Articulated Dump Truck Training (ADT)

Why an ADT needs its own training

An articulated dump truck pivots at a joint between the cab and the body. That gives it good traction and manoeuvrability off-road, but it also means the rear body can roll independently of the front, and an ADT is most at risk when tipping on a slope, turning sharply with a raised body or running too close to a soft edge. A forward tipping dumper ticket does not cover an articulated dump truck, and neither does an excavator card.

ADT training focuses on those hazards. Operators learn how the articulation and oscillation joints work, how load, speed and gradient interact, and why most serious ADT incidents happen at the tipping point or on the haul road rather than during loading.

What the course covers

The course combines theory with practical driving on your site. Candidates spend most of the time on the machine, working through the tasks they will do on the job.

• Pre-use checks, walk-round inspection and reporting defects
• Controls, retarder and braking systems, and safe start-up and shutdown
• Travelling loaded and empty on haul roads, gradients and rough ground
• Being loaded by an excavator or loading shovel and positioning under the bucket
• Tipping safely: level ground, edge protection, wind and soft ground
• Working with banksmen, other plant and pedestrians on site
• Theory and practical test through the NPORS route

Novice or experienced ADT operator?

Experienced operators who have driven articulated dump trucks but never held a card can usually take a shorter route to testing, while novices need a full course. Our experienced worker test page explains how that route works. Either way, the course is matched to the operator's real experience, so tell us how long they have been driving and on what machines.

ADT training on your own site

Haul roads change as a job progresses, so part of the course is about reading the ground: spotting soft spots after rain, judging when a gradient is too steep to travel loaded, and agreeing passing places and right of way with other drivers. Operators also practise reversing to a tip edge with a banksman and stopping well short of any edge that is not protected by a bund.

Training on your own site means operators learn on the haul roads, tipping areas and gradients they will actually use, and on your own ADT. It also means an NPORS ADT course can be combined with excavator, dumper or loading shovel training on the same visit when the team uses several machines.

Tell us how many operators need training, the make and size of the ADT and the kind of site you run. Call Chris on 07867 933 018 or use the enquiry form below.