Brand New Flat-Bedder Here!

Ill qualify hide hauling with this .
It used to pay well and I hauled em on a flat with sides ..48ft Benson spread ...
Did it for a year till the rates went in the can .
Hides constantly drip salt and are very hard on a truck frame and trailer .
Hide houses in Laredo are all tight and mostly blind side backing .
And in no hurry to unload and long lines at times .
It was educational and no the smell doesent stick to you ...fresh hides are the best to haul like fresh from the kill floor , washed and salted .
The worst is rendered hides !...these come from cattle already dead that a rendering company picked up and this smell with stick to ya ...yuk!
Wasn't a terrible gig when it payed well but when people started doing it for cheap I said see ya .

 

Just remember about physics and you will know where to tie down. But if in doubt ASK!

 

I hauled a ld of hides once in a van for payback. From Mo. To the Canadian border in late August. Forgot to open the vents to the trl. Opps
Dropped it in the drop lot after mty.
3 weeks later when I check call all you know what was breaking loose on the phone. Seems the shag driver opened the door at border to show customs it was mty. They saw no humor in the fine smell it had.
I told them from now on, if you keep lieing to me on reloads, I will haul more hides on your trls... never got lied to again on that.

 

Reminds me of a load I had when I worked for Schneider. Delivered a load of feed to a farm in GA. They had me back into a mud pit dock. Unloaded me using a skid steer with forks. The whole time he was driving around in mud and cow manure. Had about 6" of that mix across the floor. Tried to tell dispatch about it but they wouldn't send me to a washout to get it cleaned. They had me drop it at a clothing distributor and grab a loaded trailer from their drop lot. I feel bad for that customer when they went to use that trailer and opened those doors.

 

When removing securement, straps or chains. I always hook one end to rub rail. Easy to see them and none get left behind in a snow covered lot.

You have to carry all those chains and straps, just as well to carry them on the load.
When in doubt add a chain.
Good luck.

 

Having systems or routines is a good way to reduce the chances of a mistake.

 

It's faster to add more securement than it is to try and fix a shifted load on the side of the road. Don't roll with it until you are comfortable with the securement.

It dosn't take much to "get down the road", it takes more to go through the "uneven shoulder with unexpected dips" in construction zones, and an obscene amount to survive a "hard brake".

You think your good? throw another.

 

When chosing your strap/chain locations.
One of the things you want to consider is what will the clamping force do. If you place the securement in a location that will use leverage to your advantage, then thats a good thing.

 

Organization is important.

Having your equipment in good order, and in order makes taking out or putting back equipment much easier. You can get to it with out problems, no dragging everything out just to get that strap or binder. when things go smooth, they go quickly.

If your boxes are a mess, things tossed in here or there, snarled and tangled, it will take extra time to sort out what you need to do the job. Then you may also find that what you thought you had, you don't, it's damaged or missing a part. Thats a problem. Then you have what i think is the worst part. The customer and any other drivers loading near by sees this.