Flatbedder Killed by Shifting Load in Kansas City

Again, sadly, same thing as the guy in NY. Bad decisions with catastrophic results. Improper load securement, driving too fast, not leaving enough space. Flatbed, like tanker takes a special realization of what's behind you, headache rack or not. Driving these things like they are sports cars. The people I really feel sorry for, is the 2 women, who, by an unfortunate circumstance, were there when it happened, and have to live with that for years to come.

 

This is what I've been watching videos and pictures of in class yesterday.
There is no such thing as "too much securement".

 

I agree, b&g. When I hauled heavy equipment, I used every chain and binder I had in the box. Call it over kill, but I saw a dozer on a drop deck once, tipped over, and the dozer was STILL chained to trailer on it's side. That convinced me right there.

 

I've never x-strapped lumber ether, but I've always used extra securement, and have had 4 wheelers cut me off, never had a load sift due to it, I have seen lots of local drivers use very minimal securement on loads, which was probably a factor here, hope the jerk 4 wheeler is proud of themselves for causing a terrible accident

 

It doesn't just happen to flatbedders. Saw a story out of AR where an SUV crossed the center line and hit a Crete carrying roll paper....drivers of both vehicles killed and the rolls came thru the front of the trailer

Although it may have been the collision that killed the Crete driver, the back of the cab looks intact

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4468187]I agree, b&g. When I hauled heavy equipment, I used every chain and binder I had in the box. Call it over kill, but I saw a dozer on a drop deck once, tipped over, and the dozer was STILL chained to trailer on it's side. That convinced me right there.[/QUOTE]

I cringe every time I see someone use the track pads to secure an excavator. They may have been doing it for years that way but I just don't feel that it is secure enough. Track pads will bend. I go all the way through the tracks over the frame to the other side with 4 chains like in this photo. I am with you, you can never have too much.



Yeah the track pads can still bend but the securement is not connected to them so the chains have to break for that thing to come totally off. Securing this way, I have never even had one wiggle on an icy deck.

 

While it may be unclear how the driver died, here again is a load securement issue. I've hauled lot's of rolls of paper, and they were always loaded on their ends. While these look bigger than the rolls I hauled, they were probably rolled in and secured with a piece of wood, so they wouldn't roll during normal transport, but not much securement in a sudden stop. I see lawyers jumping over each other to get a hold of this case.

 

Hi cnsper, I agree. I was taught to cross chain from the pads, but never really trusted that, and ran a couple more through the tracks like you said. I think as dozers got bigger (and taller) it's asking a lot out of just chaining the pads.

 

really really sad to read about 2 guys that did not tie down good enough to survive a hard brake event

 

May God bless the drivers family in this time of need.