Flatbedders, looking for a little advice.

You got it right 3/8" is normal. Our RGN guys carry 1/2" as well but they are used on heavy machinery more than coils. Coil bunks come in handy as well. It all depends on how much coil work you are doing. Remember, every extra little doodad you carry raises your weight. We usually carry 12 sets of chains and binders on our step decks with 20 or so 4" straps.

 

Man, there are seemingly a thousand different things you can learn about open deck securement. With different loads come different challenges. You'll probably haul similar products over and over again so you'll pick up on it quick. One thing to always remember...when in doubt, ask. If you're unsure, ask the shipper how they like it done, or how other drivers do it. Follow those suggestions with common sense and the golden rule of you can't have too many straps or chains on the load. Goes along with the line that you can go down the hill slow all the time but only once too fast.

Regarding coils, 3/8 chain, make sure to protect the inside edge of the coil from the chains, either style of binder, and suicide is most common loading placement. Also maybe carry moving blanket or something to put on top of the coil to help prevent tarp damage.

Another helpful tip is to start looking at all the loads out on the road and at the truck stops and see how they are secured. Keep in mind they may or may not be done correctly according to the regs so before you copy that other driver cross reference the regs.

 

Advice I ever recieved about load securement....You CANNOT put to MANY straps or chains on a load....Sounds simple,and it is,but has saved my load and myself also many times.....

 

driving skill plays a huge part,all the chains/straps in the world
can not secure the nut behind the wheel.

 

just always remember to secure for the total weight of the load each chain/strap is rated at 5400 lbs. so a 40,000 coil would need atleast 8 securements

 

I carried 7 3/8th chains and one 1/2 inch chain. The half inch would go on the back of whatever I was hauling if it was heavy. Just felt better with that bigger chain holding it back, just in case. It was also handy for dragging other trucks out of mudholes.

 

I have 3/8 x 16' and 5/16 x20' chains and 12 winches on each side of my trailer with 18 straps. I use ratchet binders, they take a bit more time, but no snap-back, and IMO keep the tension better. As others have wisely said, when in doubt add a couple more chains/straps. Never heard of a load falling off a truck because there were too many straps on it.

 

I'm not saying 8 isn't a good idea but you only have to have enough securement for 50% of the load weight not 100%. So with a 40k single loaded shotgun you legally only legally need 2 crossed 3/8 chains and either 2 straps/chains over the top. Suicide I would just use 4 3/8 chains.

3/8 G70 chain has a WLL of 6,600#
5/16 G70 is 4,700#
1/2 G70 # 11,300# is nice but I don't know of a trailer with a securement point rated high enough to make them worth carrying. You can carry an anchor chain from an aircraft carrier but if you hooking it to a pipe spool or a chain tie only rated for 6,600# it's a bit overkill.

Again the more the merrier buy you don't need 8 chains for a 40k. I only used 8 total on a 75,000# I'd hate to see what 11 would have looked like on there. They would have been stretched out for 15'.