Mud Dog Vac Trucks: Safely Dig and Maintain Underground Utilities

An Introduction to Mud Dog Vac Trucks

Mud dog vac trucks, also referred to as hydro-excavators or vacuum excavators, are heavy duty trucks designed for non-destructive excavation. These versatile trucks utilize high powered vacuums and water jets to safely expose underground utilities, dig trenches, clean up spills, and complete various other industrial and municipal jobs.

What is a Mud Dog Vac Truck?

A mud dog vac truck is essentially a truck with an attached tank system that utilizes water jets and industrial strength vacuums to dig and move dirt, rocks, mud, and debris without risking damage to underground infrastructure. Non-destructive digging and excavating using hydro excavation trucks ensures no accidental contact with existing gas lines, fiber optics, sewer systems, electrical lines or water mains.

The tank system consists of a high pressure water jet and a powerful vacuum tube connected to an industrial debris body with anywhere from 1500 to over 5000 gallon capacity. Operators use handheld wands connected to the high pressure water jets to break up compact soil. The vacuum system then safely transfers the loose soil, mud or slurry into the attached debris tank for safe transportation.

Benefits of Mud Dog Vac Trucks

Mud dog vac trucks provide numerous benefits over traditional mechanical excavation equipment. Some key advantages include:

• Non-destructive digging. No risk of accidentally hitting existing underground utilities.
• More efficient with less waste generated.
• Truck mounted mobility allows work across various terrain.
• Can safely dig around active underground infrastructure.
• Ideal for confined spaces with utilities buried under sidewalks or against buildings.
• No damage to surrounding structures, landscaping or sprinkler systems.
• Indirect visibility allows technicians to safely view underground before digging.
• Can be used for spill containment and Hazmat incidents.
• Reduces restoration timelines and costs.

Common Mud Dog Vac Truck Applications

Mud dog vac trucks serve various industrial functions across municipal, transportation, pipeline, environmental and other applications including:

• Slot trenching - Digging long narrow trenches for cables, wiring, gas lines, etc.
• Exposing underground utilities - Safely revealing buried pipes, cables, fiber optics, etc. prior to excavation.
• Water and sewer installations - Trenching and preparing areas for new water/sewer lines without risk of hitting existing utilities.
• Street repairs and construction - Removing layers of asphalt/concrete without disturbing underlying ground infrastructure.
• Environmental remediation - Vacuuming contaminated soil, hydrocarbons, drilling mud and other hazardous materials.
• Spill response - Containing and cleaning chemical spills, oil spills or sewage overflows.
• Daylighting - Exposing buried utility lines and drainage systems for inspection, maintenance or repairs.
• Potholing - Quickly creating an excavation "pothole" to uncover utilities and investigate the area prior to large digging operations.

Key Mud Dog Vac Truck Components

The key components that make up a mud dog hydro excavation truck system include:

• Debris tank - Steel tank ranging anywhere from 1500 gallons to over 5000 gallons to store and transport vacuumed mud, soil, and debris.
• High pressure water pump - Up to 4000 psi pump to power water jets capable of breaking up compacted soil.
• Water heaters - Heating elements to heat water for better soil cutting performance.
• Handheld wands - Connect to the high pressure water lines. Operators use wands to cut soil and guide vacuums.
• Industrial vacuum system - Vacuum pumps that create strong suction through hoses and pipes to transfer soil/debris into the tank.
• Hoses, piping and nozzles - Connect water lines to wands/nozzles and vacuum intake lines to suction pipes.
• Operator controls and gauges - System controls and displays allowing operators to monitor pressures, tank levels, etc.

Popular Mud Dog Vac Truck Manufacturers

Some leading manufacturers of mud dog vac trucks and hydro-excavation equipment include:

• Super Products - One of the first to pioneer modern hydro excavators.
• Vactor - A subsidiary of Federal Signal Corporation specializing in combination sewer cleaners and vacuum excavation trucks.
• GapVax - Manufacture a variety of industrial vacuum trucks for multiple applications.
• Keith Huber - Build both trailer and skid mounted hydro excavators.
• Hurricane - Specialize in upgrade packages to transform standard vacuum trucks into full hydro excavators.

These companies all offer comprehensive mud dog vac truck and hydro excavation systems built on top of commercial chassis trucks from OEMs like Kenworth, Mack, Peterbilt, International, Freightliner and Western Star.

Operating and Maintaining Mud Dog Vac Trucks

It takes properly trained and experienced operators to safely and efficiently operate the various complex functions on a mud dog vac truck. Precision control of the high pressure water jets while managing vacuum suction is crucial.

Daily Operation

A typical process for using a vacuum excavation truck on a job site includes:

1. Survey area and use marking paint/flags to note buried utility locations based on locate service information.
2. Clear away surface material such as pavement, soil or sod to expose subsurface layer.
3. Use handheld water jet wand to fracture subsurface ground material. Adjust pressure as needed based on soil conditions.
4. Carefully control vacuum nozzle to transfer saturated soil directly into tank, or let soil drain first into trench to inspect subsurface utilities.
5. Repeat blasting material with water jet and vacuuming away debris until reaching desired trench depth.
6. Once excavation complete, move truck to designated spoil site to discharge tank.

Maintenance Best Practices

Proper mud dog vac truck maintenance is crucial for maximizing uptime and availability. Recommended inspection and maintenance tasks include:

• Inspect water lines, fittings, pumps and valves. Replace worn components as needed.
• Check vacuum system seals, filters, lines for any leaks or clogs.
• Drain and flush water and vacuum lines to prevent mineral deposits.
• Ensure proper fluid levels - fuel, hydraulic fluid, engine coolant, etc.
• Lubricate fittings. Inspect for leaks. Repair issues immediately.
• Cycle water pump valves and vacuum relief valves from cab to confirm proper operation.
• Examine all welds/bolts on piping systems, tanks/bodies for cracking or corrosion.
• Test all safety devices and alarms to avoid potential hazards.

Mud Dog Vac Trucks on the Job

When operated by certified and experienced technicians, mud dog vac trucks provide safe, efficient and non-destructive excavation capabilities across various municipal and industrial projects. They are critical assets for excavation companies to locate underground utilities, install new infrastructure, clean up spills or ultimately complete any operation requiring precise and controlled digging without risking existing buried structures.

With rugged chassis, extensive tank capacities and innovative tooling, these impressive hydro excavation rigs continue gaining popularity as a go-to equipment choice for minimized harm excavation needs across North America and worldwide.

FAQs

How deep can a mud dog vac truck dig?

Most mud dog vac trucks can excavate safely up to depths of 15 feet depending on soil conditions. Smaller truck models may max out at around 12 feet depth, while custom units with accessories like foldable booms may reach up to 18-20 feet depth during trenching operations.

What size debris tank do I need?

1500-2000 gallon debris tanks are common for compact urban jobsites with limited dumping access. 3000+ gallon units allow fewer dumps per day for longer runs or remote locations. Consider factors like application, jobsite space, dumping access, operator preferenc and operating radii when sizing your vac truck's tank capacity.

Can I recycle the waste fluid collected?

In many cases yes - the mud, soil and water mixtures collected through hydro excavation may be recycled using settling tanks, filtration systems and other equipment that allow solid debris separation from reusable water flushed back out into native soil.

What safety features do these trucks have?

Mud dog vac trucks feature multiple integrated safety systems to protect operators. These include emergency shut-off switches, fire suppression systems, alarm systems to indicate high fluid temperatures or tank pressures, overflow protection valves, and more redundancies to allow safe system shut down in hazardous conditions.