Securement equipment.

Reaching out to all of you seasoned open deck gurus. As someone who takes the dark-arts of flat bed pulling seriously, and who wants to learn to do it correctly, I'm suspicious that my company rig may be lacking in helpful tools of the trade.

Here's the setup:

40 foot flatbed.
12 Winches total, 6 per side. (5.5k rated)
More straps than winches, plus I have two ratchets.
1 (one) chain, the length of which I cannot remember off of the top of my head as I write this.
1 (one) snap binder.
4 plastic edge protectors (need more...way more)
No dunnage storage. Since I don't haul "general freight" (always load in company yard) I just grab dunnage from the yard as I need it and bring it back strapped to the deck after I offload.
No bungee cords. Haven't had a situation where I've needed them. (No tarping, for example).

That's it.

So here's what I haul or have the potential to haul:

A lot of PVC pipe of assorted diameters and lengths. Easy stuff always banded/bundled. Think sewer, conduit, etc.

Various things which are either on pallets or in crates.

Ductile Iron Pipe.

Various concrete items. Catch basins, man holes, man hole adapters. etc.

Concrete Pipe.

So here's my question...

What needs to be improved in regards to securement equipment? I've made some noise about wanting more winches, because unfortunately my place of work likes to try to hammer 10lbs of stuff into a 5lb sack. I've also made some noise about more chains/binders for concrete pipe securement. From what I've read from the FMCSA, concrete pipe is supposed to be tied down with chains not straps.

Came to the conclusion today while loading my trailer that things are lacking (in more ways than what's contained in this post, but some of that may be for another time..).

Many thanks!

Signed,

Flatbed n00b.

 

Company didn't tell me to pound sand, actually. Quite the opposite. I don't work for one of those places where I don't have a voice because I haven't worked there for years. When I was talking to the boss man this morning, he told me he wanted me to be vocal and he's more than happy to hear out anything I have to say. How the truck I drive is operated/loaded/secured is 100% my call. Why? Because it's my driver's licence. Period. He's all good with that.

Anyway,

I'm getting 10 more winches to put on the trailer. Also have another chain and binder on the truck now. Talked about the pipe thing as well, and company procedure is chain on 1st/last pipe (with protection to prevent chipping of the concrete). Straps every where else as required, plus chocking.

Edge protection is something I've been creative with. I've recycled the thick cardboard edge protectors that come on a lot of the product we have, but still I'm getting a box of edge protectors to put in one of the trailer side boxes so I always have some on hand.

Have plenty of hammers in my toolbox at home so I'm going to take one for the truck as well as a box of nails.

Bungees are cheap, and since I need some at home I'll buy a box and take some to work with me.