Hauling steel coils

Agreed, 2 on each is fine.

 

Thanks for the replies guys...and thanks especially to lostNfound for that link...very useful document.

I will start throwing two chains through each coil. Though...as we load them cinched up beside each other with no daylight between, I would have to cross the chains and binders. Is that advisable and/or legal?

 

I try to avoid crossing chains but it's no big deal. I always run a minimum of two chains through the eye except in extenuating circumstances. If you run your chains down on a sharper angle instead of stretching them out they won't cross. I think the suggested angle is around 45 degrees for the first one and go from there. I always set my coil racks up equally between the tiedowns and on the floor crossmembers if possible. That way the chain angles are equal front and back.

 

The rule is at least one chain or strap on top of every shotgun coil.

Straps/chains over suicide coils don't count for any securement over and make the driver look very unprofessional.

 

Your not allowed to X the chains on suicide coils but I do on shotgun coils because if one chain was to break or come loose the coil theoretically couldn't roll to either side because and "X" chain is hooked on both sides of the trailer where a "horseshoe" chain is pulling to one side.

I see a lot of guys chaining way out in front of the coil, one guy pulled out of the door and hit his brakes and the coil slid fwd about 6" and broke one of his chains. What they don't realize is the chains are there to keep the coil from moving, they won't stop it once it starts moving.

Explain that to all the guys I see "x" strapping suicide coils. Next guy I see doing that I'm going to ask them what that's supposed to do.

 

I see that all the time also. I think companies get carried away with in house policy and have the guys putting all these extra chains/straps on. Our safety department was on the strap over the top all the time bandwagon for a while until numerous guys were told by different DOT officers that it wasn't necessary on suicide coils. I personally go straight through the eye on suicide coils and cross the last two chains on shotgun if I use 4 chains . I f I use an odd # of chains I just cross the last one . If the coil is small(20,000lbs) I cross both. I also try to have the first two chains resting against the front and rear of the coil to keep it from moving or telescoping. I don't think it matters how its chained with certain DOT officers. Whatever you do will be wrong somehow

 

Ding Ding Ding!!! Exactly, seems like as soon as you become a cop/inspector you only have enough room for a badge or common sense, but not both!

 

I haven't pulled coils for over ten years, so maybe the laws have changed, but I'm curious about why everyone is saying they don't add an X chain through the eye of a suicide.

The majority of the coils I used to haul were 55,000 pounders loaded suicide on a spread axle flatbed, so there were enough chains that it didn't matter much what configuration they were in. But on smaller coils, if you're only using 4 or 5 chains horseshoed, if the ones horseshoed to the back loosen, the front horseshoe isn't going to do anything to keep the coil in place. It's nothing but loose slack when you hit the brakes. A single chain through the eye helps, but with 2 binders you can turn that into 2 chains in an X.

Is this a new law or something? We ALWAYS added an X chain to a suicide. I'm not saying I'm right, and I don't plan on pulling skateboards again, but I am curious why everyone seems to be saying they don't add an X chain on a suicide.

In the diagrams above, one pic shows 2 small suicides. Each coil is horseshoed. If one chain on a horseshoe loosens up, the other chain is worthless. The coil can jump the rack, and that second chain is nothing but slack.

Please enlighten me as to why two horseshoes are better than an X on any coil, suicide or shotgun.

 

It's been a law for a few years now that you can't x chain a suicide coil.

 

I'm not sure when it changed but I believe it did. I still see a lot of guys x chaining suicide coils, not saying they're going to come off the truck but if a cop checks it your probably going to get a unsecured load ticket. The only chains I've had loosen up consistently were the ones that I would occasionally use snap binders on. Those have since been thrown in the scrap pile. Another thing that really helps is using "j" hooks instead of chain ties. That way I can put the chains where they need to be instead of where they have to be due to anchor point locations. With chain ties it never fails they're always too far fwd or too far back.

Keep in mind laws aren't always passed because they make sense, sometimes it's just to keep politicians and cops busy. Case in point, the cell phone ban. We already have laws against distracted driving, do we really need a law regarding each type of distraction? If they want to change securement laws they should go after the vans. Skidded coils on a flat....chain, chain, chain, chain. Put them in a van.....ah just nail a block to the floor that'll hold 'em!

Next load of skidded coils I get I'm just going to set them on the trailer and wrap them in 1/4" plywood with an 1/16" alum skin and call it a van. (while wearing sweatpants and slippers of course)