Making the jump to Flatbed and have Questions

2 pound hammer, vice grips, crescent wrench, a couple screwdrivers, and a filter wrench...Oh, and 12 sticks of dynamite. (C4 works too)

The dynamite is for those times when the tools you have won't fix it.

 

get a strap winder.....they save a ton of time

tape/ wire if for tying down binder handles (so they dont vibrate loose) and wraping up the excess end of a 2" strap

 

I thought of getting one....but then I wouldn't get any exercise.....

 

recon....what regiment were you with?

i was in the 11th, and spent some time hanging out with the 3rd

 

Any place that has ports, manufacturing, mining, farming, equipment, and military....

Just watch those onion loads....the sacks like to shift...if you're not careful...you have salsa........


Stay away from tarped lumber.....they pay for sheyat....let the NAFTA trucks do the lumber loads......they can have it...tarped lumber for under a buck a mile....and they still do it....

 

I fixed it for you. We've mostly given up on lumber also and we owned a lumberyard for over 25yrs. We've gotten in many arguments even picking up our own products. I still think the guard at the Georgia Pacific mill in WV has nightmares about the phone call they got when they tried to refuse to let our truck leave without tarping first. I heard language used I never knew existed when I was about 10yrs old. I think it was when my dad told our driver to un strap the **** and drive around their lot until the ****ing **** fell off the trailer that made them change their mind.

Around here just about anything related to home construction is cheap. Shingles are right around $1 and lumber is just slightly above that, no thanks. I can drive from point A to point B for $850 but the lumber back is $225.

 

A pair of tin snips is handy when you do a load that has steel banding, like pipe. Prybar is handy for removing chocks/nails from trailer floor.

A good habit to get into is to do a walk around of your tr/trlr after you're strapped & wrapped, and also after getting mt, just to double-check that you've put all your toys away, and have your side boxes latched.

I've enjoyed my ratcheting winch bar. It saves me a bit of time, saves wear & tear on my back, is handy in tight docks, and is safer than a reg. bar. I still use my reg. bar for releasing straps and for binders. I paid $75 for mine in T/S, but I'm pretty sure I saw the same thing in a Tractor Supply Co. catalog for about $35.

A good quality rain coat/suit is handy. I've found that the hood works much better if you pull it over your hardhat. Sheds water better, and will not fall into your field of vision.

A headlamp that you can attach to your head, or hardhat, w/elastic bands. I picked up one at Big Lots for $5. It pivots, and has 12 LEDs w/3 brightness levels. Leaves your hands free during the dark-time loads.

 

Yes...rain suit, absolute necessity.