Maverick .... from a wife's perspective

The birds Eye view is cool, thanks. Though these photos are over 3 years old.

 

Yeah Ive heard of guys using straps to tie down pallet laid coils, and sheet steel. Just let R.C know that it only takes one time for you to have to hit your brakes and that steel will be coming your way. If there is one thing about flatbed work "it is this is not for lazy people".

 

I use steel on steel.
There are very rare occasions that I would do otherwise.
Most of what my last company hauled was steel, all our contracts were steel.
I have seen guys leave the forge with "bullets" (an ingot with a hole bored in the middle), and use straps on them. I actually commented to a few drivers about it and they just get mad at me for saying anything.
These go 2 on a truck and weigh 22,000 each. And they are strapping them down.
Last winter I finally saw one do what I expected with straps. The driver was going down one of our 2 lanes we use to get to I-80 and his straps broke.
The ingot went off the truck and into the woods. He had to wait several hours to get a crane down there to get it back onto the truck. He had chains on the other one by the time I got there, but I saw him strapping it down in the morning so I know it was a late addition.

That being said.
There are some wire coil loads that you are not allowed to use chains on. They have to be strapped and belly wrapped. They do not have the structure or strength to be chained, and it will say on the paperwork no chains.
Plate steel, round stock and such need chains. But a combination of chains and straps can be used, depending on the situation.
If possible I always had a chain in the front and back. And on round stock I always use at least 2 chain belly chains whenever possible.
I will admit that I have at times used straps on sheet steel mostly because the chain will catch the edge and can pop loose if you do not really work it down. So I will put a few straps on it to help keep it secure in case of chain pop, also adds friction.

The tarping every load thing I think is a waste of time. If my paperwork from the shipper says tarp I will tarp. Or if I hear that the reciever wants it tarped I will.
Otherwise I typically will not. I got paid better than 10 a load to tarp though. The company charged 75 for tarps and I got 30.

 

bduke, long story short. At Maverick. If you deliver within the city limits of any city and are dispatched to pick up a load within that same city's limits, even though you might have to drive 25-40 miles from one end of the city to the other, since your delivery and your pick up is within the same city's limits, your paid empty miles would be 0

 

Bduke if you had a company, and the history of the company showed that during the typical winter slowdown of freight a certain percentage of drivers quit to pursue supposed greener pastures elsewhere its smart business sense to be proactive rather than reactive, meaning if you predict based on years past, freight slows down a certain percentage c ompared to when freight is good and history shows a certain percentage of drivers in addition to your normal turnover rate will leave than hire a number of drivers not necessarily at a 1 to 1 ratio to balance things out and not necessarily overhire thereby reducing the number of loads available for those who jump ship at the drop of a hat.

a buddy of mine explains working as a company driver like this. You find a company that best suits your needs. Like the old addage, "you can please some of the people some of the time...." You find a company to work for that best suits your needs. If you cannot find such a company then buy your own truck, find your own freight and then the only person you have to blame for anything is yourself

 

Plus if there was no pre-plan and you had to roll and bounced 20 miles to park... you just tacked on another 40 miles OOR...

 

unless his work assignment says not to, call the customer and ask whether they have overnight parking and if his hours available to drive allow it, stay the night at the customer whenever possible. If they dont have overnight parking, ask if they know where most drivers stay nearby if they are in the area the day before pick up or delivery.

He can also send for directions on his qualcom. macro 1 and sometimes after the directions it will tell you if overnight parking is available.

for just a few dollars, he can pick up a book at any truckstop that lists truckstops in every state. Just keep in mind for some reason, lol, major truckstops fill up first, ie Pilot, Loves, T/A, Petrol, Flying J. Nothing against drivers that HAVE to stay the night in a truckstop but i've found its much quieter, cleaner, place to spend the night anyplace other than a truckstop.

 

A person can save a lot of time by sleeping on the property there going to load or unload. All the time loading, tarping doing paperwork can be thirty minutes on paper.

 

Yep Jackson Ameristeel. Drivers will see Alot of different securement techniques there and Yes I've seen the same with other companies pulling up after getting loaded, throw their tarps on the load then straps over it. Guess they like working for a company that likes to replace tarps. That stock steel can have very sharp edges so the drivers that use straps over their tarps on loads such as that in their infinate wisdom obviously dont think about, 1. The forward movement of the bundles of steel in the event of a hard brake situation and 2. The wear and tear placed on the tarp and straps by using straps on the sharp edges steel rather than chains.

Shame on the Maverick driver he saw using the straps on it. If that driver wants to do that, he should go work for arrow or western Express. I can guarantee he wont work for Maverick for long doing that. and when he's let go, good riddance!!!