Step deck newbie

Never get in a hurry when you load or secure your load on any open deck trailer. If you are in doubt about what to use to properly secure your load, as the shipper. There are some loads that have need to be secured a certain way. Some cargo can be damaged if strapped or chained in the wrong place. Know how much chain or straps you need for each load. You should familiarize yourself on the ratings of your equipment and check to make sure you have sufficient securement to keep the load on the trailer. Your load should be secured well enough that it will stay on the trailer, even if you turn the truck over. You should stop about every 50 miles or so for the first 200 miles to check your chains and straps. They can loosen up once the load settles. I make a point of checking all chains and straps every time I stop. It is just automatic with me. I also make a point of adding at least one more chain or strap than is needed. I have done that from the beginning. You can never use too much chain or strap.

One thing many shippers a new driver do when pulling a step deck is to misjudge where to place your load. The center of your trailer is NOT the center of your bottom deck. You sometimes need to load a step deck a little differently than a flat to get your weight properly distributed. It takes time to learn where to place your load for the best possible distribution. If you have a load of pallets, you may want to put a couple of them on your upper deck to balance the load. If you are pulling a heavy load you don't usually want to load behind the rear axle. I try to keep a heavy load in the front of the rear axle. If you don't, you will likely be heavy on the rear axle. I rarely weigh my step deck unless I have a fairly heavy load. Understanding your equipment and where to place things will come in time. You may want to start out weighing your loads to give you a better idea of how you should load your trailer. It might help you to take photo's of your loads with your phone, if you have a camera in it, and perhaps get a composition notebook and make notes on your loads and draw where you place things on the trailer and how many chains or straps you used. Steps often haul unusual loads and common sense is king when it comes to figuring out the best way to keep the load on the trailer without damaging the freight.