The ramp collects what the floor sheds
Every trip down the ramp drags grit, tape balls, and twigs onto the diamond plate. The next boot slips. The next drive shakes that grit off in the rental lot or on the street, which is not a disposal method. Brush the ramp while it is still at the bay, with the loose material falling into the stall or into your dustpan, then into the bay. Do not brush it onto the public road as you leave. Stand to the side, not downhill of a piece that can slide. If the ramp was wet from rain, slow down. Wet metal and wet boots slip even after the grit is gone. Sweep wet ordinary soil into a bag at the site so you are not returning a mud ramp. A chemical sheen gets absorbed, not hosed into the lot.
Hardware is part of cleaning
A clean ramp that will not latch is not ready. Look at the pins, the hinges, and the latches after you brush, because grit hides in those joints and because a pin can sit in the debris you just moved. Seat every pin and tug the ramp. Gloves on. Edges are sharp. If a pin is missing, search the stall before you leave. Tell the counter if you cannot find it. Do not wire the ramp closed. Do not drill a new hole. Stow the ramp only the way the latches allow, then walk behind the truck and confirm it is up before you pull ahead. A scraping sound in the lot is the ramp. Stop and stow it before the street. The same check belongs at the dump exit.
The underside and the contact edge
Mud flaps and the edge that touches the ground pick up cans, wire, and wet leaves. Kneel only after you have swept glass. Pull debris out with gloves before it falls off on the road. Ordinary dry pieces go in the bay. Do not leave them in the hinge to rattle home. If you laid a plastic sheet and it tore onto the ramp, peel it and put it in the trash at the site, not in a storm drain. Tape you added should come off too. Sticky squares left on the ramp read as leftover junk. Fold your own ramp aids, if you brought any that are not part of the truck, into the cab. The only ramp that should be on the truck at the return is the rental's, empty, latched, and quiet.
Before you go
- Brush ramp grit into a dustpan at the disposal bay.
- Check pins and hinges, then stow and tug the ramp.
- Pull debris from the underside with gloves before you drive.
- Stop if you hear a scrape. A dragging ramp is not latched.
Stowing a gritty ramp and letting the dirt fall off in the rental lot.
Questions people ask
The ramp is oily. Should I degrease it in the lot?
Do not hose oil into the lot or a storm drain. Blot it, bag the rags as the hazardous-waste program describes, and tell the rental counter. A slippery oily ramp is also a reason to warn your helper and to slow every step until it is dealt with.
Can I leave the ramp down while I go pay?
No. Stow it before the truck moves, and do not leave it down in a queue where another vehicle can hit it. If you must step away, follow staff direction, keep the ramp stowed, and do not leave the truck open and unattended.
Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city, then call the site before you load the truck. Hours and accepted materials change.