Strapping a Load

Mack-e6, your right, that stuff should be sent in a van, especially when I had to tarp it too! Wire, tarped! Oh well, over and done for now. Trooper, had an experience today along the lines of what we are talking about. I'm hauling skid steers, some loaded facing front to back, two loaded sideways so the wheels etc. run across the bed. I was told by the co. that strapping across each set of tires was how it was to be done. So I did. Both straps came off, one after the other in Chicago. I was lucky(checking mirrors works!) and saw the first one come free, got over before the other came all the way off. This wasn't caused by threading or not, but by a very big pot hole and the tires compressing etc.. I know it's not a perfect example, but it had a hell of an impact on me! I chained them up, then strapped(tighter) and went on thinking of the importance of doing it right! No matter what the comopany says is good enough. Believe me, I WILL be threading ALL my straps from now on! As well as addding any number of straps or chains until I'M comfortable with how it looks!

 

Any tricks to keeping these things tight? Each time I have had to chain, one of the binders doesn't seem to stay tight. I think the chain is "twisting" the binder around a bit. I have always caught them on load checks, but I still don't like it. Hey Trooper, you would have liked how I chained this military trailer the last load. I was repowering it and the other driver hadn't left any paper work. It was sitting on an RGN when I got to the yard, chained with 1/2" chain( no, not chained properly with 4). Remembering this thread, I proceded to chain properly, 4 chains pulling crossways from each other. Then I added 2 more, one over the leaf springs pulling forward, the other over the springs pulling rear. I didn't know if the trailer was full of tools or what, so I chained as if it was. Then the other driver returns with the paper work. It weighed only 21,000lbs. He thought I was nuts! Well I made it all the way to TX, from WA, then had to re-route to SC. It never moved! And I knew it wouldn't.

 

Thanks for the tip, Mack. Having recently started pulling a covered wagon I've been having problems with my ratchet binders (which is all CRST Malone will allow their O/O's to use) staying tight.

My dad had told me to keep the binder handles up so I could see if they had moved indicating a loose chain. I like your idea better.

 

maybe some states require that, but i can't find anything in the federal cargo securement regulations that says that....
i've been haulin' steel for 22 years. i go around the pocket and just hook the chain to the pocket (like a retard)
must be the police in the northeast are as retarded as me, cuz i've survived my share of inspections....

"Proper Use of Tiedowns"
The new regulations require each tiedown to be attached and secured in a manner that prevents it from becoming loose, unfastening, opening or releasing while the vehicle is in transit.

where does it say anything about hooking the chain to itself?

 

We use the ratchet binders for holding down our wheel loader. If they get hard to turn, I just pull the ends out and smear some grease on the inside threads. And a little WD40 on the little ball for the ratcheting mechanism.

Works great.