We buy dump trucks
Sell Your Dump Truck
Tandem, tri-axle, super dump and transfer — priced on axle configuration, body condition and engine year.
- Written offers
- Transport arranged
- Running or not
- California
On this page
MachineryBarn buys used dump trucks — standard tandem and tri-axle units, super dumps, transfer trucks and end dumps — running or not. Dump trucks sit at the intersection of two markets, which is why they price unusually: the chassis is a commercial truck subject to California's emissions and registration rules, while the body, hoist and axle configuration determine what work it can legally and profitably haul. Both halves have to work for the truck to be worth what the owner expects.
What counts as a dump truck
A dump truck carries loose material in a body that tips hydraulically to discharge. In California the configuration matters more than in most states because of bridge formula weight rules, which is why super dumps with a trailing drop axle and transfer configurations are so common here — both exist to legally carry more payload per trip.
Configuration is described by axle count and arrangement. A tandem has two rear axles; a tri-axle adds a third. A super dump adds a trailing drop axle that extends behind the body to spread weight and legally increase payload. A transfer truck pulls a separate trailer whose load is transferred into the truck body. Each configuration serves different work and has a different buyer.
Where these machines usually come from
- Aggregate, sand and gravel haul
- Excavation spoil removal from construction sites
- Asphalt and road construction haul
- Demolition debris and recycling
- Agricultural haul, seasonally
- Municipal work, including winter operations
Dump Trucks we buy
Configuration changes who the next buyer is, so it changes the offer. These are the variants worth naming when you describe your machine.
- Standard tandem dump
- The general-purpose configuration. Widest buyer pool and the easiest to place.
- Tri-axle
- Extra axle for more legal payload. Popular in aggregate and asphalt work.
- Super dump
- Trailing drop axle for maximum legal payload per trip. Very much a California configuration and valuable to the right buyer.
- Transfer truck
- Truck plus a transfer trailer. Sold as a set most of the time — say whether the trailer is included, because it substantially changes the value.
- End dump versus side dump
- End dump discharges rearward and is the default. Side dumps discharge laterally, unload faster, and suit specific applications.
What determines a used dump truck's value
Roughly in order of how much each one moves the number.
- 1
Engine year and California registrability
The same regulatory reality as any heavy diesel truck in this state. CARB rules govern which heavy vehicles can operate in California and enforcement runs through DMV registration. A truck that cannot be registered here still has an active out-of-state and export market, but it is a different market and the offer reflects that.
How to check it: Find the emissions label on the valve cover or door jamb for the engine model year.
- 2
Axle configuration
This decides what the truck can legally haul and therefore what it can earn. Super dumps and tri-axles command more than standard tandems in aggregate work because they move more material per legal trip.
- 3
Body condition and material
The body takes the abuse. Steel bodies wear and dent; aluminium bodies are lighter, meaning more legal payload, but they damage more easily. Rock damage, floor thinning, cracked welds and a bowed body are all real deductions.
How to check it: Look at the floor from inside for thin spots and patches, and check the sidewall-to-floor welds and the front bulkhead.
- 4
Hoist and cylinder condition
A hoist that will not lift a full load, drifts down, or twists the body is a functional failure rather than wear. Cylinder seals, the pump and the PTO all need to work.
How to check it: Raise the empty body fully, hold it, and watch for drift. Listen for the pump loading and look for leaks at the cylinder base.
- 5
Aftertreatment condition
As with any modern diesel, the DPF and DEF system is one of the more expensive things that can be wrong. A truck sitting in derate, throwing DEF quality faults, or running a deleted system all price differently — and a deleted system limits who can legally buy it.
- 6
Tyres, brakes and suspension
A dump truck carries a lot of rubber and a full set is a substantial cost. Brakes wear fast under loaded stop-start work, and suspension takes constant punishment.
- 7
Tarp system, liner and extras
A working tarp system is effectively required for legal operation. Liners, vibrators, air gates and heated bodies all add value and should be listed.
- 8
Title condition
Dump trucks are titled vehicles. Clean title in hand transfers simply; a lien, an out-of-state title or a salvage brand all add steps that should be flagged before an offer rather than after.
How usage is measured
Odometer miles and engine hours together. Dump trucks accumulate hours far faster relative to miles than highway tractors do, because they spend so much time idling in queues, loading, and running the hoist. A dump truck with 300,000 miles may have the engine wear of a highway truck with considerably more.
What gets inspected on a dump truck
Knowing what a buyer looks at lets you describe the machine accurately the first time, which avoids the offer changing later.
Body and floor
Floor thickness and patches, sidewall welds, front bulkhead, tailgate hinges and latch, and body-to-frame mounting.
Hoist system
Cylinder condition and drift, pump and PTO function, hydraulic tank and lines, and whether the body raises evenly.
Engine and aftertreatment
Cold start, blow-by, active fault codes, DPF loading, DEF system function, and any evidence of a delete.
Chassis and frame
Frame rail cracks, prior repair, crossmember condition, and rust at the rear frame where material collects.
Brakes, tyres and suspension
Lining thickness, drum condition, air system leak-down, tread depth across all positions, and spring or air bag condition.
Drop axle, where fitted
Deployment and retraction function, air bag condition, tyre wear on the trailing axle, and frame mounting integrity.
Wear items that dominate cost on this class
What we need to price your dump truck
You do not need all of it to start. The more of it you have, the closer the first number is to the final one.
- Year, make, model and VIN
- Odometer reading and engine hours
- Engine make, model and emissions model year
- Axle configuration — tandem, tri-axle, super dump, transfer
- Body material, length and capacity
- Body and floor condition, including any patches
- Whether the hoist lifts a full load without drift
- Tarp system condition
- Title status — in hand, lien, out of state, or branded
- Whether it drives and dumps, and if not, what stopped it
Common situations
The circumstances that come up most often when someone sells a dump truck, and what each one actually means for the sale.
The truck cannot be registered in California
The most common reason a California owner sells. It is not worthless — there is a real out-of-state and export market for these trucks — but that is a different buyer than a local hauler, and the offer reflects it. Give us the engine model year up front so the truck is priced against the right market.
The body is worn out but the truck runs well
Common and workable. A sound chassis with a tired body is bought regularly; bodies are replaceable and the market understands that. Do not spend money replacing a body to sell — describe the condition and let the offer account for it.
The hoist will not lift a loaded body
Tell us. It could be the pump, the PTO, cylinder seals or the hydraulics, and you do not need to know which. What matters is that we know before the offer, because a hoist fault changes both the number and how the truck is collected.
You have a transfer truck and trailer
Say explicitly whether the trailer is included. Transfer sets are usually worth more together, and a truck photographed with a trailer that is not part of the sale causes problems at collection.
There is a lien recorded on the title
Standard. Because dump trucks are titled, the lien sits on the title itself and the lender must release it before ownership transfers. Get a current payoff figure; it is settled as part of the purchase.
Moving a dump truck
Running trucks drive themselves to us, which is the simplest case. A truck without current registration or insurance has to be trailered rather than driven, and a non-runner is towed — both routine, but both need to be known beforehand because they change how collection is arranged. Transport is arranged and paid for by us and is already inside the offer.
Ownership and paperwork
Dump trucks are titled vehicles in California, transferred through the DMV with an odometer disclosure. Any lien is recorded on the title rather than as a UCC filing. Have the title to hand or know who holds it. Out-of-state titles, salvage brands and missing titles are all workable but each adds steps and should be raised before an offer is made.
Attachments and extras
Tarp systems, body liners, vibrators, air gates, heated bodies, and transfer trailers all count. On dump trucks in particular, be explicit about the trailer — it is the single item most often assumed included when it is not.
Makes and model families we see most
We buy dump trucks from manufacturers beyond this list. These are the ones that come up most often, with the series a seller is likely to recognise from the machine.
| Manufacturer | Model families |
|---|---|
| Freightliner | 114SD, 122SD, M2 vocational |
| Peterbilt | 567, 348, 365, 388 |
| Kenworth | T880, T800, W900S |
| International | HX, HV, WorkStar, PayStar |
| Mack | Granite — long the default in vocational dump work |
| Western Star | 4700, 4900, 47X, 49X |
| Volvo | VHD |
Get a cash offer
Get an offer on your dump truck
Tell us what you have and what shape it is in. We come back with a cash figure in writing.
- A written offer, not an estimate
- Transport arranged and priced into the offer
- Running or not, any make
Prefer to talk it through?
(916) 740-7755Get a Cash Offer
Any brand, any condition, any hours.
- Written offer
- Transport arranged
- No Spam
Where we buy dump trucks
We buy across California. Our published town-level coverage is concentrated in these counties.
