Flatbedder gets fatally smushed by his steel load at a stop light in NJ.

I'm sure we all get complacent from time to time. I agree an aluminum rack would probably have the same hole in the back of it as the cab. Such a bad deal, praying for the driver and those left behind is all we can do now.

What does get to me is the same law makers that want to force how I keep my time, so I will be safer. Yet they Repeal a real safety law, instead of adding to it something like aluminum racks used for steel hauling have some type of reinforcement to help with pipe or beams. There again I realize it is a drivers job to properly secure a load so he doesn't actually need a headache rack.

 

Well his secure mento was partially legal. 5 4" straps will give you a WLL of 55,000 pounds, but it didn't stop forward momentum, so that's why I say partially. An X chain on the front would have prevented the forward movement. Those are steel pilings that are shaped like this\__/ , but upside down from my diagram. A headache rack might of stopped them, or it might not of. I don't have much faith in them after seeing wrecks with and steel similar to this one. RIP

 

4" straps are only good for 5400lbs each. 5x 5400= 27,000 lbs.

 

When fastened from one side of the trailer to the other the WLL is double what the strap is rated for.

 

You have the reg on that, because it was my understanding this was not allowed, although that could have been a company thing.

 

I'm sure I know what you meant, but it isn't worded quite right. The WLL isn't double, but the full WLL is applicable, meaning a strap with a WLL of 5,500 lbs can secure a load of 11,000 lbs.

Here it is:

Of course, these are just the minimum requirements to be legal. As you know, some loads require more to be safe.

 

Ok, that's right, they want to see a minimum of 50% securement, I've got in the habit of always doing 100%. That is why I have a 26,000 lb airconditioner on the trailer, and have 8 2" straps holding it down.

Interesting they choose to do it this way though because WLL is calculated as 1/4 breaking strength, so really when you secure a load with 50% you are at half the breaking strength of the securement.

 

RIP driver

As to the debate concerning a (steel,not some flimsy plywood)headboard on the trailer vs headacherack on the truck vs nothing and securing the load.

I have seen a trailer in a similiar incident with a steel headboard.
Load shifted ,hit the headboard,nearly ripped it off the trailer.
But
nobody got injured
load did not damage the truck(headboard was about a inch from the back off the cab)

So why don't all flatbedder have decent headboards?
The answer is simple,it's money.

A decent headboard is between 800 and 1200lbs(rough estimate,i never weighed one)
That is payload you lose.
And you cannot sell safety to a client.
He doesn't care,give a choice between truck A who is 100% safe but 800lbs heavier and truck B ,who's lighter,truck B will get the contract.
That's the reality.

That being said,this driver should have X chained the front off the load.(notice i said chains not straps,that load will go through X-straps like a knife through butter)
It would have saved his life.

 

Somebody needs to design an adjustable HR.

 

Some kind of alarm could be rigged when the load shifts and opens the contacts, a light bulb could go off on the dash. Other than that learn how to duck. Not unlike a burglary alarm on a Window.