Creative Securement

[Foxfire]

How many of you have found yourself looking a something on your trailer, scratching your head and wondering, " How in heck am I gonna tie that down?" Or " Now just HOW do they expect me to tarp THAT?"
I loaded some large cast aluminum pieces for Caterpillar in Ohio in Amite, La. one time. This stiff was really big and odd shaped. Lots of rounded places and really no good place to put a strap or a chain. Then on top of that they insisted it be tarped. After walking around that trailer some few times, I dragged out my pieces of old 4" straps and some rubber pieces used as chain guards. It took myself and another driver a while to finally get chains and straps all over this load (and his) and then we almost worried ourselves silly trying to tarp it. I had a 3 piece, lightweight 8' drop lumber tarp and I'm real glad I did. I broke out my trusty duct tape and after a while we had both loads covered. They kinda looked like they had been shrink wrapped.....lol. But they got where they were going. Safely!

Oh the joys of flatbedding....I'm having a love hate relationship with it :rofl:

[ATCO]

I didn't say this earlier - but why tarp Aluminium?

[Foxfire]

I asked Caterpillar the same question........ because we want it tarped.........was the answer. It paid extremely good so I tarped it. Wouldn't you for $2.50 per mile?

[magicman]

I hauled a load of 4' chimney pipe one time. They were stood on end and then had the boxes of parts put on top. I had to wrap the pipes with straps, one high, one low. Then I used carpet under the straps and strapped it down every 2 feet. After all of that, I used my 8' drop lumber tarps to hold everything in nice and tight. Picked this load up in Indiana and delivered in PA, NYC and one piece in VA. Not one dropped piece or any damage. The guy in the Bronx couldn't believe I made it there without any damage. He said there was ALWAYS damage. :D :D :D

[Chiefwhatdahey]

I hauled used tool machinery for eleven years, it was always tarp and securing the machine was at times very challenging. My scariest was a Mori Seiki CNC lathe that had the the control panel covering the front Chain holes and tin covers over the other set, the only way to "secure the machine was to "crib" the base with 4x4's pad and tarp it then run the straps lightly over the tin and drive very carefully. We did stuff like this fairly frequent, not to mention having to back inside plants to load/ unload, I could back down ailse's and around corners in some cases but I still have trouble backing into a dock to this day with my dry van, I miss my stepdeck :crying: .