How many feet can your load pass your front/ rear of the trailer

There is no FMCSA requirement for a headache rack anymore. Every state's front and rear overhang laws are different, but in general, 1 foot off the front is fine.

 

I've seen pipe haulers do that before. What are you hauling if you don't mind me asking? I've hauled tanks before and had to overhang them to get them to fit on the trailer, those had to overhang off the back though instead of the front because of the air lines. I've seen a lot of guys haul steel I beams, or plate steel. They run 2 chains across the front X them and then secure them back to prevent it from shifting forward in an event of hard braking. IF you've ever seen a load of plate steel going down the road looks like that with the chains X'd across the front of the load.

Pipe is a fun game. Definitley have to know what you're doing if you want to make it home, and I wouldn't touch a load of pipe without a headache rack on my tractor. I've seen them boys that haul drill pipe, and steel irrigation pipe and I personally wouldn't want their job especially when the shipper doesn't want it chained. I think you should be alright on this load, just need to get yourself a headache rack now lol.

 

That is correct there is no law about a headache rack, or bulkhead on the trailer, but they are a good idea to have one on there. If not for protection from flying cargo at least they're a place to store your chains and binders. I think they're more piece of mind than anything else. I have a hard time believing that my headache rack is going to stop a piece of drill pipe from coming through my cab if it decides to break loose. I might be surprised though just hope I never have to find out.

 

It won't stop an I beam, I unfortunately have seen that

 

don't think it will do much for a suicide coil either.....

 

I don't think an aluminum headache rack will do much of anything. Now if it was a nice 3/8 or 1/2 inch piece of steel that's a different story.

 

Ouch. I can imagine it wasn't a pretty sight at all. I watched a truck roll by one day. I can't say for sure but it looked like he had oiled round stock on his trailer. It was wrapped in paper so I assumed it was oiled, no barricade no nothing and he had it strapped. all I could do was pray that he didn't have to slam on his brakes. I've hauled round stock before, didn't bother wasting the time barricading it but on 40,000lbs I had 9 chains. plus 2 straps. And I had it tight. Looking back it would've taken me all of 10 minutes to build a barricade and I should've.

Nope no way in hell is anything going to stop even a 10,000lb coil if it breaks loose when you slam on the brakes. I've read on the merrit website it says they're racks are rated to withstand something like 15000lbs of force. Guess they have yet to think about the kind of force is applied when something on a trailer breaks loose and projects towards the cab. I will say it's better than nothing but it isn't going to take my mind off what's on that trailer if I have to slam on the brakes.

 

no requirement for front OH, rear anything over 4 ft needs OD permits.

 

That may give you a bottom ache or a Back ache or a head ache, or whatever, the rack may slow it down but I am not sure it will stop it from coming through!