Specialty Trucks - Fitzgerald Peterbilt

At Fitzgerald Peterbilt our knowledge about truck performance and needs in your local area is priceless — from helping determine the appropriate gross vehicle weight rating and suspension, to the best gearing and the most appropriate tires. With over 50 units in stock across our Alabama and Virginia dealerships we want to get you the right truck for the job. If you have specific needs or want to customize your new rig, No Problem! We have tons of chrome and accessories for all model dump trucks we sell. In addition to the large inventory of Dumps we also have a number of tow trucks, flatbed and box trucks on order with more arriving all the time. We have custom spec flexibility with short factory lead times. If you want a special combination of options we have the ability to make that happen quickly.

Feel free to call us at 888.251.0380

Some things to think about when purchasing a new Dump Truck

Consider Maneuverability

You have a choice of two locations for the front axle — axle forward, where the axle is mounted about 28 or 29 inches behind the bumper, or axle back, where the axle is placed farther toward the rear of the truck and gives you a tighter turning radius. Check your Bridge laws when considering which steer axle location works best.

Weight Hauling Needs

Another basic decision involves gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). It determines the size of your payloads. It also has a direct bearing on choice of number and load capacities of the axles to stay within legal weight limits.

Another important factor that would affect the purchase is your local DOT regulations. These regulations set on dump trucks varies from one state to another. Usually the regulations deal with the number of axles and the weight distribution on each individual axle.

Evaluate Transmissions

Manual transmissions, with a wide range of gear options, remain popular choice. More gear choices, of course, also improve your ability to match engine speed to your job. A low gear with a low range can prove helpful in keeping your truck moving in mud or sand.

Although more expensive, an automatic transmission with a flexible torque converter makes up for its fewer gears and offers its own advantages. It doesn’t require the shifting, which may be important in the case of a new driver or where multiple drivers with different skill levels operate the same truck. An automatic transmission also eliminates the expense of maintaining and replacing clutches. And with no clutch pedal, the driver is less fatigued at the end of the day.

Bed Application

Many different Dump Bed Configurations are available. Consider what you will be doing with the bed and what you will be hauling. We stock the most common or can have a custom bed installed on our chassis.

We can explain these and other considerations in much more detail. However, these basic tips should get you off to a good start in making a smart dump truck buying decision.