Unsecured load

@johndeere4020 i think you broke his head..

I am still getting my head around the regulations that you guys run under so i know what i NEED to do.

But in saying that from what i have noticed so far there isn't a whole lot of difference in load securement requirements when it comes to wll and so on. The biggest one i have come across is that our book actually says "if your vehicle is to tip over your load should be secured safely enough that it stays connected to the trailer"

The reason they added that part in was that we had a lot of knuckleheads throwing straps over and not bothering tightening them up.

That rule also applies to curtainsiders with gates. Unless they are LOCKING gates OR have load rated curtains which have steel bars running vertical every two feet.

 

Honestly it's not that complicated, 50% of the static load weight is your benchmark. 100% WLL for indirect and 50% for direct. If you chain it so it's secure you usually have no problem meeting those criteria. Throw the minimum then a couple more or until your comfortable and you'll be fine.

 

That's pretty much what i do. I look at it and then think about if (god forbid) it gets laid over or some idiot slams his brakes on creating a hard break. Will this load move. Yes? Where do i need to put another chain/strap. No? Is it still compliant.

One thing i used to explain to people back home. It doesn't matter how big or small the load is. Secure it like it wants to kill everyone.

Just downloaded our book from home and found this section. Which seems to be what your talking about.

 

Do you have this?

 

Yes sir they gave me a copy yesterday.

 

It really is just common sense. And like @LoudOne says, look at it and think about how the load will move and react and chain (or strap) accordingly. Same can be said about the tarps. Look at it a think about how the wind is going to push on it and if it rains where is the water going to go. Just use the old grey matter.

 

When I was in high school, there was this fat girl who walked as if her knees were fused together, always wore camo, that wanted to argue with anyone who would listen that women would have done a better job in VietNam than men, because women "deal with stress better."

Now, I'm not knocking women in general...but if you're 5'5 with coke bottle glasses, 250lbs, 4ft wide across the backside, and have 2 legs going into 1 gigantic knee, what do you know about stress management? The seams of your pants knows everything about stress, but a 2 legged walking bale of hay? On the other hand, if she was shredded like GI Jane, I would listen. The self discipline is evident without her speaking a word.

The same principle stands in trucking.

 

Told you I'd lay money on JD. Suckers bet to argue against him.

 

I come on here ratchet jawing about this stuff but in real life I rarely think about it specifically. I chain until I'm comfortable then if I figure it I'm usually more than covered. That's how most of us do it, look at Passingthrough69 for example I guarantee his loads are chained safe and secure and beyond requirements but I bet when he's doing it that's not what's on his mind. You just look at the load and think what do I need to do to hold this thing in place then you do it.

 

You missed your calling in a truck, ever thought about motivational speaking? This is exactly the kind of things I tell my kids and nieces and nephews, you have the right to look and act like a douche but people have the right to judge you based on those things.