The Truckers’ Report flatbed Hall of Shame.

@Kshaw0960


My info is of law and my opinion. I'm not firm on some of the law.

You did well. But you want beveled lumber. Heavy rubber belting between lumber and coil. Some say under coil racks, or big slip mat. I personally see that is useless. I'm very serious about 1 coil rack per 10k. More the better. Your lumber will last forever. You want a hard heavy lumber. If it's a pain to carry, it's hard wood. That's why I carry different lengths.

Shotgun coil split binders front and rear. Simply so you don't have so much chain and binders in one mess. If you have long enough chain. You could chain that down with 3 chains, 4 binders. With 4 points of securment.

4 3x8" G70 would be very sufficient. It's hard to tell in pic, but 6 chains in a U are pointless. Always X the first 2 on shotgun coils. Add U chain till you meet requirements.

Strap or chain over top is pointless.

 

Yeah the lumber is oak and weighs a ton and is also beveled. Might be hard to see in pic. I also used 3 thick conveyor belting and 6 coil racks. In the future I will do an x chain. The chains are 3/8 G70 and USA as well as the binders are USA. I did not skimp on expenses when it comes to securement. Thanks for the tips.

 

You using longer wood makes no difference to your trailer. If it’s a 5’ coil sat in 8’ wood, that weight is in 5’. The wood isn’t strong enough to disperse the weight any further than the end of the coil. The only thing that 8’ wood is doing is allowing wind and water an entry point under your tarp and for making your tarp job look ugly. Vanity counts.

On that coil, I would’ve done 4 chains and two straps. I would’ve X-ed both sets of chains through the eye. I would’ve placed the straps at the coil’s edges. This helps to provide support to your tarp and give it a crisp edge.

On big, suicide singles, I like to “X” 6 chains, with a single chain or strap straight across the bottom of the eye. Sometimes, a binder won’t fit inside the coil, so a strap becomes necessary. With small inside diameters, a binder sometimes will fit on the side. Just depends.

I see a lot of suicide coils with straps X-ed over the top. The driver doing that tells me how ignorant they are. The coil will just roll right out from under those straps. A flatbedder has to be able to look at something and think about how the forces of securement are going to apply to the cargo. Conversely, they have to be able to look at the cargo and think about how it’s going to apply forces to the securement. Straps are only good in straight pulls, using a winch. The only time I ever used a strap over the top of a suicide coil is to help stop the tarp from flapping on really tall coils. And, that strap is under the tarp, on the bare coil. Straps over tarps ruin the tarps, yet, I see it all the time.

Your chains are too concentrated and not secured to the rail how I like to do them. Your first set of chains should go to the center channel of the edge protector, to establish their location. This set of chains need to go straight out to the rails, as close to the coil face as possible, without touching the coil. This acts as your chain stop, should the coil slide. It’s the most important set of chains. The ends need to go around rub rail spools and to the inside of stake pockets and hooked. Your next set of chains need to be X-ed and go above your first set of chains. These need to go around the next set of rub rail spools and hooked to the inside of the next stake pockets. On 48K+ coils, I put another set of X-ed chains below the first two sets and go to the next set of spools and pockets.

You want to use the spools, because they allow a chain to easily pull around them and not be damaged. You always want to hook from the inside of the stake pocket and pull toward the weld, so you don’t pull the pocket away from the weld. Again, spools can take forces from all directions and stake pockets should only be pulled toward the weld. You have two spools between stake pockets, so you’ll be able to drop two sets of chains between them, leading the chains opposite directions to their separate stake pockets. The third set of chains will have to go to the next set of spools. This is the strongest chain securement.

I like this style of metal edge protector. Again, your first set of chains go in the middle trough. The next set above and the third set below. This keeps your chains separate, so they don’t get bound up. You can use this protector on raw, unfinished metals. They will develop a curve to them, but, is no big deal.



Metal edge protectors leave a small dimple in finished or thin material, such as coils of steel used for appliances, auto body parts, etc. For those, put a cardboard edge protector under the metal one.



If you find yourself hauling building materials like drywall, MDF, paneling, or other easily broken materials, the longer plastic edge protectors are better at dispersing the tension.



Also, when you’re stringing your chains, make sure you’re not twisting them. You want your chains straight, so they don’t bind.

When you tarp big singles, you’ll need to start your tarp corners 12” in front of your furthest forward chains. Likewise, the rear corners will need to be pinned a similar 12” behind the last set of chains. You need plenty of tarp on the deck, so it doesn’t lift and catch air. With 12” on the deck, you’ll have two sets of D-rings pinning the tarp down, on each corner.

 

If you look closely at this driver’s chains, they drop between spools and are run to stake pockets. The chains are being pulled into the stake pocket welds.

There’s a single chain toward the back. It’s to East’s operator manual recommendations, but, I’m not crazy about it. I’d rather have the tension spread across a spool and a stake pocket.

The ratchet straps are useless, as they can’t be tightened enough to be effective.

Overall, the driver did a great job, IMO. No corners were cut. If anything, the load is over-secured.

 

@Kshaw0960 Here is the eCFR for coils, this is the minimum requirement per regulation. The thing to remember is that you need to add chains or straps as needed for meeting minimum weight requirements.
Use caution when going to youtube and other sources for information, some are very wrong and can lead to serious problems.

Federal Register :: Request Access

 

"driver" was told "make sure to tarp the load", assuming of course the dipsy-doodle would actually recall from training HOW to secure any load.
- - - - - -
I overly secured Freight with Chains or Straps as well Chains AND Straps.
Tarps were fun especially when WINDY, RAINING & COLD.

Thanks Hammer166!!

 

Well that's a great job boss. And I use the same belting. Hard to destroy.

Here is a few of the edge protectors I use. On the top of the hog tie chain. It's a steel collar that I cut into sections. Works top or bottom with bigger diameter, then some single chain cuffs.

What I have a laugh is a specialty finish coil which has all kinds of instructions to secure. Then they unload it with what looks like chain mail cable bending the heck out of all edges.

 

When you have J track in floor, your a idiot for securing to rub rail. That is a hot mess.

 

Right here. Im not gonna be a prick. But I'm pointing it out. Your right with your edge protection. Buy your advise on chaining rolled steel products will get someone hurt and you don't know the proper way.


You would never X chain a suicide coil, let alone 6 X chains. It's only acceptable as one set on shotgun. Anymore than one set is pointless.

AGAIN, Never, Ever Xchain a suicide coil. EVER.

 

For the ignorant door swingers amongst us - why not?