Okay, so yesterday I tackled moving 18 yards of dirt myself. Yeah, you heard that right. Eighteen yards. It looked like a mountain dumped right in my backyard. I stood there staring at it, feeling kinda overwhelmed. Where do I even start? A wheelbarrow? I’d be dead by next week.
Figuring Out the Game Plan
I knew I needed something bigger. Googled like crazy, found folks arguing about skid steers, dump trailers, those mini dump truck rentals – whole lotta options. Honestly, it made my head spin. Renting a big dump truck sounded like overkill and crazy expensive. A skid loader? Felt like learning to drive a tank just for this one job.
Started leaning towards a dump trailer. The idea was simple: hitch it to my pickup, load it up myself or maybe hire a guy with a skid loader for a couple hours just to fill it, drive where I need the dirt, dump it. Seemed manageable. Found a decently priced 10-yard dump trailer for rent nearby. Booked it.
Operation Dirt Haul Begins
Got the trailer hooked up first thing. Thing was heavy even empty! Realized my F-150 was right at its limit towing it full – kinda nerve-wracking.
Had already hired a local guy with a skid loader for an hour. Guy was a pro. Watched him grab huge bucketfuls like it was nothing, dumping load after load into the trailer. So much faster than I pictured. We filled that 10-yard trailer to the brim twice before we were even close to halfway through the pile. Thought 10 yards would be bigger… Seeing it vanish that fast was surprising.
- First Trip: Trailers haul different empty vs. loaded. Wow. My truck worked hard climbing hills. Got to the dump spot, hit the switch… watched that huge bed tilt up. Best feeling ever! Dirt just slid out in one massive pile.
- Second Trip: Feeling confident now. Filled it up again. Same drill.
That first trailer only covered maybe 12 yards total? Pile was shrinking, but slowly. Needed another plan for the last bit.
The Final Push (and Almost Disaster)
Okay, trailer returned. Still had 6 yards mocking me. Didn’t wanna rent it again just for that. Time for Phase Two: The Wheelbarrow. Ugh.
Grabbed my trusty old wheelbarrow – the big one, thankfully. Started shoveling. Let me tell you, shoveling heavy clay dirt for hours? Not fun. Back started yelling at me fast. This was the grind.
My biggest issue was getting the stuff uphill to where I needed it. Wheelbarrow felt like it weighed a ton each trip. Kept thinking there had to be a better way.
Then… bam! Idea hit me while I was nearly dying pushing uphill. My flatbed truck! I could just back it right up close to the pile. Shovel the dirt into the truck bed first. Way less distance than pushing a loaded wheelbarrow all the way. Then, just drive the truck close to the spot and shovel it out there. Saved so many steps!
Had to be super careful shoveling out the truck bed, though. Nearly buried the passenger side under a mini-avalanche once – my heart was pounding outta my chest! But it worked. Took a few trips, but shoveling from the truck was still a million times better than just the wheelbarrow alone.
Done and Dusted (Literally)
Finally, after one long sweaty day, that mountain was gone. Moved exactly where I needed it. My arms felt like overcooked noodles, my back was singing the blues, and I was covered head-to-toe in dirt.
Was it worth it? Well, saved myself a huge chunk of cash compared to hiring the whole thing out. Learned a bunch about hauling big loads too. Biggest takeaway? For a crapton of dirt:
- Rent a Dump Trailer: Worth every penny if you’ve got more than a couple yards, saves brutal physical labor.
- Skid Loader Help is Gold: Hire someone for an hour or two to load the trailer – makes it fly by.
- Truck Bed Can Help Too: For smaller remaining amounts or tricky spots, shoveling into the truck bed first saved my bacon.
- Wheelbarrow = Last Resort: Okay for little bits, but hauling 18 yards with just one? Forget it. Hot garbage idea.
My body hates me a bit today, but seeing that dirt exactly where I planned it? Feels pretty darn good.
