Thought I would start a new thread on this one. I have been reading the thread concerning things found on the road side. As you know I am the gopher for Lars Rousseau Construction (Lars likes to tell me I am also the Vice President:-)) One thing that I learned when hauling materials is that I am the one that is to make sure that the building supplier loads up the right stuff. This lesson only took me about two trips until I REALLY made sure they gave me the right stuff. It never ceases to amaze me how many of these guys DON’T load the right materials in my truck. Now I double check everything. As I tell them I am the one that has to make sure that I get the right materials. Guess they are use to it now. Yeah when the job site is an hour away and they are needing it by a certain time you don’t have time to waste going back in forth to the suppliers. Now most of our suppliers bring our materials when there is a BIG order, otherwise I will go get it for the crew. By the way I am also the one that makes sure that it doesn’t fly off the truck. I have had some of these guys load it and I say NO WAY! I am not picking it up off the roads. Then I proceed to load it the proper way:-) Laugh all you want or think I am nuts, but listen to me I am serious some of these guys don’t care. For the most part they are pretty good about it. One of our suppliers has a guy named Isaiah that is worth GOLD! He is johnny on the spot and gets everything done the right way. That is the place I like to go to the most. It saves me time and hassle.
Tamara
Replies
one lumberyard we shop at has a twice daily pu truck run through town. If I'm on the route, they'll bring me a #box of screws if I ask.
Peace Pot Microdot
We use a yard that has a "Twice a-day truck" as well, you just have to call EARLY! As far as loading goes, there's another smaller yard that has everything just not alot of it. The guys at that yard are so lazy that I've already loaded my truck before they even come by to write the ticket! If i'm the one going down the road I load and tie it down myself.
If you get the right stuff on the first trip you should be president. Seems that the vice president should be in charge of lashing things down, but that might get off topic.
I will say this, I have a high percentage of spills, crashes, and fly offs when a helper loads the truck. I can't remember when anything I loaded went Murphy. What do you think the difference is? Could it be what spills is mine spilling onto mine, what crashes is mine to break, what flies off is my liability?
That may be a large part of it, but I never had a problem when I worked for others. I think loading a truck is part of the job, what to load, how to load, how to unload, etc. It is a skill, as silly as that may seem, it could be right up there with one of the most thankless jobs.
It should be pointed out that the driver of a vehicle has final responsibility for securing a safe load for transport over public roads. While it doesn't happen everyday, it's not all that uncommon for injuries or fatalities to occur when something falls out of a pickup or off a flatbed, or a trailer pops off a hitch and goes wild (had a pedestrian killed here last year by that scenario).
Among the assorted gear stashed in a vehicle should be a good set of heavy straps, or chains and binders, or some good line (rope), or bungy cords or cargo netting to secure whatever is being hauled. Along with any of those items should be the knowledge of how to use them. Ever seen one of those DIYers securing a dozen 2 X 6's and a sheet of plywood to the top of a Subaru with that cheap twine they give you at the big boxes? Pretty scary.
A few years ago in England I was following a truck with a large stack of chip board on the back. All held down with a single strap over the middle. As I started to overtake the truck I could see the front edges lifting in the 70 mph wind, as I pass the top piece snapped at the strap, then the second,third, forth,fifth, and then the load started to shift (me? metal to the floor and run) Thankfully the road was empty, bar the chipped board!!!
Years ago I was following a big flatbed truck loaded to the gills with strawbales. No type of straping was used at all. I see a bit of a split starting in the middle which gets wider and wider. So I floor the 72 Impalas' all 400 cubic inches to pass. Tried to get his attention as I screamed past him. He's making some goofy hand motion like he's covering up his head, just doesn't understand the GRAVITY of the situation at all. This is on I-75 in Cincinnati heading right to the bridge into Kentucky. Suddenly all hell breaks loose, straw is going everywhere, cars hitting bales and spinning all over the place. Straw's a bit slick when you're trying to stop at 70 mph. What a mess. Glad I got up the nerve to pass him. I was scared that the load was going to dump on top of me as I went by, but I had a good 15 seconds before the collapse.
> Along with any of those items should be the knowledge of how to use them.
Specifically, you should know how to tie a bowline and a magnus hitch. Reef knots are also easy and handy, but with those two you can get things tied down tight. The magnus is also good for getting the tip of a plumb bob exactly where you want it. There's a good old book on knots by Clifford W. Ashley
-- J.S.
Seems some people tie on loads according to how far they will go. I tie on loads according to how fast I will go. 60 mph for a 1/4 mile needs to be as secure as for 50 miles. And for 5 mph in the yard, I'll just drive slow and stop slow as I pile up the stuff.
I like the 1" flat webbing that is used to secure kayaks and canoes. That and a good Yakima rack have allowed me to haul fairly outrageous loads on my Corolla. The F-350 owners make snide remarks, but for 286,000 miles, I've gotten 35-42 mpg.
David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
this thread gave me the "whammy"........ today I rescued a cut-off end of carpet, tossed it on the truck cap, later, forgot about it and drove off to lunch, got back it wasn't there.
Now, you can leave your mudpan, cell phone, or something like that, on your rear step-bumper, forget them, and drive off..... they'd still be sittin there when you get home.Peace Pot Microdot
Don't forget to put a cup holder in the tailgate for your helper.
Now that reminds me of a tale. 1971, so you know that seatbelts and car safety in general just weren't such a big deal. My father bundles three kids into the 1970 Meteor, and off to the lumberyard we go, for some plywood, cut into 2 x 8 ft strips for shelves. (For a killer home built amplifier, speakers that would knock you down, etc. Louis Armstrong at deafening levels - those were the days!) Needless to say, we didn't have any rope, so as we pulled away from the first light, it all slides out onto the pavement. We do the chinese firedrill thing, and reload. Sister gets into trunk, using her weight to keep the plywood in, and pulls the trunk lid down. At the next light, with traffic behind us, she lifts the trunk lid and waves at the couple in the car behind! We got the shelves home ok, but today would probably be arrested....
"Ever seen one of those DIYers securing a dozen 2 X 6's and a sheet of plywood to the top of a Subaru with that cheap twine they give you at the big boxes? Pretty scary."
Let me introduce you to Proud Piffin's Peculiar Procedure for testing twine for tie downs. (Say that ten times fast)
I discovered it accidentally in about 1981 or '82 when I was using some clothesline to tie the load to the top of my rack on the S-15. I was pulling tight on the truckers knot with the line in both paws. Picture me blowing a horn and holding it up to me face with both fists. As I pull, the rope breaks so I punch myself in the nose with both. Broke the nose - still crooked today..
Excellence is its own reward!
Proud Piffin's Peculiar Procedure for testing twine for tie downs.
Proud Piffin's Peculiar Procedure for testing twine for tie downs.
Proud Piffin's Peculiar Procedure for testing twine for tie downs.
Proud Piffin's Peculiar Procedure for testing twine for tie downs.
Proud Piffin's Peculiar Procedure for testing twine for tie downs.
Proud Piffin's Peculiar Procedure for testing twine for tie downs.
Proud Piffin's Peculiar Procedure for testing twine for tie downs.
Proud Piffin's Peculiar Procedure for testing twine for tie downs.
Proud Piffin's Peculiar Procedure for testing twine for tie downs.
Proud Piffin's Peculiar Procedure for testing twine for tie downs.
Not that tough if you use ctrl "C" then ctrl "V"
What the hell is this. Another Piffin stalker?
No He put up the challenge. I took it.
P.S. don't put me in the same class as .........
You mean "LARRY"
I tried to get it to flash like on the old SNL. Did not work.
Pssst...
We're not using the name under threat of a voodoo curse.
Even tho LM is the one who brought it into the public domain.
That and because Andy asked nicely if we wouldn't.
Let's respect our host and let the name lie in the muck without a tombstone. I for one would appreciate it. E-mail me if you need to know why.
.
Excellence is its own reward!
'Twas all in good fun!
....is a class by itself.
What word do they use for the untouchables caste in India?.
Excellence is its own reward!
Worst thing that ever happened to me was putting a five gallon bucket of oil base paint in my two week old van with the top not totally secure. I stopped short and the bucket went flying without me realizing it. HAd a cold at the time and couldnt smell. Got out of the van and went into my house to come out the next day to see a trail of white paint down my road and the floor of my van covered an inch thick with hardened white oil base paint....some out the side doors covering the maroon color below in thick white and rear door dripping white goo all over my new bumper.ugh....Its still there today...A little better but still a major reminder. So now I have 1/4" ply covering the floor of my van........I dont need to be reminded all that much thank you
Be well
Namaste'
Andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
When i 1st started on my own, i worked out of a pick up. My steering box went south and being new to business and still to poor to rent a truck, I borrowed my father's Lincoln town car. It weren't new, but it was his pride and joy. 5 Gal of paint in the back seat. Kept the car a few extra days while "my truck was being worked on". (It only took 1 day to fix the truck but 3 days to totally dissassemble and clean the rear of a lincoln. He never knew any better. I finally told him about a yr ago.
Can't I go 1 day without spilling my coffee?
I loaded 10 sheets of 5/8 rock, 10- 2 x 12 x 10 and 20- 2 x 4 x 10 on a 2 door ford escort hatch back. Used those suction cup roof racks that attached to the rain gutter (don't have those any more). Only had to drive about two miles on city streets. Every turn I took it felt like the car was going to tip over. Got home and unloaded and the Wife sees that the roof has caved in (her words). I pound it out from the inside but it still has a few dimples. The wife then says that maybe I need to get a truck! Excellence is it's own reward.
You would be supprised at how much furniture I have seen on the highway( a five foot round table- two recliner chairs-a love seat"a truck or two must have ran over it!!!!!!") had one of the recliners hit the road a 100 yards in front of me. It came out of the bed of a pickup trucktail gate was up/ too bad I wasn't driving the van. Aparantly they never knew they lost it cause they didn't stop. Speed limit was 65 and they passed me before they lost it. I could see daylight between it and the truck cab as it lifted out of there!!! Try dodging an 8 ft ladder on the highway. So far the only thing I have lost is some 10 ft lengths of vinyl j channel for soffets. I have learned a couple of things from all this.
Tie your load down real good.
If you like to drive fast tie it down better than real good
A couple of weeks ago, I was crossing the USA. Somewhere between Lincoln and Grand Island, Nebraska, on I-80, a semi load of pigs went by me just about the time a thunderstorm let loose. So my windshield was getting sprayed brown and I'd slow down and the pig truck would slow down (He must have known I'd cast aspersions on the Cornhuskers) until finally I was able to divert to a truck stop and hose down the windshield along with the whole front of my truck.
So how does one tie down pig ####?
Well, I have decided to start picking up I-77. Hopefully I won't get plowed flat doing it. On my 'off' days I have decided to start a collection of what I can find. So far there are three gas cans, two hard hats and some more round AC duct waiting on me to get a day off. I think I'm just going to paint the hats and put my logo on them. Gas cans are dumpster items and the AC duct will just be collected for my attic project.
Sorry charlie. It's been there over a week and if I cross 5 lanes to get it while my little kid watches from my truck, dang it, it's mine forever!
Got a better question.
How do you tie down a long wrap of rope?
I was on the way to work oner morning and noticed a length of 1/2" braided nylon along the edge of the pavement, so I stopped to coil and pick it up.
It ran straight along the very edge of that paving so you could barely see it - for a quarter mile. Turned out to be a lot of work to coil it up. Same kind of line the lobstermen use to run from trap to bouy so I put the word out that I had found some but nobody ever claimed it. I cut it into eight lengths between 100 and 200 feet long.
All I could figure was that a spool mounted on back of a truck had loosened to let it start spinning and the end dragging got enough friction to get it pulling off, until the end was reached..
Excellence is its own reward!
man, good score.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
Forget the primal scream, just Roar!
The best "tie down" story I remember was told to me by my Uncle. He was following a semi pulling an equipment trailer with a dozer loaded on it. He was in the country, and didn't have a chance to pass them. So he stayed behind them as they got near town and started up a hill. (Apparently he was right on their tail)
As the truck started up the hill it must have shifted gears. This jarred the dozer loose, which apparently wasn't chained down and didn't have the brakes set. The dozer slowly rolled back farther and farther on the trailer, and finally came off in the middle of the road. Of course by this time, my Uncle had the car in reverse and was backing down the hill as fast as he could.
He always told me not to follow a truck too close up a hill - Guess that's why.
Q. Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?A. Because Janet Reno is her real father.
Cork, duct tape maybe? Be some unhappy squealers for a while and I'd hate to be the guy to pull 'em at the other end...
So YOU ARE THE ONE!
That paint that leaked out sprayed all over my car.
This did happen to me about 40 years ago. I passed a truck on the interstate that had big vat in the back. As I passed something sprayed over my windshied. I did the wipers and it smeared and dried.
I had to roll down my side window to see to get off the road.
It looked like a gray lacquer primer.
I had to scrap my windowshield with an ice scraper. I got the car buffed out at a body shop. But there where still "dents" in the paint from the solvent.