How to begin in OSOW?

Discussion in 'Heavy Haul Trucking Forum' started by farmboy73, Dec 3, 2015.

  1. Heavy Hammer

    Heavy Hammer Road Train Member

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    The single most important thing you NEED to learn is Load Security. Don't ever learn that lesson the hard way. Learn the 80/50/25 rule & be able to do it in your head without thinking.
    My rule is simple, I keep hangin iron until I'm happy or I run out. I run out frequently, and for my unit that means I'm at minimum 120/80/ridiculous.
     
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  3. farmboy73

    farmboy73 Medium Load Member

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    For reference:
    Chihuahua leashes & poodle strings...
    There's more on load securement in this thread: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...n-straps-chains-what-type-size-to-buy.243641/
     
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  4. Heavy Hammer

    Heavy Hammer Road Train Member

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    Well done @farmboy73!
    5 or 5000 miles, it doesn't make a difference. If it isn't tied down it won't make it to the destination.
    When I move an excavator from our yard to a customer that is 120 miles up the road, it is tied down the exact same way I secure them when I pick them up at the factory 2100 miles away. Idiots that will cut you off, or pull out in front of you and make you brake hard or swerve are everywhere, not just OTR.
    Nobody has a monopoly on stupid
     
  5. catalinaflyer

    catalinaflyer Road Train Member

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    @farmboy73 I'm not ignoring your question but @TripleSix @ColoradoGreen and @Heavy Hammer pretty well covered your questions.

    If I have anything to add all I can say because it can never be said enough weather it's your 1st load or your 10,000th load, READ your permits, word for word, letter for letter. Once you have every letter memorized and can recite it in your sleep READ IT AGAIN. I don't care if your doing the same load along the same route every day/week/month, when you get a new permit take the time to read it word for word, letter for letter. I cannot stress this enough because there's nothing like a fine equal to what you made the last 2-3 months to put a damper on your day because you missed one little change in the permit.

    Just a few weeks ago I was re-issued the same super-load permit in Georgia for a change from one gate at the airport to another in Savannah. However if I had just ran with the second permit without reading it, you know because it was the exact same permit just amended for which side of airport I was going in I could have had a serious violation in the Atlanta area. Not even my state police escorts bothered to read the permit and notice the change. Now there was a 99.9% chance nothing would have happened and I would have been fine BUT on that same trip an SUV was side-swiped coming the other direction and started flipping down the road almost coming over the barrier wall which if it had it would have taken out my front trooper and triggered an investigation. Now had I been somewhere I wasn't supposed to be and that scenario had played out in a "worst case" scenario I would have been in trouble because I was somewhere I wasn't supposed to be.

    Some states are worse about this than others. Texas will detour you around a low overpass that hasn't existed for 5 years but Georgia will change your routing, throw in curfews etc for no reason what so ever. Arkansas just does stuff because they're bored and the people in Oklahoma that route you are smoking pot and cross eyed when looking at the map.

    So if I haven't said it already, read, re-read and read your permit again.
     
  6. farmboy73

    farmboy73 Medium Load Member

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    I am truly grateful to each of you for taking the time to post serious and thoughtful responses in threads such as this. You do so in response to individuals you may never meet and from whom you may never glean any monetary gain--or anything else of any meaningful value to you or your career.

    My hats off to you.

    I would like to point out something to other rookies, inquirers, and others who may take time to read these posts at some point: Although I am quite serious about this and am attempting to ponder how best to approach pursuing it, the reality is that only time will reveal whether or not I ever pull my first commercial load. Regardless of that, individuals who are clearly among the accomplished and elite in their field will take time out of their already limited "free" time to offer us input, assistance, and help.
    • First, we should respect that and be grateful to them for it.
    • It should also inspire each of us to follow their example and motivate us to be helpful to others as we have opportunity each day. Some refer to this as "paying it forward."
    • Finally, it should be a motivation for us to give our very best effort at becoming excellent in whatever we pursue. Perhaps someday we will be among those who are being asked for feedback. As someone once said, "Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence."
     
  7. johndeere4020

    johndeere4020 Road Train Member

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    I've not really been ignoring you either, the truth is I'm not much help in this regard. I started by accident and have kind of been in a niche market ever since. My advice would be look into a crane rental company, they have small loads to start on, cwt's boom, etc then you can work up. All crane had a yard in Knoxville try them.
     
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  8. TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

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    image.jpg

    I like this picture. You will hear me often talk about how heavyhaulers develop a certain finesse behind the wheel. It's not something that many people think about because of the term "HEAVY HAUL."

    But these guys are running trucks with big engines. Big loads. Big trailers. And it's a game of inches. Nervous? Nope. Just another day at the office.

    Here's a couple trivia questions for those of you that are interested in OSOW.

    1.The truck in the picture, if he were moving when the picture was snapped, what gear would you think he would be in and why?
    2.How many spotters does he have?

    Keep in mind, there's no wrong answer...just picking your brain.
     
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2015
    G13Tomcat, Al. Roper and farmboy73 Thank this.
  9. nate980

    nate980 Road Train Member

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    Here's some more cool pics... Someday I hope to be doing this but not for a long time, I'm in no rush.... The guy that runs this set up is a real good guy, always helpful to guys like me doing the smaller stuff, never in a rush, as hard working as you'll find.

    [​IMG]
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    [​IMG]
     
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  10. TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

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    Hey @nate980 , could you take a pic of his headache rack? That is a beastly rig!
     
  11. nate980

    nate980 Road Train Member

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    Yea ill try to next time I see it. It basically has chain racks on either side going around to the back and in the middle is a big storage cabinet.
     
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