Opinions On: Securing Steel Coils - Use of chains / straps / dunage

I can see where going around the stake pocket and connecting chain-hook back to chain, would make a stronger connection. I will use that method more often than I have. I usually just secure however seems good at the time but, I want to be safe as well. I remember a couple winters ago seeing a flatbed with wheels up and the shingle load was still tied to the bed. It looked like God Himself picked the flatbed up and flipped over, than set it back down. I want my trailer to look like that if it "ever" ends up upside down.

Another question; Why is cross-chaining a stronger method than looping through and coming back to the same side? Looking at Lucar's sample pic above the blue & purple chain goes from front left of trailer to rear right of trailer, and red & brown chains go from front right to rear left. Why is that method better than going from right side, or left, through the center and back to the starting side? I am not even sure what the green chain is doing..lol I like the cradle but, where would I put all that extra dunnage.

 

***sigh***

there is a lot of "odd" information in this thread and I wont address it because its not worth arguing about I just hope you dont attempt to haul coils unless you have been properly trained....I haul coils on a daily basis sometimes a single to 78,000 lbs normal is 2 coils for about 82,000 lbs (1 @ 40,xxx) I can gross up to 120,000. I said that to point out im not guessing or making anything up or telling you what I heard.

My advise to you is don't offer the driver/contractor any information/opinion as far as securement or placement of coils. If they don't have the required knowledge or training find one that does. The reason that I say this is not to be mean or rude but if that driver does not properly secure that coil based on something that you told him/her and something happens you open yourself up for tons of trouble.....if that driver puts the coil or coils in the wrong position on the trailer and gets an overweight ticket and is not allowed to move until adjusted on the road somebody is going to point a finger a you. You sound like you want to be as helpful as possible but please in this case.....DON'T

I watch drivers come into the mill without a clue to what is going on bad securement equipment all kind of stuff....Drivers dont let this be you....if your not comfortable and not really sure if you have the proper equipment tell your dispatch you dont want to haul coils its not for everybody

.......and just because I cant help myself the guy who suggested hitting a few bumps in the parking lot......stop......learn proper securement techiniques thats not safe on any level, I dont want you to hurt yourself or someone else

 

Sheepdog when I started hauling steel in the mid nineties we crossed chains on everything. Then we got away from that on suicide coils. A lot of old timers still crossed them. I started just crossing the last two. Eventually they said they didn't want chains touching each other. But they still allow it on shotgun coils. One reason is was given is that if you had a 15000 lb coil you would only need two chains through the eye. If you didn't cross them and one chain came loose/broke the other chain could become very loose. With them crossed there would still be downward pressure keeping it in the rack. A lot of customers at that time didn't allow chains over the top of the coil because of damage. We have some that don't to this day.

 

Ok special-K, you got me thinking and I can see where crossing is better. I don't think about one chain coming loose but, I guess I should and when you put it the way you did, I would want them crossed. Thanks.

 

Maybe you could open up a school on proper training for hauling coils. The reason I say that is simple, drivers get trained by company trainers or, drivers they meet on the road. Unless a driver knows for sure, there is no magic color that shows this trainer or that trainer is actually telling us "proper" securement methods. I suggest that the fmcsa guide to securment be in everyone's truck. Other than that, I agree with your post...

 

I don't know if 'stronger' is the right term since it's still all the same securement devices. Looping through and pulling back to one side would be Direct Securement. Indirect Securement pulls the load to the trailer. It increases the friction between the load and the trailer. It's like making the load heavier than what it is so that it doesn't move. Direct is different in that the securement pull is directional, so for it to effective, you have to match that directional pull on the opposite side of the load.

Say for example, that you have a 9000lb coil, suicide. You run your chains through the eye to the other side. If you did a 100% Direct, you would have to double up on all the securement to insure even securement. Drivers side front, through the eye, around the outside front back to the drivers side. Then you would have to go from the passengers side front through the eye, around the outside back to the passenger side front. Then passenger side rear, through the eye, around the outside rear back to the passenger side. And finally drivers side rear through the eye around the outside rear back to the drivers side rear. Because of the directional pull of the Direct Securement, you would have to run 4 points even securement to keep the thing from moving on even a light load.

Or you could go Indirect: drivers side front through the eye to passenger side front. Next one would be drivers side rear through the eye to passengers side rear. Make sense?

When you see the guys hauling equipment, you will see some guys run 2 points on tractors. Drivers side front through a point in the tractor to passenger front. Passenger rear through a point in the tractor to driver rear. The regs state that if it's over 10k, you need 4 points of securement. So then some guys get confused and throw a couple straps over the top of the tractor. 4 points right? The whole Direct/Indirect securement thing can be confusing when it comes to certain loads...coils being one of them.

 

I was trained to meet the weight of the coil for securement for any coil load. So in my cause if im hauling a 40k coil, regardless of type, i use 7 chaines rated for 6500lbs each. That exceeds the weight of the coil. In addition to that coil ill throw a strap over the top to assist in keeping it in the racks. Metal Edge protectors for the edges of the coil, coil mats between the coil and and my 4x4s. Felt pads between the strap and the coil to prevent the coil from cutting my strap.

Some places you can get coils from will not even allow you on site if you are going to put xchains on a suicide coil.

 

You can NEVER x a chain on a suicide coil. I don't know about Canada where that guy is from.

You are only required by FMSCA to secure 1/2 the weight of the coil, your company may require additional securement, trip chains, and such

 

Clasix I said used to. Nowadays we don't cross chains on suicide coils.

 

I've never cross chains on suicide coils, but on shotgun I do, on a 40k shotgun coil, I use 8 chains, 1st two crossed, then the rest, on the same side