Your Worst Flatbed Load?

I booked a load of those once. I think it was from Nebraska to Mobile,Al with a stop for the weekend in southern Mississippi with the temps around 100.
When I got to the shipper to pick it up I called the broker and canceled. I was pulling a new dry van I had just bought. This would have been the second load in it. I told the broker there was no way I was putting those in my new van. I knew it would be impossible to get the smell out. It sure would have ruined any chances to haul a food grade load for a long time.

 

Did two of those in a row......Outbound was from Hereford, TX to Grand Island, NE.....And then from Grand Island back down to Laredo, TX.....

Both paid over $2/m and that was in '09 when you were lucky to make over $1.20/m for Flatbed loads....

Yeah it smelled like hell.....And don't park anywhere where there might be wolves, feral dogs or, bears....Otherwise you may have some unwanted company....


But a load is a load is it not?

 

Never thought about unwanted guest, thats a good point!!!

A load is a load but when it requires that much work AFTER the fact it really isnt nothing more than a cheap load of shngles, bricks or such like! But it did get me home for the weekend so that was a plus.

 

sounds like a side dump job for the hides...lol

 

If anyone can tell me the company name that deals with raw cowhides in North Carolina I will gladly haul.. Email me at spammer@spam.com

 

The one thing that always is an immediate alert to problems. A fork lift driver that won’t talk to you, or says things like “ loaded 1000’s of trucks, I know what I’m doing “

 

I was sent to a Home Depot near Jessup Maryland. No one explained my situation for the work.

What they were doing is removing the steel structural shelves from inside the store and piled it outside to be loaded on the flatbed. In this case a Fruehaf 48 footer. Forklift man says all done when he had a mound of the stuff on the deck.

Threw everything on that mound. Tighten one binder, another got loose. Tighten that. Then number three got loose around and round. Will this #### thing ever get tight? (No...)

Temper half lost and facing a 17 mile trip across Jessup to a holding warehouse was not very appealing. Pushed the brakes off that truck and trailer and with the first city block put away I realize I am a squeak machine, everything is loose now.

Round and round tighten everything. Then I started netting the chains with straps and rachet. Finally gained some traction to get a few of those tight.

4 miles later mr squeak became Mrs Clatter.... stop and retighten everything. This time eyeball the one 5000 pound structral beam working it's way past the edge of my decking.

Repeat every few miles with the situation getting worse as most of the pile started working off each other to the edges and then beyond my deck and some against the forward bulkhead with laddere.

The last 5 miles was essentially screw it it's either going to fall off or it's delivered. Squeaks became clatter then changed to a grinding noise as they found their way out from underneath the piles and wanted to fall down on to the pavement or spear a oncoming 4 wheeler etc.

I get to the ware house. found the customer and got his forklift to come around. A old game called Jenga I believe came into play then.

I went to find something to eat once all the chain and straps were off it.

Ive had two other flatbed loads that made a mockery in a similar manner and actually threatened safety.

Fortunately the bosses that matter never found out about that load of mine. As long it's on the deck and not falling down, what do they care.

They should.

In the actual driving I had a tall coffee cup in the cupholder and no lid. As long I did not splash the liquid over the lip and all over the cab that means the load isnt feeling anything in way of G forces etc.

 

Worst flatbed load huh?
Either Crushed Cars, Or Used Construction Equipemt,

Either way...I No longer touch that stuff.

The Crushed Cars Dug into my woof Floor and Left Fluids all over the place.

The Used Construction equipment- Never Again- They try to Fill you up with too much stuff different sizes,shapes,hoses,compressors forms-housings,etc- Looks like an eyesore and takes too long to secure.

 

Any used machinery from an auction.