Refused my first load today

The 2 big outfits ive seen layed over in the ditch is Frontier and Transcore. Not sure if they get up your way or not though.

They used to haul alot of those international paper co. Loads.

 

That looks like a Nucor Steel load out of Plymouth, UT.
Had similar issues.
They do that because the customers started complain about the difficulty in unloading when the steel is butted.
Had to listen to a customer complain last year for about 20 minutes, because he had to fight to seperate them before he could unload them.
I just simply explained that I wasn't leaving the mill with that steel spaced.
So I cinched it all together with three gut wraps.
He didn't like it but understood, especially when I politely told him that I'd wait until his wife was next to me on the freeway then had cut hard right and slam on my breaks, all 10.
You should have seen the look on his face.
Of course it took me twice as long to get unloaded, but oh well, he learned his lesson.
Now when dispatch tells me I'm picking up another one of these loads, I make sure I have at least 16 4x4x12" blocks handy.

 

While the center of gravity may be similar, aload of lumber is strapped down to the trailer. Paper rolls are simply placed on a rubber mat. In a turn or hard stop the lumber isn't moving, those paper rolls can slide, or tip inside the trailer pushing the trailer over on its side.

 

I've hauled more paper rolls than I ever want to remember. Aluminum coils also. Most of mine were in a reefer. Smooth poly walls and an aluminum floor that your unable to nail blocking to creates problems.
The little green book has a separate chapter with special rules on hauling them now. Basically every roll has to have 3 points of contact with either the trailer or other rolls.
Large rolls normally have to be split loaded. Half in the nose. And half over the trailer tandem. It's the rear group that causes the problems. In a reefer your only option is to have a traction mat under the front rolls of the rear group. And I believe now they have to be banded together over the tail by law. But I haven't pulled a load in a long time.
It's much the same as pulling a smooth bore tank. You just gotta drive the thing for conditions.
Trouble is in the steering wheel drivers today. Out of sight out of mind. They'll pull the same stupid stunts they do with 5 pallets and 10,000 in the box and then be surprised at the results.

 

Ya about the only thing you can do with a plain jane van is drive extra extra safe.

 

What about large spools of wire....took this of a competitor about 2 years ago. Rolled over the blocking and this is how it ended.

 

That looks ugly, at least it stayed in the trl

 

That wreck in ON was a fatal for the driver of a Titanium truck not pictured in the photo. A driver hauling a van load of acid took the ditch to avoid rear ending some folks and drove into a rock cut. I got this from two Titanium Drivers that I was running with last Wed. We drove past the accident site. They said it was the fumes from the hazmat spill that got him. 28 others went to hospital. Normally I would blame speed limiters and improper following distance, but it was whiteout conditions that day. Hwy 401 claims another victim. RIP driver.