Question:
I am looking for information on driving a dumptruck/dumptrailer. How do you get these jobs? How do these jobs work, pay by hour or load? What type of training is required.

Answer:

Find a company that has end dumps, dump trucks or side dumps and fill out an application.

Usually, if you're a company employee, you'll get paid by the hour. I did some checking a few weeks ago at a company I was interested in working for, they paid company drivers (drivers had a choice) precentage or by the ton, depending on which 'division' you worked in.
If you own your own truck, you most likely get paid by the ton.

No special training really required. Just remember to be aware of the following;
Dump on level (or as close to level) ground as possible.
Make sure the ground under the truck is stable prior to raising the dump box.
Beware of overhead power lines. They can and will kill you.
Never climb into a raised dump box to free a stuck load.
Learn the DOT regs for hauling loads in dump style trucks.

Answer:
I have driven dumps, transfers/end dumps. They are easier than you think. A lot of companies want drivers with experience not all but most, youu just gotta call and ask. They almost all pay by the hour. The equipment is usually sub-par unless you find an excellent company, the trucks get beat up and abused (its construction after all). Almost all places want you to have a Class A license a lot of the time you haul equipment with the truck on 28ft 3 axle tilt trailers or low bed. A lot of companies want you to do manual labor when your not driving I had to do a lot digging and such and things of that nature, tying down the equipment with chain and binder. Almost all dumps are easy to operate usually a PTO and a lever and a couple of switches after you do it for about 2 weeks you get it (and after about 500 loads of dirt). You got to like to do a lot of repetitiveness I would usually go to the yard in the morning load up the equipment and take it to the job site and unload the equipment and trailer and would get loaded with dirt go about 2 miles away to a designated dump site and dump and return and do that all day long, load up the equipment and go back, you usually saw the same two mile stretch of road all day. But overall I liked it and would probably go back to doing it once I find a better company plus I like to do physical activity and interact with people go figure. Side dump and bottom dump drivers have it a lot easier they don't do much physical work and just drive the dirt from point A to point B its easy but most companies like that want 2 yrs or more exp. Another avenue I would look into is Cement truck driving seems pretty easy just as long as your not afraid to do a lil work. As for me I wouldnt settle for anything less than being paid by the hour. Good luck to you in whatever you do.
Answer:
I drove lots of dump trucks, don't let everyone make you belive it's a no brainer driving a dump..
You have to have some common sense. And driving ability.. Paving takes some hand foot coordination. You have to lightly depress on the brake just enough to make the paver push you but not so much you stopped the paver.... Too little pressure and you could drift out of the pan dumping about 1 ton of asphault on the ground.... (Job ful stop till it is scrapped up and put back in the pan....) AND, you have to be fairly skillfull to stay in the paver pan,, some are verry narow, and are tricky especialy when going around corners. While you are doing the fancy foot work you are looking in the mirrors at the lead paving guy, he will signal to raise or lower the dump body.. Ya got to be fairly fast on the controls. You could wind up in some wires or tree branches real quick...
Your paid by the hour on these jobs, and you can work some long and dirty hours..
I also did home deliveries.. like stone dust, sand, crushed rock for drive ways.. ect.. You have to realize most civilians have no clue what that tri axle load of stone dust weighs... They will direct you right over their septic system, well, new driveway telling you it's "hard as a rock " And be amazed when you sink up to the hubs leaning at a precarious angle with a full load on.. Now ya gotta call for a wrecker to winch ya out.$$
Always get a private property delivery waiver signed BEFORE even setting foot on the property with the truck. Your company should have a whole stack of these...They will save you from getting sued and ensure your company has recourse for anything that might go wrong.. It's hard to get a homeowner to sign one after you are stuck in his back yard and it says in the wavier he has to pay the towing costs. which can run into the $200-$300 range
We often were overweight when loaded.. (tri-axle) was legal for 76,000.. I was 80-83k at times..
Oh and don't forget to lock the tail gate before you put the next load in... Everyone forgets once and dumps 1/2 the load on the ground... or starts to put the body up and "forgets" to unlock the tailgate...OOPS
It can be sorta fun, but it's a rush hurryup and go kind of buisness. Most bosses are a-holes who don't want you to stop for anything.. go go go
I got plenty of experiance and stories.. you want some more no holes bared scoop on dump trucks in New England let me know.. (where do you live?)
Answer:
I don't think there is that much dump trailer activity on the local level these days. The tri-axle crowd pretty much has that work. You can find dump trailer work that gets you home every night but your going to be working long days, getting lots of miles and working more for a % of what the load pays. And that is usually not all that much.
Around me, tri-axle work pays 10-12 bucks/hour but drive a half and hour and it goes up to maybe 15. If you know the right people, you can hook up with some prevailing wage highway work for near 24/hour. Cement or boom truck can often get you a little more. I mostly run a boom truck making only slightly less than I did running non union LTL but with much less pressure and real OT.
There is a bottom dump outfit near me that runs local. They move flyash one way and culm the other. They don't pay much but do hire out of school. Ask around, see what's available where you live. Even if you have to start with a single axle, it will get you into that line of work.

Answer:
Around here there is alot of tri-axle work, pays around $15-16 an hour.
Cement driving pays about the same.
I have done both, i really liked them, i liked dumps better than cement. But there is not much work in winter.
Really long days's like 12-14 hours per day in summer time. But always get weekends off.
There is also alot of regional dump trailer work around here, We run heavy stuff. Like most dump trailers are anywhere from 4 -6 axles. grossing about 160 000 lbs on a 6 axle trailer.
We only run michigan, quebec and ontario with those trailers. I really want to get hired doing this type of work soon. There are some nice fleets around here, running newer peterbilts and lots of other fancy trucks.
Usually paid percentage or tonnage. With milage guarantee sometimes too.
Usually no hazmat and no straping, chaining required, just close the tarp and go.