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topsoil with wood chips in it -- a big deal
I'm a contractor. I don't want to be an alarmist but anyone when it comes to topsoil, mulch or even concrete should be wary of those who sell and/or truck it. Around here, short-loading is a HUGE problem. What they do is they say they are selling/delivering 30 yards---in a 24-yd truck no less! But when you get it you're lucky if you get 20yds. Even if they do deliver the volume they say they will, you are buying a "fluffy yard", not a "compacted yard" which your computations are based on. I tell my customers 1.)They deal directly with the top soil seller, that way they aren't mad at me when they are shorted. 2.) Figure on losing at least a third to half of the original volume. So as the saying goes "figure on how much you need then double it". To keep your topsoil guy honest go to a manager/owner and give them the dimensions you are working with that you want to fill. Let them tell you how much you need and what it will cost for the whole job. An honest guy will tell you about compaction loss and figure that in (or at least remind them of it). So tell them that since they are the professional you are relying on their professional input to determine the amount. One way or another get them to commit to not the yardage but the price---the job isn't done until, ALL the dirt is there---regardless of how much soil is needed the price will not change. And they will need to keep bringing in soil until your expectations which is what you agreed upon are met. Before I had my customers buy the topsoil I saw my jobs taking 2-3 times what I figured on ($2000-$4000 more) all due to short-loading. And the guys I bought from were friends so I thought.
A dishonest guy will him-haw around and be non-committal about the yardage---they figure you are at their mercy so you will---and have to---pay anything to get the job done and overwith.
By the way, concrete redi-mix suppliers will try this same thing if they can get away with it. A friend was a party once and was talking with a concrete supply owner---he boasted that he makes $250,000 over and above his regular sales just because of short-loading--the last time this happened to me it cost me $250 for a 1/4 yard and they were literally next door.
If you are wondering if you got what you paid for and you are using a loader, count how many level or "struck" buckets you get from each load then multiply that by the "struck" cubic foot or yard capacity which may be stamped on your bucket or you can have your dealer tell you. Then if there is a problem, you have solid evidence you have been ripped off, or rest assured you got your money's worth.
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topsoil with wood chips in it -- a big deal
As far as filling to the top that varies around here with who you talk to. I beleive the law is 6-8" below the side rails but I have yet to find it in the DOT Reg. book. Some guys try to impress the customer when they pull up with a mountain-peak of dirt showing---but the truth is if you level it out there would be a lot of room to spare. And with the peak showing it makes it really hard to tell if you are shorted.
As far as getting stuck, I find the lazy operators I dealt with wanted me to accept the responsibility just like you say. And you are very correct with the stance you take with them---let them decide. I had one diver who backed a 24yd trailer into a ditch that I just put a new culvert in and he crushed one end. I told the customer to deduct $200 from the soil bill for me to fix it. The soil owner went ballastic. The customer didn't feel like fighting and gave in and paid me to fix it. The owner tried to make accept the responsiblilty for the actions of his driver---no way!
Around here customers refuse to pay for a driver's mistake in getting stuck. Most places I know will fire the guy first.
Then there's the driver my one buddy has who actually backed into my new skid steer with his big dump (got mirrors?). This same guy when he delivers for me, his boss will call and tell me "make sure the ground is level because the dumb___ will raise it anyway" The last time he raised it on unlevel ground he flipped it over and caused $33,000 in damage to the trailer frame. Yep and this guy is on the road!
Concrete trucks are a little different. Sometimes when pouring a new driveway the approach/apron off the street is soaked from rain with a foot or more of mud (in a subdivision for example) and the only choices you have are: get the truck to the back and start pouring and pay for towing or turn away the truck and pay for a load you can't pour---ouch. My buddy chose to pay for towing ($600). I used to pour mobile home concrete piers (as many as 44 per home). Spring time mud made the mud two feet deep. Only once did a truck get stuck and turned out she forgot to lock the front axle--but she had another truck waiting with a tow cable just in case. We never discussed a towing bill though.
On another job I told the conc. dispatcher to NOT allow his guys to go through the alley that had low utility wires. What'd they do? Took down the wires. The driver just shrugged his shoulders as I wrote on the bill that I wasn't paying for the wires he downed. Apparently he knew more than I did 'cause he said "If the wires aren't higher than 13'-8" we will take 'em down--that's the law" he said.
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