A Few Flatbed Questions

Yeah you can! Take your pocket knife out and start cutting thru your chain, while your doing that I'll hand you your strap that only took me a cpl seconds to cut thru!

You should explain in more detail the aluminum coil securement. You have to use chains thru the eye of the coil unless its eye to the sky. Also use rubber chain protecters. I also use chains over the coil even if its eye to the sky unless told I can't. IMO straps are for the lazy ones who don't want to get their chains out. Sorry but my life is more important than worrying about breaking a sweat throwing chains! Straps stretch to much for me to trust them holding anything more than tarps on the trailer! And no I don't haul lumber other than what is on my trailer to load my material.

You use some really small chains don't you? A 48k single, 4 chains thru the eye and 1 over top, ODOT legal! 2 chains where 3/8" and the other 3 where 5/16".

I only have to use racks on sucide coils, but my trailer has a little secret...LOL

 

Hey Zephirus I just what to remind you its your responsiblity to know how to secure your load as a flatbedder. The speed will come with experience but the most important thing is safety. We as flatbedder can not afford it any other way, nor can the traveling public. I would hope you had learned from someone who has experience securing loads. If you have not that is really a dangerous situation. I hope you dont hurt yourself or anyone else. It is our responsibilty to know our jobs. I dont know you but I would hope you would educate yourself on how to secure flatbed loads. I dont know who you pull for but they should have trained you on securing loads and the equipment used on to secure thoses loads. If you want to stay clean coveralls and showers. I hope the best for you be patient and make sure your loads are secure your life and the lives are more important than one more chain or strap

 

Typical supertrucker, arent you? This is a new guy starting out. Most of the big training companies are going to start him out with a set of 5/16 grade 70. You know this, of course, but instead you choose to belittle someone else to make yourself look better.

Ah, where would we be without you big, tough, been-driving-since-God-talked-to-Moses, know everything, so let me piss on everyone, supertrucker. Awww, and here you thought I was going to ask about your little secret trailer. Not interested, wrong trailer setup, sorry.

 

I've been amazed at the size of chains & binders I see some flatbed company use. And hearing guys complain bout throwing the 5/16 chains crack me up. I guess typical flatbed freight securement equipment can be smaller than heavy equipment & oversize. Not being a know it all just an observation.

Far as keeping clean while chaining down, Good leather not jersey gloves, crappy pair of uniform pants that are big enuff to go on over your pants & a junky t-shirt. Coveralls work but your upper body is gonna get too hot with them on. Then baby wipes & a bottle of go-jo does wonders for "freshing" up till a shower can be had.

 

The guys covered it pretty well (I learned a thing or two myself) and I can add a couple:
Rubbing alcohol, or even better a spray bottle with apple cider vinegar, pinch of salt, and a little lemon juice - you smell like a salad for 1/2 hour, but don't stink for the next 12. (antiseptic, and long lasting)

There is a thread in here called 'tarping' I think, and I have put a diaghram and instructions on a great tarping method...and some added good comment to it.
edit: found it for ya: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...erienced-truckers-advice/32554-tarping-5.html

If you see a construction site where the houses are almost finished and they're putting in the kitchens...the cabinets are shipped with these compressed thick cardboard corners...a stack of them weighs nothing and they work great for square edge protection. Cabinet warehouse might let go of some too, because they just throw them away.

Have fun with the skateboard and have pride: it's the last of the frontier load hauling.
Just don't go overboard with the stetson and pieplate belt buckles, okay?

 

I use the heavy plastic Vee-boards for corner protectors. I hauled some foam insulation panels and those came with the load. The protectors grew legs and hopped into my cabinets shortly after unloading.

 

Good post, Red.

Rubber mats, carpet, moving blankets,...STUFF...just about anything that you can think of to protect your tarps.

I had to pull this funky production robot... edges all over, 11 ft wide, and had sections that stood taller than others. Had to tarp it. I ran straps over all the high points, not to secure the robot, but to support the tarp!
Anyways, got it done.

Like Red says, take pride in your work, particluarly in your securement.

 

Thats got to be a sight to see.

 

Study your load securement book like its the bible, and your the pope!! Speed comes with time, not by taking shortcuts.This isnt a race, unless its a race to your death. Slow down, dont worry about the other hands getting out of the shipper 15-20 min. quicker, if they do it wrong, at least the wreck is 15-20 min in front of you!! Over securement is ALWAYS better than under securement.

 

Dang straight. You only get to lose one coil or machine, right?