Any Suggestions

Just pay attention to the details during training and ask a LOT of questions... then everytime you are sitting in a truckstop or in your yard go look how others have tied down their loads and tarped them.

 

Just remember stop all motion forward backward

 

Sorry hit send side to side and upwards I always went with more chains or straps required rather be safe

 

I have hauled some odd stuff had a load of engineering equipment going over seas from indy told me i could chain pallets but no straps over equipment was a $3 mill load was nervous all the way to main

 

There is no way to know everything. Common sense and knowing the basic laws is what it takes.

 

I really hope you'll be running as a "flatbed newbie" and running with somebody as an apprentice for several weeks and/or they have a securement class for new flatbed drivers, or something. Search youtube, lot of stuff there, some good, some so-so, some not so good but you should be able to separate the BS from the better stuff.

Main thing is to learn how to "throw a strap" and roll your straps, and understand the fundamentals of tarping, rear to front.

 

when you go to pick up your loads. LOOK at how the other trucks are securing their loads. at the shipper.

there's tons of things to haul. but the concept is basically the same on everything. and once you figure it out. it'll be so easy.

but here's some advice.

on LOW loads. such as structural steel. build some dunnage right in front of the load. and use a chain and binder to secure the dunnage. that'll give you a wall from the load shooting forward into your truck. should you need to hit the brakes.

if it's a tall load. use a chain in front of the load OR on areas you can use to secure the load from shooting forward. you'll also want a chain in the back to keep the load from sliding backward from the tension of the chains holding the load forwards.

*that's for chained loads" i've hauled loads that don't allow chains.

if your loading pallets. put a board at the very front of the load under the pallets and the very rear of the load under pallets. that will tilt the front row and back row into the load. some guys like to use straps around the front and back in a X pattern. (ONIONS COME TO MIND).

2 straps in the first 10 feet. and no more hten 10 feet between straps after the first 2. pallets will want 2 on the front row and 2 on the back row.

if your hauling construction type equipment. some guys use one chain and binder on each corner. some guys will cross chain. some guys use one chain hooked to each corner. front and rear and a binder hooking the chain to the trailer. on each corner. and some guys will even secure the middle.

hauling containers. 2 chains in front and rear. CROSSED.

i haven't hauled the common type of coils that most are hauling. so someone else will have to chime in on that one.

just watch everyone else. and think about whatever you can do to prevent forward or sideways movement.

E Z P Z. but don't think of it like that. otherwise it'll bite you in the rump.

lastly, but not leastly. you get tall loads of bundled wood. use straps and rotate the direction of each strrap. using all your straps going the same direction can actually make some loads shift and possibly tilt. newtons law takes effect and it's a little hard to explain on a computer. rotating directions will help prevent that.

BUT, if you should find your self in a predicament like that. to which many drivers do. the thing to do. is drop your trailer. pull your rig to the side of the trailer that you need to pull the load over too. opposide side it's leaning. you can take a couple of straps, and hopefully you'fe got a couple of ratchet straps by that time. hook onto the frame of your truck. and gently pull the load back up. into postion. make sure the load straps already in place is just slightly loosened so the load can shift back into place. and tighten back down once reshifted. that'll be a good time to figure out a way to keep it from happening again also.

hook back up to trailer and deliver your load.