Post flatbed load photos here V2.0

A leftover from last week, taking a load from WA to MA with a couple of stops along the way…always fun to go across the country

 

An Atki enthusiast rebuilt this tractor some years ago and ran it on general haulage flat work. The rebuild included the extra axle and the high roof sleeper. conversion. Note all the original badges on the grill reference my comments about Econofreight's boss' hatred of unpaid advertising.

 

Thought you might be interested in a bit of history with that model. It is called a Mk II and named 'Borderer'. The Mk. I was not the first Atkinson, they went years back before that, but I think they were the first with a fibreglass cab. Before that everything was wood and steel.

I got my first Mk.I one back in the 60s and thought I was King of the Road but they were hard times, lots of drafts, especially where the pedals came through the floor, the heater, if you were lucky enough to have one, was pretty much useless and in winter we used to drive wearing army greatcoats. No power steering but thankfully the wheel was flatish so you could get the strength of your shoulders behind it. 6 speed gearbox, double declutched, but we loved them. Early models had vacuum wipers, the faster you went the slower they swept, what bright spark thought that was a good idea?

But the big debate, which continues today, was which is safer, fibreglass or steel? Those of us in the FG camp pointed out the crumpled and collapsed inwards results of steelies in accidents, and with no other retardation apart from the power of the footbrake, there were plenty, squashed you and trapped you where you sat. What nonsense the steelies said, but we pointed out that a fb cab dematerialised around you allowing the driver to be thrown clear to land on a handy, soft, grassy verge, not even scratched by that large screen which had popped out obligingly just ahead of you.

I wonder what you all think, fibreglass or steel, and did you have the choice way back then?

 

Got lasers to get you in straight..after you blindside around a building up a ramp into a darkened building
Maybe I’m just a dumb #### with a truck: seems like a spot light shining into the bay over the door would help 100% more?

 

Blue Monday load.

 

I was going to say something yesterday when I saw it, but hesitated until I had a chance to better review that video to make sure, because it's so obvious that he only used straps to hold everything down, and even the board that he tried to use to header the weight in front of the racking and the racking which he strapped over instead of through. A chain restraint on that header may have prevented that weight moving, but the strap over top of the header, definitly wouldn't, it just slid right under it. "But I'm just going down the street!!"

 

That is definitely a boom/tower section for a crane. Put a chain on it and you just bought it.

The guy had the boom sitting on top of stacked 4x4s. He used straps on the counter weights instead of chains. As long as you can catch something like an alignment peg on top of the counter weight it would probably be fine. Also have to make sure you use plenty of good rubber edge protection. It's hard to tell in the video but I don't see any edge protection on the counter weight straps including the close up afterwards when the camera turns.

When he slammed the brakes the counterweights pulled into the straps and cut them on the edges. Once the weights were loose they slid forward and knocked out his wood stacks holding the boom. That let it fall down which loosened the straps. Once it started sliding it caught on the straps and overloaded them causing them to snap.

If I were this guy I probably would've blown right through that light. It just changed so it will be a few second before the cross traffic gets a green and starts moving. I'll take the ticket and fight it in court if I get pulled over. If I lose at least I didn't spill a load across the highway.

I've hauled some sketchy stuff that could only be strapped/chained straight over the top. Including 100K+ pieces. I don't slam the brakes with it. I'll run a light or use a shoulder to slow down if somebody cuts too close and takes away my stopping room.

 

Looks like it was the counter weight that stated all the problems? No changing “through” one of those..

 

@Spardo your argument between metal and fiberglass cabs reminds me of a safety bulletin I saw once encouraging the use of seatbelts. It said you have a better chance of survival wearing a seatbelt than not…
EXCEPT in cases of when the driver’s seat gets completely separated from the cab…
I guess you could hope for one of those soft grassy areas that you mentioned

 

Started with small stuff and ended up hauling a Ford to end the day
Had a couple feet to spare...