Securement Overkill?

Keep doing what you are doing, I have family out here on these roads too. You sound like me, I always through an extra 3/8" chain and or strap. Some guys looked at me goofy for doing just that. Maybe it was the fact that I used a JJ Keller securement book to train myself in the flat bed field. It was my truck and my authority.

 

Securing a load is like going down a steep mountain grade...you can go down a mountain too slow a million times, but generally go down a mountain too fast only once. Thusly, you can put extra securement on a load every time, but under secure a load (or barely secure it legally) once and it might be



Or worse...because karma is a #####. That one time you don't over secure, karma will throw an idiot in front of you.

 

Ouch. But his headache rack did its job. Buy some stock in that company.

 

I also over secure my freight. I just do long trips, 1500 miles being on the short side. To me it's worth the extra time and the peace of mind while driving is worth it.

In your picture I would have used 3 chains and all mine are 3/8 as well. The straps though are overkill however I would do the same only because it keeps my tarps out to the side and dont have to deal with them on the chains.

 

It ended better than this

 

In flatbed, I have one simple thought. God himself might want to pick the whole thing up and check the dirty side. When he does, that coil better be secured. So I throw everything on it that will fit. So it takes me a little longer to do it. But when people force me into a situation I need to displace the rig, that load aint going no where. *Knock on wood.

Ive been teased for it. And it does not bother me anymore. I have had two flatbed loads that was nowhere near secure, and I am willing to sit down and start writing about them.

Your load picture looks fine. Maybe another on each one if you have the reach and room to do it. But Im just teasing you slightly. I don't do very well with suicides. I prefer shotgun, the bigger the better, particularly upwards of 52000 single coils on the belly.

 

I'm going to try to get a picture of the truck I saw Saturday morning on I55 in Mississippi at mm 130. A driver hauling a coil suicide with no headache rack or bulkhead laid over in the median. Coil came loose and almost completely flattened the cab killing him. It was incredible to see what it did to the truck.

Its always a good idea to go extra on securement. Keep up the good work.

 

I don't think that's overkill. I would throw the same amount of chains on the center coil as it's not touching/blocked by the others.

One thing DOT is wanting to see is some friction material underneath the coil rack also.

 

There’s no requirement for friction mats if it’s blocked braced.

 

Is it really blocked or braced? Does the coil rack count as blocking? There are a few places that won't load you unless you have friction mats under the coil racks.

Maybe you could get around it with a bulkhead in front of the coil to "block it"?

Didn't we already talk about something like this?