Dec 73
CCE-IHC Dump Truck's Heated Body
Forward:
The suggestor recommends that the engine-exhaust-heated body on the CCEIHC 20 Ton Dump Truck is merely a nice-
to-have feature and deleting this requirement would save the Government quite a sum of tax money.
a. It is recommended that the suggestion to delete the heated body on the CCE Dump Truck not be accepted.
b. The Suggestor is in error in the belief that the heated body is only useful with hot asphalt mix in cold weather.
Commercial users have cited the following advantages for a heated body that will save much more than its initial first cost
in lower maintenance over the truck's life time.
(1) The prime advantage of the heated body is to reduce sticking of the payload material to the body. Common
practive, learned by even the inexperienced drivers, is to suddenly "jump" the truck forward with the body fully hoisted and
then slam on the brakes to dislodge any stuck material. Going forward swings the tailgate rearward and the sudden stop
slams the tailgate into the body with sufficient shock to dislodge most materials. Repetition insures dumping of the whole
load. Damage shows up in metal fatigue, broken welds, buckled plates, peened and cocked pivot pins, and damaged
corner posts. With the heated body, even wet sand, clay and loam payloads slide out easily on the dry bed surface.
These factors are important in all environmental conditions; tropic, temperate and arctic.
(2) The heated body prevents freezing of payloads to the bed in cold weather. This admittedly is a function of
below-freezing-temperatures, length of hauls, and risk of occurrences during the life of the truck. Commercial users
advocate the heated body as a form of insurance. Most geographical areas above 350 latitude (e.g. North Carolina,
Missouri, and New Mexico) have periods of freezing weather that affect dump truck service. Commercial users can stop
operations and so can the US Army in time of peace. During an emergency, the US Army's mission is more important
than weather stoppages or a 0 savings on a ,000 dump truck, one percent of the purchase price.
(3) The heated body provides for hauling of hot asphalt mixes for medium distances without the need for dump
bed lower insulations of lumber and for shorter distances without the need for tarpaulin covers on top.
c. The Suggestor cites the safety hazards of a heated body. The CCE dump truck , following the commercial
practice of the knowledgable commercial dump truck users, requires that the exhaust system be fitted with a manually
operated diverter valve box. This box provides the user with the choice
108