steel

[raymond888uk]

hi going on a flatbed on monday and need advice on securing the load

how do you do it wits chains

and how do you keep straps tight is it just get out and check them often

cheers

[chaversdad]

its a bit hard to tell you how to fasten a load of steel on cos its loaded in so many different ways, just make sure yu always use chains on steel and not straps!
i,ve done nothing but carry steel for 18 yrs now and i was given a tip on my very first day by my old man, "just drive like the loads not fastened on, and you wont go far wrong " its worked for me so far

[sockpuppet]

I was about to ask the same question.

I have to take a flat bed out on Monday for the first time

Not steel but machinery.

I think my tactic is like what I did when I loaded timber onto flat beds. Plenty of straps and ratcheted down tighter than a camels ■■■ in a sandstorm.

[reef]

Sockpuppet:
I think my tactic is like what I did when I loaded timber onto flat beds. Plenty of straps and ratcheted down tighter than a camels ■■■ in a sandstorm

Not a good plan for a number of reasons

If straps are too tight you run the risk of the hooks coming free/slipping off the lip on the bed
overtensioning the straps could cause them to snap especially if they have seen better days(and bloody painful if this happens while your tightening them)
If there are sharp metal edges and the straps are too tight they will chaffe and could cut through the strap
I usually get them hand tight and one more click for good measure (best way to explain this is if i went another 2 or 3 clicks it would be solid no room for another click oh and use cloth or card between sharp edges and strap

[paul_b]

Reef:
Not a good plan for a number of reasons

If straps are too tight you run the risk of the hooks coming free/slipping off the lip on the bed
overtensioning the straps could cause them to snap especially if they have seen better days(and bloody painful if this happens while your tightening them)
If there are sharp metal edges and the straps are too tight they will chaffe and could cut through the strap
I usually get them hand tight and one more click for good measure (best way to explain this is if i went another 2 or 3 clicks it would be solid no room for another click oh and use cloth or card between sharp edges and strap

are you on drugs■■?
straps to chasis not side rails ffs!

[paul_b]

raymond888uk:
hi going on a flatbed on monday and need advice on securing the load

how do you do it wits chains

and how do you keep straps tight is it just get out and check them often

cheers

pm me with what sort of steel you’ll be carrying and i’ll put you straight.

[montana_man]

Reef:
If straps are too tight you run the risk of the hooks coming free/slipping off the lip on the bed

errmm strap to proper securing points or if not present to the chassis

Reef:
overtensioning the straps could cause them to snap especially if they have seen better days(and bloody painful if this happens while your tightening them)

If they are buggered don’t use them

reef:
If there are sharp metal edges and the straps are too tight they will chaffe and could cut through the strap

Protect any edges the strap passes over

[harry_monk]

Sockpuppet:
I was about to ask the same question.

I have to take a flat bed out on Monday for the first time

Not steel but machinery.

I think my tactic is like what I did when I loaded timber onto flat beds. Plenty of straps and ratcheted down tighter than a camels ■■■ in a sandstorm.

I’ve always been told that if you tighten up a spanset too much it becomes liable to snap if the load tries to move and that you should get them tight but not too tight. Dunno if this is true but I’ve moved a fair bit of machinery and this is what I’ve always done without incident.

I’ve also been told that you should use the same number of straps to hold down a load as you would use to lift it. Essentially if you aren’t sure, then keep putting more restraint on the load until you are.

Here’s a Reverse Bungee fairground ride I moved for a friend recently, I think I used about a dozen straps on this (and took things very slowly!)

[montana_man]

HOW NOT TO SECURE LOADS

[reef]

paul b:
are you on drugs■■?
straps to chasis not side rails ffs!

Ok then…

Explain to me if you will how do you strap to the chassis at the front of a trailer or over the tri’s for that matter

Ive moved coils, sheet steel, beams, drums full of nickel, bins full of steel castings, machinery and timber and never had a load shift yet !!

[paul_b]

theres a recent post on here somewhere showing a load of steel that cost the driver his life, maybe you might want to look at that before you try and give advice

[reef]

montana man:

Reef:
If straps are too tight you run the risk of the hooks coming free/slipping off the lip on the bed

errmm strap to proper securing points or if not present to the chassis

Fine if you got them or got access to chassis beams

Reef:
overtensioning the straps could cause them to snap especially if they have seen better days(and bloody painful if this happens while your tightening them)

If they are buggered don’t use them

Fine if you work for a firm that provides you with brand new straps constantly It amazes me how many ppl out there live in an ideal perfect world

reef:
If there are sharp metal edges and the straps are too tight they will chaffe and could cut through the strap

Protect any edges the strap passes over

There i go using invisible font again…Did i not say that mm?

Well i wont say anymore on the subject coz i cant be arsed…you try and be helpful…

[big_mac]

i was thinking the same reef .
how can you use the chassis when the sides are all boxed in,and carry the good ol MDF, which as we all know dont stay still even when strapped.

[montana_man]

Reef:
Well i wont say anymore on the subject coz i cant be arsed…you try and be helpful…

I believe if you look at the link I put up it comes complete with explanations of correct loading practice and load security. Including explanations of the G loadings relative to wieght and loading techniques.

I don’t live in a “perfect world” but I have standards to which I adhere.Perhaps if a few more people stopped putting up with crap like worn straps and inadequate equipment/ training a lot of us would spend a lot less time stuck in traffic jams caused by tipped wagons and shed loads. Who knows we may even save a life or two in the process.

IMHO there is no way I would just send a man out on steel without a some training and demonstration from an old hand. Having said that I would NOT tell some uknown numpty (no offence) how to do the job over the internet. If said numpty takes my posting as “training” but does not apply the advice properly he could cause someone some serious expense or injury.

See already one man says tighten the hell outta the straps one man says not So whats the questioner to do or believe ■■?

Get off your soap box and back on yer BMX oh wise one

oh and look I can type clever (alegedly) things in small writing too…

[reef]

paul b:
theres a recent post on here somewhere showing a load of steel that cost the driver his life, maybe you might want to look at that before you try and give advice

you had a bad day have you mate?

my point was refering to sockpuppets comment (maybe thats why i quoted it hmmm i wonder) about tightening the straps tighter than a camels whatever

And i was just listing a few valid reasons why not to overtighten them i was not advising the original poster about strapping his steel…

I have never been given chains to use so i would never comment on them how ever i was taught not to overtighten my straps and that is all i was passing on

Also you have not answered my question (strapping at front of trailer and over tri’s) why is that?? do you not know? you were quick enough to jump down my throat!!

[paul_b]

sides boxed in on a flatbed
simple as abc right tackle for the job at hand and no problems, cut corners and you take a risk, it’s not rocket science.
personally running my own wagon i have a posted trailer for steel which is slowly but surely becoming the required norm at most places and would’ve certainly saved a few lives in years gone by.
no excuse that you’ve only got worn out straps inappropriately fastened when you’ve just killed a kid after half your load has come off!

[montana_man]

mark croft:
i was thinking the same reef .
how can you use the chassis when the sides are all boxed in,and carry the good ol MDF, which as we all know dont stay still even when strapped.

The MDF is on bearers is it not and the trailer should have floor mounted internal strapping points on or fiitted exterior ratchets. Whilst I agree that they are not always there, one has to make do ask yourself (and your boss) … If you lose a load strapped to the side rails would you be in trouble H & S wise for the way the load was secured ■■?

[Lucy]

It’s been a while, but…This is how I was taught to secure fabricated, which is in all sorts of different lengths and shapes within the same load…

1. Don’t try and hold it down with anything you wouldn’t use to pick it up.

2. Stand back and look at the load, to establish where the “blocks” of steel lie - whole piles which can be secured together, that is. Use chains on these - one at each end of every “block”.

3. If the lengths are reasonably uniform, you will be ready to roll at this point. If not, walk around and think about any ends of oddments etc. and how they could swing out (or whatever) in the event of having to brake or swerve sharply. Strap these down to prevent that. Personally, I liked to climb on top of the load and drop the straps from above to avoid twists and make sure they were laying straight, etc., but that was a personal foible.

4. Check the front of the load to see if there is anything above the headboard that could fly forward and go through the cab. If so, additional small restraints may be needed to prevent that.

5. Straps should be tight but not over tight. The way I used to do it was to tighten them up as far as I could with a bit of old pallet under the ratchet, but then I’m not as strong as most so that’s inadvisable if you’re less weedy than me - plus it bloody hurts when the wood flies out and hits you in the forehead… My rule of thumb then was to go around and “ping” the straps so they played a note. If it was too high in pitch, slacken them off a notch - you want to be hearing a “pong” rather than a “ping” if that makes sense.
   Put something under where they pass over edges on the load to stop chaffing - you can get proper strap guards for this, but a ripped up cardboard box does the job fine. I know one guy who used bits of old motorcycle tyre to great effect, too. You get the idea.

6. Chains should be as tight as you can get them, and also need to be laid so they are at 90 degrees to the bed - If they are at an angle, they’ll just keep slackening. Ditto straps, although that’s not always possible. Chains should always go to the chassis. Straps are only there as secondary restraint, so using rails and hooks is fine.

7. Stop after the first few miles and retighten the lot to allow for the load having settled. Do the same again after any bumpy or winding bits of road, and as a matter of course whenever you stop.

8. Steel is not a flying load. Take it steady, and be aware of what’s happening back there at all times.

That’s all I can think of for now, without going into abnormal load stuff. I’m sure someone else can fill in anything I’ve missed or that is outdated now - we used the old “snap” dogs, for example, so you’d be hard-pressed to overtighten them even when using a (highly illegal, even then, but never mind) scaff bar. That may not be true with Bottle Warricks as used today - I know we tend to be a lot less zealous with them when we use them on flatrack containers, for example.

HTH.

[reef]

montana man:
Get off your soap box and back on yer BMX oh wise one

oh and look I can type clever (alegedly) things in small writing too…

ffs have you had a bad day too ian??

whats with the personal attacks

im not advising any one to do squat with steel i just said its a bad idea (imo) to overtighten straps am i wrong ??if so then fine i’ll retract the statement but that is what i was taught by an old hand

i havent got a soap box ian just an opinion and i dont claim to be wise just not as foolish as some

[paul_b]

Reef:
I have never been given chains to use so i would never comment on them

i think that maybe that ends this particular conversation, don’t you?