Flatbed Fun: Check Your Mirrors

This actually happened Saturday morning, not long after I picked this load up, and after I made my initial securement check roughly 20 miles from the shipper.

I checked my mirror and saw a loose strap, then pulled over immediately to fix it. Even without the strap flapping, I knew there was a problem. Can you spot it?

Zoomed in a bit:

Not much to go on, I know. But that's all I had from my mirror.

The straps binding the pipes broke and your load shifted?

Maybe another clue, so you know what I had to start with:

Rear stack had two bundles of pipe on the bottom. Boards were placed across the top of them, and a third bundle was placed on the boards.

Turtle

Looks like the board closet to the front, broke or shifted. Either way you might still have to have the top pipes lifted so you can realign and then place new board across, then re-tiedown everything.

Raptor

Your dunnage / cribbage / bracing boards broke inward, wherefore loosening all the strapping / chaining you had done ?!?

I think I see a tool bag or knapsack on the trailer deck between the last two pieces of dunnage. Moving forward on the deck towards the tractor- is that a water jug ?

I've never had that problem in a van.

Yup, 2 of the 3 boards under the top bundle snapped, causing the bundle to drop and loosening 2 of the 4 straps considerably.

The moral of this story is to check your mirrors often to eyeball your load. Also, the extra securement I had on the load kept the load from shifting, even when half the securement was compromised.

All I had to do was just tighten the straps down again. Although snapped, the dunnage is still under the bundle. I also had 2 cinch straps and a belly over the bottom 2 bundles. Them babies weren't going anywhere.

I've never had that problem in a van.

*sticks tongue out at Packrat.

A few (think five?!?) years ago when the hubby used pull asphalt (A world of it's own... how I learned a bit btw) he would have to pull different open decks out of UPI here in Ohio in the winter when asphalt doesn't flow. On the way to CLE once, the dang load hopped (think, Tripod made out of wood with Jersey Barriers (lennels) on either side...) and I was in the jumpseat. Oh yeah, before that when we just took off, on the CB, HAY TRIPOD, YOUR BRAKES ARE ORANGE. Stopped fixed that... i'm not even sure what that was about.. i almost walked home. Then the above, yay, a load hop. If /when I ever get out there, sure won't be on decks ... sorry!

So then this: Stopped at a school in CLE, was a snow day to boot, and re'chained / strapped the load. There's SO much to what y'all do. More than THIS CHICKA can learn in a day, to boot.

I learned more in that day than I ever want to ever know again. I white knuckled the dashboard the rest of the trip. Our son was along that day, as well.

YOU FLAT BED / OPEN DECK GUYS are a breed of your own, and MUCHO respect, for sure. Needless to say, wasn't for him / us. I sure learned a lot.....and I'm sure you and OLD SCHOOL keep learning on a continuum.

Thanks for what y'all do. Best in Class, imho. We used to have a sticker for that; can't find it.

Nothing against us'n's 'door jockeys' out here, but.. just wow. Good eye, man. I really don't miss those days...I do, but I don't, haha!

KUDOS~!!!!!

(as I type this... CDL life puts up a video 'how to chain a load; throwing iron' ... <<< haha!)

and lastly (I'll leave y'all real truckers alone...) Tom still says some of the NICEST guys out there are y'all deck dudes. Thanks for that.