New flatbedder and I have strap secrument questions.

somewhere in these threads there is mention of inside the rail and not outside. guess that makes dot frown.

my hook goes down inside then up outside to rail. my straps are rolled into the winch.

some like to fold. others like to roll. it's yoru preference just as long as the load is tight. dot don't care how it's strapped. just that it's tight. and properlyt secured

 

Not to bash on ya but flatbedding with no experience is a good way to find yourself in trouble with the DOT and with a load not strapped down right. Ok, so lets start with what kind of trailer do you have? (model, size, etc) This can give us an idea of where to hook as trailers are different. Does it have sliding winches or fixed?

As far as the winch side of things, I pull the strap through the winch and fold up the slack then tighten it down. I find this the easiest and fastest way just make sure you have left enough out to tighten as the strap needs to go around at least one time around the winch.

 

Hooking to the rub rail is not proper securement as for most rub rails do not have a working load limit

 

So at least dot said about 8yrs.ago when I was cited for it

 

never been inspected by the scales. but have been level 3'd by the cops.

18 months long haul, no one has said a word to me. having my hooks to the rail.

the side that's winched. takes most of the force over the side that's hooked. there's not exactly equal pressure on each section of the securement.

course, i know some of you will come along and say otherwise.

i find rolling is the fastest. i roll the winch and tighten her down. loosen it up and unroll the winch. \

i tried the fold method. too time consuming. specially when the straps are snow and froze.

 

If you have a trailer like mine, you can hook to the rub rail as thats where on mine, its supposed to go. It all depends on the trailer. Heres a link to a good video to watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_onyIEFUL-g

I would also look over some you tube videos on "flatbed load securement" as it can give you some good ideas. DOT will not give you a free pass on load securement just because "you didnt know" or were "just thrown into it" so I would definitely do some research. There is also a good thread in this section with pics of different flatbed loads so you can get a really good idea of how to secure something.

 

Fontaine lists a Working Load Limit on their rubrails. I don't know about the others.

 

i pull an east. and i think it has a sticker that says not to use rail. or something to that effect.

no one has bothered me so i use. and i don't think i can use the frame with the straps getting cut.

it defenitly don't have anything else to use with chains.

 

My Reitnouer has securement capacity plate that states rub rail is 5.500 lbs I believe.