Question of Chains vs. Straps

For your sake I hope it never does! But then again, you haven't probably slammed something real hard either.

I was just sitting here thinking of when I first got into hauling steel. I ran an open flat for many years hauling bars and coils. We used to load out of Canton, OH and go to Detroit, MI. We ran across 30, up 250, and across 20 to Toledo, which was mostly 2 lane road at the time with plenty of traffic.

We hauled up to 52k, which was 5 bundles loaded 2 in the front and 3 in the back. We used 2 chains on the front, 3 on the back. In all those years we never got bothered by DOT or had issues with loads moving, even when in accidents.

As straps become more popular and flatbedders got lazier, (meaning to lazy to get on the trailer and chain the load properly), thats when things seemed to change.

Now a days you see lazy flatbedders doing everything from ground instead of getting their lazy butt's up on the trailer and doing it right.

Sorry for the rant, but after watching some idiot this week hold up a bunch of others cause he was to lazy or stupid to get on his trailer and do the job right. Watching that jackwad jump up and down trying to throw the chains thru the coil was funny. But we all see to many out here just using straps so they don't have to climb on the trailer.

Sorry but if your that f'n lazy, go swing doors and bump a dock so the rest of us can get on with our day...

BTW my point...... As straps became more popular it seemed we have more freight moving when it isn't supposed to. All because they are easier to use. Straps have a time and a place, it just isn't in hauling steel! JMO.

 

just wondering, where do you store all your equipment if you don't have a rack???

 

Side kits and conestogas just throw it in the front of the trailer. Others put it on the bulkhead or trailer mounted tool boxes.

 

Straps keep the tension better than chains. The load will settle after you leave the shipper and chains don't stretch enough without breaking a link to still keep tension on a load. Most of my chains get loose but usually only maybe 25% of my straps will need another notch on the winch at my first stop to check load.
This is why I prefer straps and edge protectors on long steel. I always mix though. I use a few chains along with straps. Also chains for choke and trip chains if possible.

Then I drive like there's no chains or straps on it.

 

The Reed Pete in question; let the record show I see no evidence of strap usage in the photos. I only see a couple of chains.

Oddball sized pieces of steel. This is a load I would have to stare at for an hour and imagine it coming forward before I would know how to secure it. Been there, done that, still alive.





I bet he was the first one to leave the shipper. Thought he was gonna get the jump on the other drivers that morning. Y'all know the type.
Disclaimer - pure speculation on my part. I love the 1st amendment.

 

Ok first off if a chain gets loose so does a strap. Its just easier to tighten up a strap. I've heard this line of bull before...

With what you've just stated, I can see you over tighten your chains, and that's just as bad if not worse than them being loose.

 

If I was hauling pipe, I'd highly look into buying a trailer with a steel bulkhead.

 

I guess you guys pulling side kits are the cream of the crop then.

I bet known of you went over an offered the driver a hand that was having a slow go at securing his load and holding you all up. You just sit back and called him a lazy idiot. Everyone is in a hurry now days.

Well I guess I was one of those lazy flat bed drivers because I used straps on plate steel, rebar and pipe to name a few. I protected my straps and the load real well and when I stopped to check my load it was still tight and secure. In the fifteen years of pulling flats and doing heavy haul I never got a ticket for a load or tie down issue and never lost, had a load shift or damaged a load.

 

You don't need it, if the load is secured properly and you don't drive like your running from the law you will not have any problems. These pictures that have been posted of the pipe threw the cab, we will never know how many tie downs they had on their load but I bet they didn't do it the right way. I use to load in pipe yards every week in Houston, Lonestar, Oddesa-Midland, OKC and would see drivers pull out with no belly wraps or just a few strap or chains on their load because they were in a hurry. I seen a driver throw four chains across the load of new oily pipe and no belly chains and make it to the I-610 and I-45 junction and his load was slid forward. I had the same load and never had a issue but I was their tieing my load down for another twenty minutes and doing it right the first time. After he paid the wrecker to come out and slide the load back and after the ticket or tickets from the DOT he was in the hole for a long time.

 

Actually no the guys with the rolling tarps are the cream of the crop, us sidekit guys are just one notch behind...LOL

As for the idiot, he knew what he was doing, he was just to stupid to get on the trailer and do it right, and he wasn't holding me up. That was some Mexican earlier.

Sorry but watching some guy walk around his trailer numerous times hooking up chains or straps when instead he could've just been on the trailer and got it done quicker, is annoying!