I know it has happend to everyone. your pumping along and you go through a few trucks then you get that one that seems like it is all rock. What do you do, fight through it or send it back. i've done both but i want to hear what you think

I've got one job in orlando (fl) that i can count on getting a bad load about every pour, (only on one end of town). some times work through it, sometimes send it back. If the crews are where they can tailgate a truck I send it to the side for them to tailgate. If it is hard to get started but will pump once started Ill work it.  Have had trucks toward the end of pour pull up and soon as there mud fills hopper pump stops. This happened last week at end when we were releasing 1 at a time to do drops. here I sucked back my ball cleaned out and started again when next truck arrived, rather than waiting for next load and trying to work it through.

Yeah all they use here is crushed rock, and its really big, it can make things pretty miserable

let me add a little to earlier comment. I do 90% of my pumping for 1 company, I have a 20 year history with them. Ive been employed as formsetter, finisher, lead finisher, project manager, as well as subcontracting form-prep and finishing.  have known concrete salesman for years.  contractor and My relationship is preaty unusual and advantagious to both of us I couldnt be in a better position to watch out for both of our interests. So if the comment about sending a load back sounded funny i could see how unless you new all the factors. we also specialize in post-tensioncable and a bad load can be a big problem iff you stress cables and concrete starts poping.

I have grown up in the concrete industry in the small town (109,000) i live in. So i know all the drivers and owners of the 4 concrete companys. I dont mind sending a truck back but i try not to. i won't fight through a whole load but i will mix it with another truck or tailgate it. but sending it back is my last resort...

It is called Concrete Pump, not a Rock Pump, a Sand Pump or a Water Pump.  It's a CONCRETE PUMP!