The Truckers’ Report flatbed Hall of Shame.

Nah he's got a binder on each side. It's hard to see in the first picture. Top right of the binder there's a spot of brighter yellow paint. That's the binder on the other side. Can also see it in the second picture just to the left of the tire on the left side of the photo.

Honestly part of the problem is that those company guys aren't really allowed to alter their equipment. They all have to have the same stuff so they can swap loads easily and just trade equipment instead of redoing all the securement. So a guy can't go and cut up his chains to make a bunch of short ones for these little equipment loads. When all you have is a bunch of 20ft chains it allows dumb stuff like this to happen.

Then you add in lack of training and lack of care for equipment.

I see this chain weaving crap all the time at ports and auction yards. Guys with shiny new chain and binders spend 10 mins weaving a single 20ft chain through 8 spots on the rail to try to secure the whole load with 1 chain. Then they put the binder along the rail in the middle and pull that spot tight while the rest of their spider web is still loose.

It's like they are afraid to take out a second chain for some reason.

 

Agreed. It's stupid, because if he at the least, used the one chain on the back half, and the other on the front half, he'd get full WLL value and not damage all the side rail pockets using the same amount of chains and binder. Not sure how many he had to secure on that load, but if it was only two, that would be a total of 4 chains and 4 binders. Just configured to use the higher WLL values available.

 

It's amazes me at how so many flatbed and step deck loads are secured.

The way this driver has them secured is with a total of 4 binders. On the skid steer on the left, that binder in the middle is pulling to the left and the right and it's all one chain on each side of the unit without having the binder pulling against a solid attachment point like the side of the trailer. I just don't like it but to each his own and the dam chains rubbing together just erks me.

 

Just think how much that driver could be taught in just 1 hour with an experienced hand.

 

Probably not much, most of them are to busy paying attention to anything but there job. Looks like new chains & binders for a new driver to me. At least he was concerned about slack in chains, that shows there is at least some brain function.

 

I wish I had a dollar for all the times I’ve seen guys work so hard to accomplish so little trying to get fancy with chains.

also bobcat sucks with those securement points. What so wrong with a couple of loops in the back so a chain can be run through to the other side?

the way I would do those machine is to lay the chain across the deck, on each side go around a spool and hook the chain to machine. Ratchet binder with a block of wood under it flat on the deck. Basically what ats did on the side but on the front at back.

 

Totally agree. This is not rocket science. Most people do not have the knowledge of how to secure a load when they come in to the industry but that's why we have trainers and mentors. When I see securement like this I blame two people. The trainer(s) and the driver. I blame the driver for doing things one way and never recognizing that when another load passes by it might be secured different and it might be a better way of doing things.

Open deck work requires a good imagination or a good trainer/student. I'm always looking at how you guys have your loads secured. I don't pay attention just to be critical of other drivers. I do it because I might learn something new or a better or easier way to get the job done.

 

Some would learn a lot. Most wouldn't learn anything because they already know everything.

 

100%. It's up to the driver to take that training and have a desire to do it better. Use the imagination about the freight and really think about what it will take to properly secure the load. Some loads will generate different types of forces against the securement and that has to be accounted for when chaining or strapping.