What would you have done differently??

[Unilevers]

hes trying to tell you that your getting 1/2 the MPG you should be getting or less. in a heavy haul application i bet that would translate to lotsa money in your pocket at the end of the year. He is trying to educate/help you by showing you this.

Maybe you like keeping the saudi prince's rich? extra money weighs you down? this forum is about operating your truck efficiently and profitable and we dont hold back on calling people out on bad practices. if your skin isnt thick enough to realize and learn, then this place isnt for you and go somewhere else. Less competition for everyone else here then.

[Chamberpains]

Here's an ugly load of empty pallets.
   
I figured I'd show a good way of hauling these because of the years I've seen far to many guys just throwing straps over the pallets anywhere. Sometimes breaking the top pallet or only 1 strap over the front and back stacks. Or maybe attempting to be safe and throwing 2 over the front and maybe 2 over the back.

Anyone that hauls these knows they bounce. The straps flap. And on the east coast it's not uncommon to see a stack of skid flung off in to the ditch or scattered all over the road. Because they weren't secured properly.

If you look closely everyone of my straps goes directly over the horizontal "stringer" of the skid. This is the most secure place to put your strap. Not in between them where the slat can break. Then I put a full twist in the strap on each side if the load. This keeps the straps from flapping against the skids.

But most importantly, the front and the back stack get 3 straps. 1 over the stringer and 2 "x" straps fed thru the top skid. This holds the whole load in place and doesn't allow forward movement and won't allow the back to walk out from under you securement.
   
   
   
   

Hopefully this helps guys haul these loads a lot safer than I've seen.

Sorry about the pics being turned side ways.

[JimT]

Nice. Only thing I would add are some edge protectors under the straps. Hello keep them from rubbing on rough spots. Plus they help spread the force of the strap out to a larger area.

[Chamberpains]

Wood is often times used as edge protection so I personally don't see the point. And its extremely hard to climb up everyone of those stacks to get edge protection under them with out a 14' ladder handy. But as I say to anyone willing to go there, no one ever lost a load by over securing. Get at it.

[JimT]

I agree, wood is sometimes used, however any plastic edge protector works better to protect the strap itself. They are light weight and easy to place with a cheap lightweight extendable painters pole and a spring clip.

I came across that setup when I started hauling foam insulation. Works great with my 12" and 36" plastic v-boards as well as the cheap 5" edge protectors.

[Rawze]

Considering that I have not seen too many loads of empty pallets that had to go long distances, I think it looks fantastic. <- Most of those type loads end up on hot-shot trucks, half-arssed secured, and are nothing but a danger to the motoring public.

Thanks for sharing, and the ideas/thoughts.

[Volvo8873]

I haul a lot of pallets from the stores (Menards) back to the DC with flatbeds at times. Rejected a lot of them because the some the stores because of the bottom pallet is all smashed to hell or stack just worse than the leaning tower of Pisa and the employees think it will be alright going down the highway. I tell them because I am liable for the load going down the highway and if it comes off the flatbed, hits a car with a family and kills someone well then I will have to say goodbye to the life I live and get ready for the life inside a prison. Most say no problem and off I go...


This one time had a store manager come out of his hole and get all buff and pissed off at me because I pretty much rejected a whole load of pallets that were smashed up and not even banded together which they are required to do also. I took pictures of the pallets and said to call the DC and complain to them. A few days later the transportion office had mentioned to me something about the situation because the manager DID complain and emailed them photos of nice secured backhaul pallets ready to go.
I laughed and showed them the photos I took and they rolled their eyes and apologized to me about it. They asked if I could email them the photos which I gladly did.


Found out sometime later that that manager was not employed at that store anymore.

[JimT]

Been collecting pictures of my loads for years now, guess it's time I shared a few. I got my start in flatbed by hauling mixed loads of structural steel for a big distributor, typically going to welding shops. (They were ugly, I could fill an entire thread with pictures that would make you scream) As a result I to secure things as safely and securely as possible, so any comments or suggestions are welcome.

So, let's start with the most recent load. Bulk totes of mulch dye:

      

There were originally 5 more totes, with the entire load being side-by-side. The same method of securement seen on the single tote was originally used on the front 2, except the diagonal straps went up and over one tote then came down in front of the other.

Technically I could have used only a single strap over the middle totes with 2 straps on the first and last. But I had enough straps to use 2 on every single row, so I did. Despite the half twist to reduce flutter, the straps are very tight. Tapping on them is like tapping a guitar string. I was actually surprised that the metal frames didn't bend at all.

[Lonestar10]

that style of tote is usualy pretty strong although rust out fast working in ethanol plants we always got that style as you can stack them got one at the house for used oil.