Onions on a flatbed ?

I had the displeasure of following a skateboard loaded with onions and tarped this afternoon. You can smell the onions, they were strong, eyes were watering, had to pass it after a few miles, not sure how anyone could sleep near it. Not sure why these were so strong, I have followed onion trucks before and never had it this bad.

 

Even after I washed out the reefer I could still smell the onions. Ran the reeder at 36 degrees to dry it out and couple hours before getting to shipper ran it down to -10 couldn't really smell it anymore. Place I was picking up at smelled really terrible anyway. Stuff they put on was some kind of cure, I imagine some kind of meat cure. Got delivered and washed out again and dropped trailer, so hope the meat company I dropped it at accepts it oh well.

 

We tried hauling onions on flatbeds to L.A. a couple of times. The rate was crappy and they're a PITA to tie down. We used v-boards on the sides and ends, cross-roped the ends, and put lumber straps over the top. The drivers said that it took four or five stops before the load quit settling. You can't really reef down hard on the straps...no smushed onions allowed.
Our guys did a good job with the tieing and got everything to the plant with no loss. That's not always the case. When a corner bag comes out of a stack the whole stack usually collapses. I've seen 99 and I-5 south of Sacramento with spilled onions everywhere.
We don't haul them any more.

 

Onnions are like any other freight. Have an inside connection and you get good rates. My first load paid me $.60 per mile as a company driver. I averaged $.45 - $.50 on the rest of the loads. As much as i hated tarping. And usually hated hauling. Onions were always my best paying loads. Percentage wise.

I only used X strap one time. On the back of the load because one pallet was leaning towards the rear. Lay your tarps over the top and strap the middle of each pallet row. The straps on top of tarp holds the tarps tight, which in turn acts as a cover over the pallet rows. Does a really good job holding the load in.

Like one post said. Dunnage at the very front and reat to tilt those two rows in towards the load.

Never had a smelly trailer.

Some shippers packed the pallets really good. There were lousy shippers too.

My best load was teh shipper in california. DID NOT WANT THE LOAD TARPED. But i've hauled to the receiver many times. And they won't accept the load if it isn't FULLY tarped. Funny thing about this particular shipper. EVERYBODY was fully tarping the loads. Whereas usually they just lay the tarps over the top.

 

I've heard of them paying by weight. That's the only reason I can see putting them on a flat, to load more than 45k.

And then it's produce so there is a possibility of a gate pass and someone wanting a tip to unload.

 

Let us know whenever you load a load of hides. That way us company drivers can thank the Lord there is one less chance of us having to pull that load.