Heavy Haul Securement Advise

The way that he has the boom secured made me think that he has no idea what he's doing. But then, no securement on the counterweight screams that he's just stupid. Another one of those guys that are in the business just long enough to keep freight rates low.

 

Strapping over the middle of that boom section is a big no no

 

I've never worked with cranes, why is that? Looking at it structurally, seems to me those straps are where it is structurally the strongest.

 

Well technically yes but the guys just say don't tighten them too much. Obviously tighten the end straps tighter

 

The reason being is that the flex of the trailer can bend that boom. It's the same reason that we never chained Derrick sections in the middle.

 

Haulhand is correct. Anything structural line that isn't designed to flex. The trailer flexes. It's designed to flex. When carrying a structural piece, you put the dunnage on the ends and your securement where the dunnage is only. Not all the way down the piece. @cnsper, show them the structural pics.

 

lol... ok The wording you are looking for in the green book is a self supporting load.

 

I get what you guys are taking about... Just seems to me that crane section should be strong enough to stop the trailer from flexing before it gets damaged. But I can also see the owners of the crane not wanting to take that risk anyway.

 

In 1979 I was told by the maintenance supervisor for Sterling Crane (western Canada) that:
A crane boom is built to transfer the load vertically to the house frame not to carry the load by itself. That is why the diagonal chords are smaller than the main beams.

 

I worked for the biggest privately held crane company in America, we strapped boom in the middle all the time. We didn't get carried away tightening it but we did strap it. I've hauled brand new boom out of the Manitowoc factory and every truck out had straps over the middle. I'm in no way saying you guys are wrong about stressing the boom but it is safely done all the time.