Flat Beds

Don't plan on sleeping much then. I've had tarp straps taken and actual load straps stolen off the load at a few truck stops while I slept. Had my trailer mud flaps stole at the Go-Mart in Old Washington, OH.

Loads unsecured, binders and straps loosened... you gotta check your load before you move out. Check your 5th wheel too. Don't want to drive out from under a loaded trailer cause some ### wanted to be cute and mess with you.

 

I know you may not be able to do much about the straps you are using at the time but dont most flatbed truckers keep the un-used ones along with some tarps in the boxes on the trailer so they can keep them under lock and key?

 

Yeah, I kept my straps, strap roller, and corner protectors in my right side box on the tractor. Chains and binders inside my headache rack boxes. Tarps in my trailer boxes. All locked. I quit hanging my tarp straps in bundles on my trailer after they were stolen. So I kept them in the left side box on the tractor.

 

I know this thread is a little old. But I found that comment interesting. Having worked in the construction industry I can remember a lot of times we would have a flat bed delivering to a site and needing it to back into a pretty tight area or something. It definately wouldn't have been for somebody who couldn't have backed a trailer up to a dock.

 

Heck I have hit harder, tighter docks with this spread than all the years I pulled a box....

 

Jobsites aren't always designed for the truckers' best interest. I've never seen a van load delivering somewhere that isn't designed to be able to accomodate trucks. I'd really like to see most van drivers try backing a spread axle into a simple parking spot in a truck stop. Backing up is no problem when your trailer pivots, instead of "scoots".

 

Actually in doing LTL you will see a LOT of stops in places that are not designed for trucks to unload. That's why you see them stopped in a traffic lane, on a sidewalk, even in a center of the road "safety zone." The company will pay the tickets and they are not moving violations, but they are a pain in the #####.

OTOH, it is so much fun to try to tarp in a high wind. Even more fun to take the tarp off after driving through a blizzard!

I'll take a breadbox over a skateboard any day. But then that is just me. . .

 

Really thats no joke. USS is one of those places. Backing into a black hole which is really just a tight indoor dock. You just can't see inside.

About 75% of the time I didn't mess with a dock much. Most that i did were pretty easy. There are some that will mess ya up though.

 

Dont forget about all the "temporary" docks or bldgs you have to try. You know the ones where they forgot that trucks would need to GET to the place they wanted all the new stuff delivered, ie const. sites with goat paths for 80,000lbs. of material! And they "forget" that all 5 trucks are coming in at the same time!

 

One time I had to wait 2 days for a load leveler to get some sandwhiched aluminum sided insulation type of stuff unloaded. 2 days of a wait and they ended up just unloading me with a reach lift...