Loading unloading flatbeds dangers, tips, tricks and procedures

No I do not. Hopefully they made it out.

 

I suppose you're right.

What's really raising the hairs on the back of my head is the thought of ice, my bad ankle, and climbing all over a truck with said bad ankle. Bad ankle isn't all that bad, but can be twisted too easily. I have to be mindful of it in normal, everyday situations as it is.

Then I started to remember my issue with heights, and my inability to come down from high places. The last thing I'd need is to be caught up on top of my truck, too scared to come down, lol. I just never really thought about having to climb up so high like that.

I think I'd still like to have some experience doing flatbed. Just not make a habit of it.

 

You are so right Gambler. I have hauled a lot of pipe and never had a load moved on me. If you do it right the first time and stop and check your load you should never have a problem. I use to run out of Houston pipe yards every week and seen a lot of drivers take short cuts because they were in a hurry or just lazy. If you ever run in Houston or anywhere you want to make sure your load is tied down good.

 

That's tough. You know you can drive your best and the slowest but one of two things are going to happen during the trip. 1. Your can't dodge all the pot holes. 2. Some idot is going to pull out in front of you or cut you off.

 

Some shippers could care less about safety. I loaded at a wall board plant north of Vegas off I-15. When I got their my load was not ready because the plant broke down and I waited along with the other drivers for at least five hours before we were loaded. It was dark by then and I pulled out into the paved lot walked over to the guard shack to get my papers and she told me I needed to pull out side the gate into the dirt lot which was at the end of the drive by the road. I told here their is no lighting and I was not going to tarp my load out their. She said that was company rules I told here I was going to do what I thought was safe and tarp my load in the lighted lot. She called for the other security cop and he told me the same BS.

By then I had two other drivers that were backing me up and she was getting on the phone to call the law. I just laughed and said we were leaving but let me inform you of something. That land outside the gate is owned by the plant and if one of us gets hurt because you failed to provide a secure lighted place to do our job in securing and tarping our load we will sue the plant and both of you. He said I will make an exception and since you are the last drivers go ahead and tarp right where you are and do it fast. I said see that was bad after all.