Hauling pipe

12 straps (plus gut wraps) should be plenty. I never used chain on pipe, since I predominantly haul coated stuff. But I would worry about how well steel chain would "grip" the pipe. Straps offer a higher level of friction on the surface of the pipe. I'd stick with just the straps.

I throw two straps over the front with an additional choke strap between the first and second whenever feasible, repeat on the rear. That's six straps right there. Plus, I have a belly wrap strap on each layer (strip load). However, considering the smaller size of your load, you could potentially get away with a belly wrap over every other layer. You can use two inch straps for the lower layers. Finally, I throw three straps over the top, spacing them appropriately.

On the other hand, considering the number of joints you are hauling (I've never hauled 1,000 joints in a single load), and the fact that damage isn't that big an issue, a pyramid stack may be more appropriate. In that case, 3 over the front, 3 over the back, gut wraps front and back, and 3 or 4 over the top.

Bear in mind that you do need to chain your pipe stakes as well. I just run my chain as a big loop around both stakes and use a snap binder to tighten the chain.

 

2 3/8 steel pipe is usually a thin wall product and has a lot of flex to it.

my guess is the yard where you load will want at least 4 4ft pipe stakes. two on each side of trailer.
this type of pipe can be trouble to load, wants to roll.

You can make pipe stakes pretty easy, 4 1/2 to 5 Ft C channel that will fit your stakes pockets, weld a cross piece at 6 inches or so from the end, keeps them from dropping through the pocket. Some places sell them for about $100 a set.

loading:
You can load pyramid or stripped.
Based on using a loader with forks for the unloading, I would recommend a stripped load.
Less likely to do damage to your trailer that way. Pyramid load put a lot of stress on pipe stakes.

stripping a load like this I prefer to use 4 4X4s on the deck, then 4 2X4s per layer. all 4X4 and you can get tall real quick.

you will need about 16 maybe 18 2X4s, some of the 2X4s get cut into blocks about 5 inches. you will probably need like 24 or more of these. nail one block to one end of at least 12 of the 2X4s flush to the end. the rest will go on after the pipe is loaded.

put your pipe stakes 16 feet apart ( 8 ft fore and aft of center ), cross chain the stakes. make sure the cross chain is tight.

put your 4X4s on so you have about 6 to 7 between them if using 4. nail one of the blocks to the end of the 4X4, usually the opposite side from loading.

first layer is 26 pieces, then nail in a block. now put 25 pieces on top of the ones just loaded. they should drop into the valley of the pipe just loaded.

put a 2X4 on these and repeat. add gut straps as you go. best to keep your wood in a line top to bottom.
save a ratchet for a strap going over the top next to wood.
an added safety bonus is a choke. Use 2 inch portable straps for this. I would use 4 on this load.
put the straps down on the trailer before starting to load, when the load is complete toss the loose end over the load and hook to the portable ratchet, it should act like a big band. tighten it up good this will put a squeeze on the whole load, keeps the pipe in the middle tight

check for loose straps often.

 

You should post this in the oilfield forum. I don't haul pipe, but most that i see have 4 foot stakes front and back, strapped down with a belly wrap in the middle. That's drill pipe, though. The first time I was supposed to haul pipe, which was also my only flatbed load ever, the guy that was supposed to help me didn't show up, and it ended up being hose instead. I hauled it, but I was so worried about losing the load that I crushed all the hoses and used every strap I had. Welcome to North Dakota lol.

 

Before you go waste your money and time......
Look around and see what the others have for a set up. I am sure a few of the professional pipe haulers out of Houston make their way North and most have their trailer set up right. Many yards will not load trailers with channel pocket stakes. The 2x4 boards in many cases forks will not fit between forcing them to push on trailer .

 

Something you need to remember about loading a step is you are already 8 or 9 feet behind the kingpin. When I load pipe I usually load right against the neck and sometimes once I get above the step I slide a couple tiers forward to get a little more weight on the front. I build bunks that I chain to the deck instead of channel stakes it works pretty good, if I get by the yard today I'll take a picture of them. Most tubing is pyramid loaded just because stripped tiers gets pretty high but if you pyramid two layers and then strip you should be ok, I would think you should be able get thirty five joints across the bottom if they have collars more like forty without.

 

Just because you can legally put more back there does not mean that you should. Rides better with more on the tractor. And if you have the 5th wheel slid as far forward as you can it also puts weight on the steer so you can dang near get as much there as on the spread.

Since this is for a friend then just let him know he is going to have to work with you on the placement and that you will have to scale the first load and possible return to get it reworked. Remember though, even if the scale is just down the road, secure it like everything is good to go. You don't want to get passed by DOT and get a ticket for insecure load.

Also, once you figure out where 34k is via a scale, note the air pressure in the suspension and then later you will know that you can load to XX psi. Same with the trailer.

I don't know what that dovetail weighs but all that weight is on the spread so you are already heavier than most trailers there so I would put it against the step.

 

Those are basically how mine are built. As far as balancing loads, you have to remember that the distance from the kingpin to the center of the suspension is what you are working with so with being already 8 or 9 feet behind the kingpin your already moving weight back. This is the reason when loading a long piece on a step that has a heavy end you always put that end against the neck otherwise you get terribly tail heavy.