Dumpers (also known as tipper trucks or site dumpers) are self-propelled transport vehicles with a tipping body designed for transporting bulk materials on construction sites, in quarries and in open-cast mining. Unlike lorries, they are generally not permitted on public roads and are specifically designed for rough terrain.
Variants include mini-dumpers (up to 1 t payload, suitable for horticulture), wheeled dumpers (typically 3–10 t payload for building and civil engineering), articulated dump trucks (ADTs) with a payload of 25–60 tonnes for earthmoving, and rigid large-capacity dump trucks for open-cast mining and quarries (payload over 100 tonnes).
Common manufacturers include Volvo Construction Equipment, Caterpillar, Komatsu, Bell, Doosan, Hydrema, JCB, Wacker Neuson, Terex and Liebherr.
Dump trucks are used in earthworks and civil engineering (excavation and transport), in quarries, in opencast mining, in bridge construction and river regulation, in sand and gravel extraction, and in gardening and landscaping for the transport of soil and bulk materials.