Flatbed Terminology

ok, i look stupid, but at least i know what it means now, thanks 40cal, and i like a taurus myself in the 40

 

It wasn't a stupid question. It's a niche industry that only a few carriers are even allowed to service.

 

I would agree I had no idea.

Always nice to learn something.

 

No sir, On this side of the industry the only stupid/dumb question is the one not asked! The guys who just fly by the seat of there pants are usually the ones you see picking there loads up on the side of the road

 

Well I appreciate it, and am trying to figure out how to switch to stepdeck from reefer without going back to being a company driver. I will keep reading, thanks again.

 

I'm not sure if it has been mentioned, as far as suicide rolls go, (steel bunks) take the danger out of it. The ones I used back in the day were a 3 inch wide piece if plate steel with square steel tube welded to the ends. You put a 4x4 piece of dunnage inside before they drop the roll on you. It goes NOWHERE unless the whole thing slides on the deck. in which case we should have put more chains on it in the first place.

Here's one I learned from my time pulling reefers "Bumping up", when pulling stuff like reels of electric cables or plastic pipe, set your front chain pulling back, and your back chain pulling forwards. chain the rest pulling towards the halfway point of the trailer. Before you leave the load site, pull ahead at maybe 5-10 mph and brake HARD, just before you come to a full stop release the brakes. do the same in reverse, then go retighten all your tie downs. if you do this none of your chains should be loose when you do your 50 mile check.

 

I call it suicide and homicide either way it's killing someone if you didn't secure it right.

 

FYI on skidded coil some companies will refer to it as 'eye to the sky', which if loaded in this fashion, is indeed skidded. I don't think 'skidded' would actually be the proper term. pretty much an inverted coil with the eye (hole) facing the sky. So instead of skidded, should probably change it to 'eye to the sky'.

 

On the coils. The hole in the middle is called an EYE. When eyes to the front of the trailer is shotgun, eyes to the side is called suicide. Eyes up is eyes looking to the sky,normally is on a pallet or has dunnage under it. And you won't get far in California with eyes to the front. As for the 53 ft trailer in California you will have a 40' center of king pin to center of rear axle, also you won't be able to go over many secondary roads as you are to long.. 65 ft. Your lumber and drywall tarps are the same .. Has a front or back flap, 8 ft drops and about 28 ft long so you can overlap the front over the back. Coil tarps and steel tarps are normally smaller than lumber tarps, and are made out of a heavy oiled canvas. But you can still use your lumbertarps to tarp steel. And if you look in the FMCSA book,all securement on that load counts for your aggregate.. Also if that tag is missing off the strap, you loose about 20-30% of WLL of a strap with the tag on it. Alot of people that haul flatbeds still use snap binders as they are faster. As for being dangerous?you have to know what you are doing and isn't driving down the road dangerous? Ratchet binders normally are used on hauling heavy equipment ,but some companies are starting to use them as if you don't know how to properly use a snap binder you can get hurt. I always use a 2 " 4 ft long steel pipe as you can go completely over the handle. Your strap bars can bend the handles and slip off. Securement where you go from one side to the other, you get 100% of WLL of that securement. Having securement on only one side you get 50% of WLL even if both ends of the chain go to the same side . Know what your chain , hook and binder WLL is as it will be the weakest point. As there is different grades of chain hooks and binders giving you different WLL . Truck stop chains and binders are normally grade 30. But look at all of the money I just saved.. If that's what you want to believe. I've broken the chains before while on the load. Look at grade70, 80 or 100. Yes they are expensive, but they last alot longer, take more abuse, and one I had one dragging on the ground, and the links were still in good shape. A 20 ft chain will be over 100 bucks.. OMG!! But do you want to replace grade 30 chains when you elongate the links, or two chains rub and make a bad link, or something that lasts many years. And if you have any questions on how to tie something down.. ASK somebody. Also become very familliar with the FMCSA book. That green one as it will show you how they want things done. Aggregate isn't rock. It is the total amount of securement to the load. According to the law, you take the net weight of the load ,divide in half.. So your 50,000 on the load.. And you need to secure 25,000 worth of securement.. So if your chain , hook and binder is rated at 6,000 lbs.. You will need 5 chains.. What? You always go higher than lower.. But but I don't feel safe with 5 chains, put on as many as you want over the least amount. But remember this. They all have to be tight, not snug but tight. Or nice ticket and big CSA knock. Think of this a truck with class A explosives going through a residential area will have less points that one loose chain.. Don't blame me for all of this double talk.. The frigin idiot that never has been in a truck yard wrote these from FMCSA. Become very familliar with that green book on securement. It will save you alot of grief and money. OHHH you have 3 different types of weight. Gross is truck trailer AND load. Tare is an empty truck with out a load on ( light weight) and net is the weight of the load only. Hope hat might help a little . And if you use snap binders get a piece of pipe. 2 in 4 ft long. And try to get black pipe as itis stronger . You get better leverage and won't get nailed in the mouth, nose or forehead . Be safe.. Ask alot of questions, and you'll pick it up. Remember... Something falls off the load in a van... It just rolls around. If it falls off he load on a flatbed, it will nail that car next to you.. Sometims alot of imagination is needed. To be safe.

 

Do you want to look dumb now asking questions, or stupid later when that load is along the road, because you were afraid of looking dumb. If you ont know, aren't sure or what ever ASK.. All flat bedders have been in the same position as you are now.