Load securement efficiency

I have said many a time said that you shouldn't be the one that "farts at the dinner party".

Within the first week of my current gig, three and a half years ago, I was "86'ed" from a customer, because I was too ###### slow. That customer has room for only one truck at a time, with trucks that are waiting having to park on the street. After that experience I completely changed the setup on my trailer and have been continuously working on being more efficient in how I secure loads. That customer quickly welcomed me back, after I demonstrated quick and efficient securement when I was the only available truck.

Often I am involved in multiple trucks picking up at pipe yards going to an oil rig (or vice versa). My company has many a good, safe driver, but there are a handful that haven't thought through their efficiencies in their methods. They slow down the show.

Case in point was this last weekend, two loads picking up at a pipe yard 100 west of OKC, going to an oil rig 140 miles away. There are three of us, with two of us dispatched to cover two loads.

I arrived half an hour in advance of the scheduled time, to see one truck ahead of me, blocking the entrance to the pipe yard, forcing me to put on my four ways and politely ask him to move forward so I could get off the street. The third truck arrived 10 minutes later and then proceeded to jump in front of me so he was second to load (not cool).

When the forklift driver arrived we all went in line to load. The first driver got loaded, then instead of moving forward to let the next driver start to load, he started throwing straps and secure the load!!!??? The forklift driver was doing the whole face palm thing while I jumped out of my truck, along with the second driver (the line jumper), to help the first driver get his straps up and in the winches.

Finally the forklift driver got out, walked over, and asked the lead driver to move it so he could load the second truck. The first driver stuffed his straps so they wouldn't drag on the ground and pulled up ONE TRUCK LENGTH out of the way

Now the second driver started getting loaded, all of us had five layers of pipe, with 4x4's between each layer. The second driver was loaded, but couldn't move, because the first driver was still futsing with his straps!

After 10 minutes the first driver moved forward, and STILL kept futsing with his straps! Meanwhile I started getting loaded, maybe 10 more minutes and the first driver pulled out. I was loaded and completely secured and STILL had to wait another 10 minutes for the second driver to finish securing his load, which I helped him with.

When I arrived at the rig the first driver was JUST getting the first layer of pipe off the deck. The second driver was sitting, waiting to unload, without taking ANY of his straps off. I arrived, immediately got my waybill signed by the company man, confirmed I would do a second run, took off, wound, and stowed all but two straps, and driver #2 STILL hadn't bothered to take off a single strap!

Finally driver #1 (thankfully not dispatched on a second load) moved on out and driver #2 moved into position to unload and THEN started removing his straps. The forklift driver went to have lunch. Thirty minutes later the first layer was coming off driver #2's deck.

After driver #2 was unloaded I got into position, while driver #2 was still futsing around stowing his straps and dunnage. It took him until I was almost unloaded before he pulled out to go for the second load. Meanwhile all my straps were wound and stowed and when the last fork full of pipe was off my deck I only had to put three 4x4's in the dunnage rack and head on out for the second load.

On the second load I came in first to the rig, after waiting for driver #2 to secure his load, but he stopped for fuel on the second trip. When he arrived to the rig I was pulling out, empty and ready to roll.

Many veteran flatbedders seem to have not thought through what they do and how they do it. In real estate or retail the three most important things to consider for success are: Location, Location, and Location.

In manufacturing, or in flatbed securement, the three most important things are: Procedure, Procedure, and Procedure.

I spent thirty years working with manufacturing processes, quality assurance, sales, and consulting. I've reviewed thousands of factories in dozens of counties, and helped many of them improve efficiencies in a wide variety of products.

I was first turned on to efficiencies when working in "the rag industry" (clothing, luggage, etc). Doing time studies, using stop watches and video to observe the most efficient folks on the sewing machines with an eye to helping slower operators improve their times and quality.

Later, when working in a folding carton plant, the owner (an avid race car driver) brought in a pit crew to discuss how they became faster and more accurate during pit stops. They used high speed video to analyze every put stop and every member of the crew was going over those stops with a fine toothed comb. In the carton plant we used time lapse video to analyze change overs ("make readies") on large format sheet fed printing presses. We dropped the average job change from 4.5 hours to 3 hours by really focusing on efficiency.

It seems everyone doing flatbed has a slightly different way of doing things, which is one reason I am hesitant to jump in and help another flatbedder secure a load. I try to watch how they do the first strap, then try to follow that example, but let them do all the final work to their satisfaction.

A few weeks ago I was on a 10 truckload move of drill pipe from a pipe yard 350 miles to another pipe yard. I was second in line. At this pipe yard you aren't allowed within 30' of your trailer and have to stand behind cones until you get loaded, the pipe yard employees place your dunnage and nail chocks on each layer for you. THEN you are expected to move forward and secure the load, for the next truck to start loading. It's a highly efficient operation.

I logged On Duty after pulling forward. The load required a dozen straps, including drawing four straps through the layers with my 4" paint roller on an extendable stick (on the first and second layers). Twelve straps took me 16 minutes from the time I exited my cab to getting back in the cab. THEN I had to wait a few more minutes for the first driver to finish and get out of the way.

Am I the best at securement? Not even close. I am however constantly looking for ways to "work smarter, not harder". I watch other drivers and when I see a good idea I put that in my repertoire.

After that first week, when that customer banned me, I immediately reorganized my side boxes and winches, so I can throw all my straps from the passenger side, close that box, then walk to the driver's side and start folding, setting, then tightening my straps. The slowest drivers seem to throw a few straps, or hook ends, then walk around to the other side and get those straps (or hooks) set, THEN do a couple more straps, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat.

It's at times excruciating to watch a display like that. Gobsmacking. How in the world did that driver make money today?

I know there are flatbedders that really don't care about getting to that level of efficiency. Some on this forum have expressed a level of pride in taking it slow. Some I have met in person have taken umbrage that I am done and ready to roll while they are blocking me, but I DO wait patiently. The thing is many a customer have limited areas to load, or like pipe yard moves with multiple trucks you can delay proceedings by HOURS for the last truck in line if you add up all the inefficiencies of each trucker.

I don't work in a frenzy. I do a final walk around after the winch bar, dunnage rack, and side boxes are secured. I THINK about what I am doing and how to get it done with the least amount of motion. I sure wish more flatbedders would do the same.

 

Yeah, one thing I have learned is to "respect the pipe" and that goes QUADRUPLE for subs. ALWAYS stop within the first mile or two of a dirt road and check your securement, then check it again a few miles later, then check it again fifteen minutes after getting on paved highway.

Happiness is a "no click load" (not needing to tighten a strap or winch even one click). But those are rare. I've had quite a few, but pipe loads like to shift and leave your straps flapping in the breeze. I like all my straps tightened to at least the key of G.

 

I don't feel qualified to answer any questions about efficiency with tarps and bungies. I put the hook ends of a dozen bungies inside gallon zip lock bags, that seems to make it easier to bring a few baggies of various length bungies to where I need them. Using 50' rope I am able to secure almost the entire sides without bungies, then bungie the back parts as well as the front and back flaps, so I have it down to less than twenty total bungies. I stow my tarps, cords, and bungies in the driver's side trailer side box.

I use a strap winder, so it's fast to roll all my straps. I wind them so the hook side is out, making it quick to secure the hook and throw the strap over the load, rarely ever getting it hung up like hooks do, with enough weight in the roll to beat a strong wind (most of the time). I stow all the straps in the passenger side trailer box, where they are right in the middle of my work zone (no need to walk back and forth to the tractor side box or headache rack).

I have a 4" paint roller mounted onto an extendable handle that can reach clear across the deck. When I need a belly/cinch wrap I throw the strap, then reach through and grab the strap with the roller, draw it under and push it back over the top all in one action.

Once all the straps are thrown I can walk one time to the driver's side and working back to front set all the straps in winches. Then I get my winch bar from the headache rack and work front to back, unless there is a certain sequence needed, like tightening the belly wraps first to tighten the load together before doing the down force straps.

I have a habit of doing a final walk around before getting in the cab, pinging all straps and chains, making sure there isn't rocks on the deck, and making sure I didn't forget anything on the deck (like my clipboard with the BOL!).

The key is to try and eliminate frequent trips from one side of the trailer to the other side. For me that meant putting all my winches on the driver's side and all my straps on the passenger side. That's not ideal if you have a load that can get pulled lopsided, but for oil field equipment that hasn't been a problem.

 

LOL, that's so true. Much of the time a slow worker wants to have a gab fest.