A tipper buyer's first question is usually volume; but the real determinant is the body's form and armour. Two bodies of the same volume can offer completely different lifespans and returns under different loads.
Three Main Characters
- Half-pipe: A round cross-section lets the load slide off without sticking and speeds up discharge; with no corner welds, it resists fatigue. It excels in asphalt milling, wet excavation and sticky material
- Rock type: Thick wear plate, a reinforced floor and impact-resistant structure; the body for mining and quarry work with large lumps and shock loading. The price is high unladen weight
- Light series: Reduced unladen weight through thin but high-strength plate; on low-abrasion loads such as sand, soil and agricultural produce it carries more tonnage on every trip
How Is the Decision Made?
The first question is: what is the harshest material that will ever be loaded into the body? The body should be chosen for the most aggressive load carried, even occasionally; a light-series body loaded with large rock burns through its life fast. The second question is operational tempo: in a sand operation running many trips a day, the light series' tonnage advantage goes straight to revenue, while in a single-shift mining job the rock type's durability lowers total cost.
For mixed work there is a middle path too: thick wear plate on the floor and rear zone, a lighter structure on the side walls. The right tipper is chosen not from a catalogue, but from your load list.