Flatbed question

Right....I only use the spools on my trailer....Have you seen drivers just use the stake pockets though????

 

Yes, I have. I have seen all kinds of things I had to ask myself, what were they thinking??? If I do use a spool and not a state pocket I go around 2 spools.

 

One can never be too safe.....


I was running the 191 S/B last week when a tanker driver commented on my "Over-strapping" the tarps....He told me a good Flat-bedder never has to throw straps over their tarps if they bungy the tarps tight....
Yup...every load is perfect too..... "I'll drive mine and you drive yours"......

 

I've never heard that before...about using a spool (I call them barrel posts) and a stake pocket. I was always told that the spools were not there for securement, they are there to offer some resistance to keep the rail from getting collapsed and that they were not strong enough to use for securement.

I have used the spools (sometimes you have no choice)....but I do my best to use only the stake pockets.

As far as the removable "things" that go in the groove on the deck of the trailer...I've used those too, hauling glass. They do work and the ones I've used were rated at 5,000 lbs,

 

You can never have to many chains or straps on a load.

 

You have to watch using the stake pockets, if you bend them you won't be able to put a sidekit on the trailer. Another thing to consider, do stake pockets have a load rating, the spools usually do?

The J-hooks your talking about are really nice but the reitinour ones are thin and weaker than other trailer makers. You can buy thicker ones but they are expensive! I can also show you some J-hooks that are ripped apart, but believe it or not, it took alot to do it.

 

State pockets have the same rating as a spool.

 

Utility has a warning decal on the trailers to use only the spools and not the stake pockets for chains.....

 

I'm probably going to feel really stupid about this, but what do you mean by spools? You're not referring to the winches the straps go around are you? I don't think I've ever seen someone with chains wrapped around the strap winches.

And I've seen diagrams on the sides of some flatbeds with chain/stake pocket ratings, I just can't for the life of me remember which trailers it was. Transcrafts maybe.

 

in between the stake pockets are round spools... at least thats what i think he is refering to