The dump body is the tipper bed of a dump truck, dumper, or tipper lorry. It accommodates bulk materials such as excavated soil, gravel, sand, coal, or construction waste and empties them through hydraulic tipping. The shape and size of the dump body determine the payload capacity and application of the machine.
Dump body designs include flatbed bodies (for light goods with high volume), standard bodies (universal use), rock/mining bodies (reinforced with wear liners), and V-shaped bodies (for sticky materials, improved discharge). Material selection ranges from standard structural steel (S355) through wear-resistant steel (Hardox 400/450) to aluminum alloys (weight savings = increased payload).
Volume and payload capacity are key specifications: a Volvo A30G features a 17.5 m³ dump body with 28 tonnes payload capacity, while a Cat 797F mining truck has a 240-tonne capacity body. Heated dump bodies prevent material freeze-on during frost operation, and overload weighing systems prevent overloading while documenting transport quantities for billing purposes.