If you want to run flats...

at least take the time to do the securement right. You go through training for it, your DRG has several examples of how to do it, and if you still don't know how, ask someone. If you don't have the patience to do it right, or to figure it out if you don't know how, then flatbed is not for you. You are going to hurt or kill someone with your half-a#$ effort. If you don't understand what happens when a load isn't secured right, google it. There are several examples out there.

It gets to be a pain when you pick up a relay, and find that you have to fix it. Today was a 38,000 pound coil. The chains were wrapped around the spacers (for want of a better word..I really don't know what they are called) between the rub rail and the side of the trailer. They need to be around the stake pocket. There was no edge protection, so now the coil is damaged and could be refused. The driver that loaded it doesn't have to worry about it though, he dropped it as a relay load and went on his way. It took 3 hours to deal with this...

Picked up a load of lumber in Oak Grove that was on a curtain. The note left with the bills said he had a small problem with the load, if I recall correctly had had to make a sudden stop in Chicago traffic..a few pieces fell out and were laying in the back of the trailer. When we walked to the back of the trailer, you could see a bulge sticking out the side of the curtain. The top pack (in the middle) had slid to the side and was sitting half off the lower pack. About 15 pieces were laying in the back of the trailer, those had slid out of the top pack on the back. Sad thing about all of that was, he didn't let dispatch know, or even try to retighten up the straps when he dropped the trailer, just left it for the next guy.

That's just a few that stand out in my head at the moment..... I just wish some of these guy/gals out there would take the time to do it the right way before they hurt themselves or someone else.

/rant

 

When he went through training, they taught him all the chains had to be around the stake pockets for a coil. He's had to use the spacers on farm equipment..I don't think he liked it, but there wasn't another choice.

 

Was that on any of the trailer models or all of them?

Only reason I ask is, he was in Gary dealing with this and When he was talking to his DSR about it, the DSR told him to track down the securement trainer and have him look at it. The trainer is the one that said the chains around the spacers needed to be moved and wrapped around the pockets.

The spacers seem to be different sizes depending on which type of trailer you have...Maybe that matters?

 

yes but once the securement trainer got involved, it took a bit longer.