Securement (chains specifically)

G70 will stretch at least 15% before breaking, G80/G100 will stretch at least 20%. If either of them actually stretch they are scrap metal. If any G70/80/100 chain doesn't stretch at all it is because of a manufacturing defect, and quality control problem.

That broken hook was probably the result of a manufacturing defect, It would be interesting to know the time frame. (I have a feeling I know)

G70 is the best answer in most cases, G80 is pointless, G100 is expensive but useful.

 

I had mixed grade 70 and grade 100 for years with nothing but that one problem. Could've been the oily deck could've been a manufacturing defect could have been just dumb luck but I threw the g100's in a pile in the corner of the shop.

 

I'm a tad over a year and LEARNING flat deck. The more types of loads I haul the more equipment I want to have, within reason and how much I can fit in the side boxes and headache rack.

I have 20 4" winches, 8 2" straps with winches, and 6 1" straps with winches. That's in addition to 9 3/8" chains.

I had a load last month that took ALL my straps and winches, and fortunately there was a truck stop next door to buy four more 1" straps. I could only get 15 pallets on the deck. I couldn't take more.

The load was all pallets of "subs", each weighing from 30 lbs to hundreds of pounds. The bad part was the subs were oriented SIDEWAYS to the deck. This required cross strapping and in many cases breaking the bands to be able to cinch wrap at least the top layer of subs.

I pulled this load 1000 miles, having to stop a dozen times to push subs back in after they extended beyond the rub rail. Fortunately that was only happening on the front passenger side pallet. All other pallets were fine.

 

And Unfortunately...I was in that same situation early on in my flatbed career............

This photo you posted is a great example of what a lot of "older" seasoned flat guys DONT move.

Too stressful.......We like easy strap n go material that's Hard (Which means Once its winched down,It doesn't get loose.

Couple examples of what us guys book- Uniform steel Tubing-NOT PIPE

Roofing Shingles- NOT ROLL PAPER

Solid steel bars that are banded together uniformly-

Wooden Crates sealed

A steel coil- NOT MULTIPLE COILS

Tarpless Lumber from a Top rated lumber Mill (Weyerhauser- Abitibi- potlash)

 

In the oil industry we have a lot of "interesting" loads that make you go, "Wait, WHAAATTT!!!???" No choice. Gotta make do and make sure Mrs. Jones makes it home safely. That and always driving as if the load isn't secured.

 

I never did ANY work for that Oil-fracing-Whatever that was for 5 years.........

All I remember was a bunch of "Idiots" driving with their heads cut off from Midland to Odessa Texas in these pick-up kinda trucks with no Beds on the back,Just a chassis with a pump or something..

Hated those people- They drove like maniacs....

Yeah,I was offered Pipe up to Williston and other areas- But I always turned that down cause I knew how Hectic that would be...

I like Easy,Small Quiet Deliveries, Big City or Not- I don't like the Rat-race of a million trucks .

And when you get Good like me...You'll be able to acquire these kind of customers where YOU as a driver will finally "Matter"........

You'll see what I'm saying Over Time..

 

I've read this entire thread with both the future in mind, when I have my own truck and authority, and for the purposes of backhauls. Often I get long outbound loads at oil field tariffs, but need to either deadhead back or get a backhaul.
I have overkill in winches and 4" straps according to some, but I need to add other options, like cleats for suicide rolls in order to take advantage of backhaul opportunities. A tad over a year and I've tarped a total of three loads, only once for two pallets of an oil customer.

I hauled two 15K lb spools of wire last month, without the cleats, using 2"straps to hold my 4x4 dunnage in place. It was one of those loads I was glad to get off the deck. Not kosher and glad I wasn't inspected. The bright side was I had four chains on each coil.

 

There's nothing like being the guy that farts at a dinner party. Secure enough to move and get the hell out of the way. I picked up a load at a shingle mill, taking us in 8 trucks at a time. The lead guy in my group had a curtain set up. By the time I was loaded and ready to move right behind him he had just got his curtain peeled back to start loading, with pallets of shingles blocking my exit and all those behind me. Had to wait another 15 minutes before we could scale on the way out. By the time I scaled, secured, and signed out my waybills he was just coming over the scale. CB chatter wasn't congratulatory.

 

same goes with unloading. twice in the last month the first guy at 2 different steel co's to unload, had to be woke up. at 6.a.m. then 10 min for him to get dressed & out of the truck, then 45 min to unbungie, untarp, unchain, e.t.c. they know no one can get around them, they just don't give a rats arse.