TMC Transportation, Inc. - Des Moines, Ia.

I have a current load I split in Joplin, primarily to get me home for Thanksgiving. The driver did not secure it to my standards and I do tend to over secure. It is shingle from TAMKO. 4" straps are outside of the rails. Only one 4" strap on the front and back pallets and no X straps on the front. I usually don't X strap the back on such a compact, solid load. It was cold and windy, I had just come from Kansas City, KS and already had my fill of snow for the day, I still resucured the load. I was pi$$ed because I had to give away all my brand new straps. It was also my third trailer swap in two days.

 

Yeah, i try not to swap for that reason. I usually get screwed over.

I don't blame you for resecuring, if it falls off it'll be your butt and not his. I've had to resecure, and even retarp a few loads becuase the guys tarps were shredded and i wanted to keep mine.

Took some time, but it was worth it in the longrun, but doesn't make me any less aggrivated. hehe maybe we can run together sometime, after i get my baby back.

 

We were always taught by Don to take the other drivers' stuff off and secure with YOUR equipment, lest you get screwed by a driver who swears up and down that his tarps are good.

My trainer NEVER left his securement on the load. Always took it with him when swapping.

 

I have always found that if you call saftey about loads that you pkup
that dont have enough securement you can get more staps and stuf
and they even will call the other driver and help him rember his securement requirements

 

The drivers are aware of the requirements, it's mostly laziness.

 

Also, calling safety on someone is a touchy subject. I will not do that unless the driver is about to go away with something rediculously unsafe.

Not having x-straps on shingles isn't going to get anyone killed, at most i would make recommendations to the driver, but when it comes right down to it it would be up to him or her to actually listen to my advice.

I've called safety one time, and it was an owner-op that tied down a 40,000 pound coil with 2 chains and insisted that it would hold (Suicide). He also started to lecture me about how i diddn't have a clue what i was talking about, and insisted that it was the driving that will make a coil move.. Which, is true i'll give him that, but 2 chains? Come on. You've got to be an idiot. Those are the types i have no problem ratting on.. My wife could be driving next to that guy.

 

Well, the straps dont come with the trailers necessarily. We kept the straps rolled up in the storage box/headache rack. Only the tarps and a few other things were kept in the trailer boxes.

Either way, if you have a nice new set of straps and the guy your switching with has old, torn, greasy straps, and maybe a ripped up holey lumber tarp, you never let him have your good stuff. They will swear up and down that their stuff is good to go. Then, you'll hear stories from some driver about how he got screwed by another driver.

We never left our stuff to find out.

 

We're gettin' new 388 Peterbilts *Happy dance* Those things are fkn schweeeeeeet.