After the truck has engaged the hitch on the spreader, the truck bed is raised and aggregate is dumped into the receiving hopper. The receiving hopper is seen in Figure 7‑29. Its only function is to receive the aggregate from the truck. At the bottom of the receiving hopper, there are openings through which the belt conveyors must pass in a continuous loop. A rubber shield prevents aggregate from piling up on the belt, being carried ahead of the receiving hopper and being spilled onto the ground. This shield should not be torn or missing so that it can function properly.

The receiving hopper should be visually checked for overall condition. There should be no holes or large gaps that would allow aggregate to fall through to the road surface. The conveyor belt system should have rubber, neoprene, or fabric cowling (or flaps) around it to prevent aggregate loss. There should also be a flap on top of the receiving hopper to ensure a tight fit against haul trucks as the aggregate is being dumped into the receiving hopper.