flatbed

Most shippers who have aluminum coils on pallets furnish paper strap protectors. If you have a chain on the front of the pallet or protected coil with straps over the top of the coil it isn't going anywhere as long as the strap is protected.

 

Those wire coils are a different animal but still a coil. Edge protectors are great but I see their point on straps. If you have edge protectors for staros why can't you use them for chain. I'm not going to dig deep in this because I've used starps on palleted coils before. Three straps two of them cross crossed with a chain on the front of the pallet to stop forward motion. As a matter of fact a strap is rated for more weight than a 5/8 chain so as long as its protected I don't see a problem. Now any other coil? No way would I use straps.

 

I was thinking that why couldnt you do the same thing on the aluminum coils as the wire coils? As in using the coil bunks and dunnage and then straps but then they need good edge protection. I have hauled the coils on pallets that were eye to the sky and they didnt move anywhere as long as you have chains on front and back of the pallets they are banded to then straps over the top with plastic edge protectors.

 

A 5/8 G70 chain is rated over 15,800LBS WLL and you got transport straps rated more than that?

 

What size chains is it the Strip trucks have? I know they are huge!

 

I dont know. The one's I've seen have the coil well and use a 10 inch strap.

 

The one I seen in S. Union had to be bigger than 1/2" and he only used 2 chains and a strap. It wasn't a little coil either, but he said safety checked it out and it was legal that way.

 

Aluminum is much softer and easier to damage the ends than metal coils. That is the reason manufacturers use thick cardboard edge protectors rather than plastic or metal. Either of then could potentially damage the edge of the coil. Since the cardboard is softer it is much more difficult to damage the coil. If you sit an aluminum coil in a wooden cradle, as you would on most metal coils, the wood could damage the aluminum. They usually don't even want a tarp to touch an aluminum coil. Some shippers won't send them on anything but a covered wagon.

 

Les,

Have you ever hauled the skidded coils that we are talking about?
Using the three straps per coil and then one around the front pulling towards the center of the trailer and one around the rear doing the same thing is very safe.
If I do not think I load is safe, I will not haul it.
This load done this way is very safe in my opinion.

 

One of the very first things they taught me at Maverick is that if you do not feel a load is safe, you do not have to haul it.
The skidded coils at Logan Aluminum are safe loads to haul if you use the three straps over each coil and one in the front and one in the back pulling towards the center.
If they do not feel it is a safe load, then I respect their opinion and their right not to haul them....
Hopefully they will respect those who do not agree with them!