Post flatbed load photos here V2.0

This is another one of those things you learn on the side of the road, you could argue that say for example if you had a chain on the front with no binder, and a chain on the back with a binder that but tightening the rear one your righting the front one. And in reality that is true, however that's not how the look at it, they want you to be able to tighten them individually. I understand that if you have two chains with their own binders, one on each end and one breaks the other one will become loose but they don't care about that. Earlier when I deleted my post and I said I didn't want to be "that guy" this is what I meant I don't want to be the know it all and have people think oh great here comes JD again running his mouth. But I learned this on the side of the road (actually not me but a coworker) I was moving an excavator he had the knock off parts, on the buckets he would hook a cheater chain to a D-ring then up through the lifting lug on the back of the bucket. He would rock the bucket back and "catch" the next link which would snug the chain pretty good if you can picture what I'm saying. Then on the other side he would hook a chain and binder from the top pin and pull to the deck, both chains got tight and rode just fine. However when we rolled through the scales the took me around back to check my permits and him because they could see plain as day there was no binder. He argued with them which resulted in a ticket. Now if he would have had a binder on both sides making them individually adjustable and one broke the other would have been loose but they don't want to hear that. That being said I've done exactly what truckdad said on a few occasions especially if the machine is"trapped" between others, does it make it legal? No but I've done it.

 

Thanks JD

 

How else do you guys secure tractors? I move this one once or twice a year. Luckily it has a plow harness. If I remember right the front axle has brake lines, and it may have hydraulic lines there as well. There isn't a clear spot to loop a chain.

It's supposed to be 9000 lbs, +/-. I still use 4 chains/4 binders.

 

That looks good to me. But I don't haul equipment/cars often. I was taught to find either an axle, suspension piece (a-frame or whatever) or some part of the frame to loop a chain through, around or hook directly to (and to not crush lines, whatever).

Assuming that's 5/16" chain (it's 4000 WLL IIRC), and you have four binders, that's all you need.

Personally, and this was what made the most sense to me when I was taught it, I always want four loops with binders on something with four wheels. Two always pulling the opposite direction from the other two. Either front-fore back-back or front-back back-fore. That way, there is no way the thing can roll, and if you lose a point of securement, you still have a second as backup.

 

Looks ok to me, DD. However, one should avoid pulling from the ends toward the center on rubber tired equip.

 

Can you explain this a bit more?

 

Body roll I assume? If the corners of the equipment are secured, there would be less roll than if just the centre is secured. Just a guess. The biggest thing I ever loaded was a Dodge Ram 3500 with a cast-iron block.

 

In a panic stop, if you have a rubber tired tractor loaded forward on the trailer, and chained from the rear of the machine pulling forward and chains pulling back from the front of the machine, the tractor will "dip" forward. When this happens, the rear chains can loosen for just a moment as the whole tractor squats on it tires. If you have a rear chain wrapped around a spool & hooked back onto the chain it could come unhooked while in the slack moment. Duct taping the hook to the chain will keep it from coming unhooked. I prefer to always pull "away from said machine.

 

@DDlighttruck Are those grade 43 chains on the front? They look new, that is why I am asking. I have only ever seen gold colored chain that is grade 70. I take that back, but I have only seen that color on 1/2" or larger chain.

 

@truckdad now I understand. Thank You.