Flatbed Variety

My current load. A short 2 stop load up into West Virginia.

Cute little guys.

Here's a little flatbed tip I thought some of you might be interested in. Most of the loads I run on the dedicated flatbed account I'm serving are multi-stop loads. For instance, this week I ran a four stop load from Delhi, LA that delivered to four different customers in Connecticut. Then for my backhaul I picked up a two stop load from the Hydro plant in Cressona, PA that delivers to Birmingham, AL and Paragould, AR.

When doing multi-stop flatbed loads you can save yourself a lot of time by thinking ahead about how each stop is loaded. When delivering each stop you don't want to have to keep rearranging your straps or chains. This is very important when you're pressed for time, and we usually are.

Here's an excellent example of how this works. Here's the two stop load I picked up in Cressona.

The first stop is on top. It's a load of aluminum pipe going to a power company's materials distribution center in Birmingham. The material is 40 feet long. The material down below it is for the second stop, a Utility Trailer manufacturing plant in Paragould. That material is pre-fabbed floor braces for semi trailers. They are roughly 100 inches long and will require two straps on each section of bundles. When throwing my straps I purposely line them up to be in the proper position for the second stop's material. Look at how they are positioned near each end of the smaller bundles on the bottom.

Now when I get to my first customer I just loosen the straps, take the hooks loose and toss the straps off the load. They remove their material and I can quickly and efficiently throw the straps back over the load, tighten everything down and keep moving. There's no need to rearrange the straps to properly meet the requirements of the next layer of material. It's already been done when we first secured the load.

I love the variety of loads I get to pull. But I think I like pulling Cat loads, the best. It's crazy to think, that with just 2 chains, and a 4" strap, each, I have over 100% securement. This is a load of 2 mini excavators, "Tonka Toys."

5 weeks into OTR flatbedding, and I already want to run w/ a Conestoga.

5 weeks into OTR flatbedding, and I already want to run w/ a Conestoga.

Haha,

I thought the same thing, when I tarped a load in 5 degree weather, in Wells River, VT. I had that same thought a few times, while doing it.

Is that front stack separated from the other stacks?

My very first Over Dimensional Load.

Saw two trucks carrying these at a Pilot in Oklahoma. Not sure what they are used for, however two guys were trying to measure the hight.

My current load. A short 2 stop load up into West Virginia.

Cute little guys.

My current load: