Flatbed question

Check this link, or do a search of this forum if you can for tarps.
http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...540-everything-you-need-know-about-tarps.html

The requirements for cargo securement is covered in http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/cargo/cs-policy.pdf

 

For starters I would take 20 straps and 8 chains and binders, and about 6 portable winch's. If you are on the road and you have no way to get a resupply, its pretty tough if you run out of equipment. I run mostly P&D so resupply is pretty easy.
Also think about plastic V boards if you have to tie down some thing fragile like a load of foam insulation boards where you can't crush the edges with your straps. The v boards sure help there.

 

Pulling skates is not as hard as everyone makes it out to be unless your just
plain lazy.

As far as securment put straps and chains until your comfortable with the load
not falling off your trailer and you'll be allright as far as DOT is concerned.

 

I wouldn't go so far as to say "until your comfortable with the load not falling off your trailer". Without quoting the entire section on load securement from the FMCSA, some DOT inspectors abide by the two devices in the first five feet and then one every ten feet there after, and if you don't figure out how many devices to use by taking into account the weight of the load and the working load limits of your securement devices, you could be in for a nice little ticket and an deficient securement out-of-service order.

 

DOT requirements are in the Regs Book 393.100. It does not differ per state. The thing that does differ is the truck and trailer and oversized regs. The securement is the same.

There are a bunch of little regulations that overlap each other. For example, Mr AKN mentioned what was called the "headerboard rule" (2 securements in the first 10 ft, 1 securement every 10 ft after and fraction thereof. But if you are hauling lumber, DOT says there must be a strap every 4 feet. So, sometimes a driver gets a little confused..."Do I put a strap every 4 feet or every 10?" Well, if you secure lumber correctly, the headerboard rule will be covered as well since there will be securement to satisfy the headerboard rule.

NOW, the problem comes with flatbedding when the guys who have been driving or loading for a long time and have not kept up with the regs. You will thing a loader will know how to load his product on a trailer, but you cant always load a 53 flat like a 48 flat without being heavy on the trailer. Plus a 53 ft trailer is 3000lbs heavier than the 48. Depending on the state, those overweight tickets are BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG!

I always encourage drivers to read the DOT regs book. All big carriers have their SafetyMan. All the big flatbed carriers have their yard cop. The yard cop is the guy who teaches the securement classes. When he's not doing this, he's walking the yards looking at the trucks pulling in. If you have a load secured wrong and he brings it to your attention, change it. Yard cops cant write tickets, but they can cost you your job.
An experienced flatbedder who has kept up to date with DOT regs can tell in 5 seconds whether or not another driver has his load secured. So can an experienced DOT. If you are new to the skateboard, there is no shame in asking another driver about securement. They know youre a rookie. Nothings wrong with being a rookie. Pull out of that yard with your load secured wrong and not ask another driver, they will know that you are an idiot.

I loaded a piece of heavy machinery on an RGN. Another driver loaded 2 farm tractors on a step. He used 2 chains and 2 binders per tractor, and had his oversized banners and flags on and got ready to roll out. I stopped him and said something about his securement and his response was, "Ive hauled quite a few like this. Never had problems before."

What do you think will happen to a driver that gets a green on the EZPass and bypasses a weigh station with oversized banners on a legal load, and improper securement? And guess who I saw out back behind the next scalehouse with a DOT in a jumpsuit looking at his rig?

Take pride in your securement. Its what makes a flatbedder a flatbedder. Dont be one of those lazy drivers who wont invest in his own equipment (LIKE A LADDER!!!) and expects the securement devices issued to you by the company will be sufficient to secure any load they carry. If they cant spec a truck properly, how can you expect them to know what loads you will be carrying?

Anyways, good luck on the skateboarding.

 

Arrows rule is. If you have chains left in the rack with a load of pipe on andyou roll it and lose the pipe, you pay. If you have all the chains on the pipe they pay. I worke there, loved them, oilfield was booming at the time.

 

It does not take that long to toss a few extra chains. I would rather use what I have and not worry about what is behind me.

 

just keep putting straps on there till it looks like you have a full tarp on, then you should be good to go.

 

There are several reasons why you dont do this.

1. May damage products. Pipes may be fine, but machinery WILL BE DAMAGED. With the way today's freight is, your company/ shipper will fire you at the blink of an eye.

2. Time. Say you have a 44000 lb load of steel pipe to haul 150 miles. Its 12 noon Friday You throw 30 straps across it and tighten it down. It will take you over an hour and a half to secure that load. It will take longer than that to roll all of those straps back up. Time is more important than money. That load is only going to pay you so much and the way that you increase your income is by managing your time. That 3 hours you waste can make the difference in whether or not you get unloaded Friday or have to sit on that load for the weekend because you didnt get to the receiver in time to get unloaded. That hurts!

3. DOT. The thing that you dont want to do is draw attention to yourself. pull across a scale with 30 straps on your pipes when 6 would do and the Bear thats actually paying attention will pull you because he's betting that youre an idiot.