They want me to block and brace a shipment of fork lifts?

Many years ago...the carpet distributor I worked for had 2 warehouses (Albany NY and Chelmsford Ma)
They ran a shuttle a couple times a week between them, well they decided to transfer a forklift between warehouses. Put it in the nose with a LOAD BAR behind it, doors were closed and trailer parked. Shuttle driver hooked up and took off. Made it to the stateline, and when pulling away from the tollbooth, barn doors flew open and out came the forklift! I heard the toll collector almost had a heart attack...

 

I mean it aint that hard driver, if u got a wood floor in ur van then find some nails and a couple 2 by 4s and nail u a little L shaped around each wheel its a very simple thing, i haul uhaul tow dollys every once in awhile and they put 17 of them on my last trailer and i ran 2by4s all the way down my 53ft flat then one on the back dolly going across trailer to keep them all together.. Basically made a little box around the load..And then u get to take it all apart after u deliver, and no i dont get paid extra .. i mean 3 forklifts is not that difficult, u door slammers are lazy

 

forklifts, batteries, coils in a van mean holes through the floor - they do weaken the floor and leak water. I stopped hauling those. A good van is 90% good, solid looking floor. If they paid better...I might change my mind but they the don't.

 

I remember I was delivering a load of forklifts for the Canadian Forces to their base in Denwood, AB (Wainwright) and even though I had used wooden blocks, a nail gun to secure them - plus moving blankets and straps, two of them still managed to get scratched (not terribly) during transport. Receiver wasn't happy, the boss wasn't happy and I felt pretty sheepish about it.

 

Already been there done that. I should consider that famous "Jingle Load" which literally jingled and shook looser and looser as the 17 mile move progressed. It was that grey steel home depot shelving they tore it down from the wood section and loaded some on me. Gave me the kiss off and said that warehouse in Jessup. Git.

All the chains in this Blessed United States could not secure that. And plasma guns did not exist in those years to tack em all together into one unit.

What a load it was.

 

I came across those loads recently , not enough pay to punch holes in my floor . Plus I don't normally carry 2x4s and nails in my dryvan . Pay would need to be really good fo those kind of requirements.

 

I had one in Logan (County) Ky, the Aluminum mill there. They plop two fat rolls eye to sky on pallets.

Now bear in mind this is sunday afternoon late. These are due in Virginia soonest next am. Normally they had cut wood in stacks, nails for the nail gun, a operating airline for it at the dock etc. Well everyone had used up all the wood, the nails and the gun had defects. What do I do. (I had some nails, a hammer (Ouch...) and no wood.

What do I do instead?

Toss one chain across the deck in front of each of the two pallets. The theory being that the pallets will destruct before they reach cab or street and drop coil to deck. Strapped the top and took off. Driving very carefully.

4 miles from the customer a stupid goldang 4 wheeler zipped out under my wheels from his driveway. I was forced to toss the anchor. The rumble and final shift of some 42000 odd pounds told me that Ive got a problem now in addition to being overweight on my drives.

I get to the customer and that yelling started. Precious little 10.00 pallet times two. a freaking 20 dollar bill would have covered two new ones. But no. You think I crushed and ground the Crown Jewels out of the London Tower or something. Boy did they yell.

Coils were fine. Just a little bit of shimmy to get them over to their dock.

This is one of those loads that causes me to evaluate WTF am I doing in trucking. The smallest detail or solution always escape me. (Going to the local hardware store and buying precut wood and nail gun until the coils were secured properly)

 

Lost a customer over this a few years ago. Made a delivery and out of nowhere I catch word the customer wants to load a fork lift back to their main building. I said no way and that maybe we could find them a roll off instead. Long story short he didn’t get the dangers and risk and was pissed off enough to never speak to us again. I’m sure another carrier fell right in line and moved it just fine. However, I don’t regret it one bit, stuck to what I knew was right and refused an unsafe situation. This guy wanted to set the parking brake and call it good.

 

This forum has become my new form of entertainment.it just keeps getting better.

 

Are they trying to load them in a van? Refuse that #### and get another load.

I went to a shipper in Louisiana one time that wanted me to block and brace aluminum T-bars in a van. Um, sorry, I pull a van not a flat. I don't carry chains, binders and wood with me. Nor is there any place to secure that kind of #### in a van. I drove away without the load.