choice for aggregate, dirt and asphalt. Compare the axle setup with your state's weight rules and the loads you are paid to carry.

Super dumps and quad-axles

Extra axles, including a trailing axle on a super dump, to spread heavier loads. Confirm the setup is legal where you haul.

End dump, side dump and transfer trailers

Trailers pulled by a tractor for longer hauls and larger loads. Side dumps unload to one side and transfers dump through the truck body.

Off-road work on large sites may call for an articulated hauler instead of a road truck. That is a separate category with its own questions, so tell us which you are considering.

How much does a dump truck cost?

A dump truck's price depends on its age, axle configuration, condition and seller. Chassis miles and engine hours, the body's make, material and length, the hoist, a tarp system and any lift axles all change the number. Get a written quote for the specific truck, and budget separately for registration, insurance, tires and repairs an inspection turns up.

How do you inspect a used dump truck?

Inspect the chassis, the dump body and the paperwork separately. On the chassis, check miles, engine hours, maintenance records, tires, brakes, suspension and frame. On the body, check the floor, sides, tailgate and hoist cylinder, and watch it raise and lower under load. Then confirm the title, any liens and the weight ratings on the door label.

Questions to ask the seller

1. What material and routes was this truck used for?
2. Has the dump body, floor or hoist been replaced or rebuilt?
3. Can you show the maintenance records and weight ratings?
4. Can my mechanic inspect it and see the body raised under load?

What to have ready for a quote

• The listing link or written quote
• Who is selling it: a dealer, a private seller or an auction
• Year, make, model and hours or miles, if known
• The price and exactly what it includes
• When you need the equipment working

Share the listing or quote and your timing. Options for new and used dump trucks depend on your business, the truck and the financing provider's review. See dump truck financing for what lenders commonly look at.

Frequently asked questions

Is buying a dump truck a good investment?

It can be when there is steady hauling work for it, such as contractors, aggregate suppliers or paving jobs you haul for regularly. Returns depend on how many days the truck works and on costs such as fuel, insurance, tires and repairs. Price the full cost of running the truck and line up the work before you buy.

Is a dump truck considered a straight truck?

A standard dump truck, with the body mounted on its own chassis, is generally a straight truck. End dumps and side dumps are different: they are trailers pulled by a tractor. How a truck is classified for registration, insurance or licensing can vary, so confirm with your state and your insurer.

What size dump truck requires a CDL?

It depends on the truck, not the body type. The license class required is based on the vehicle's weight ratings and any towed unit. Check the ratings on the specific truck's door label and your state's commercial driver license rules before hiring or assigning drivers.

Can you finance a used dump truck?

Used dump trucks are commonly financed through third-party lenders, who look at the chassis year, miles and hours, the body, hoist and frame and the service history along with your business. Requirements vary by lender. See dump truck financing for what lenders look at.

Can you lease a dump truck?

Some lenders offer dump truck leases, including structures that end with an option to buy, alongside loans. Which fits depends on how long you will run the truck and what you want at the end of the term. See equipment leasing vs financing to compare the two.

Confirm each item in writing for the specific truck you are buying.

Dump trucks financing