Why not lay them down....much less chance of them rolling off, right?

Anyone have an answer?

 

You talking sheet or slinkys? In my experience it's the materials handling equipment that dictates how they're loaded. A fat forklift (f/l) prong (don't know correct term for the piece that goes thru the coil eye) or overhead crane is how most coils are loaded. Only toted "eye-to-the-sky" coils for Anheiser-Busch can plants (Jax, FL & Reidsville, NC), I think ALCOA was the shipper. BOL

 

Because they weigh 30-65k lbs and they are moved using a crane with a hook that goes thru the eye. I dont know how you could pallatize something like that but you would have to change the infrastructure of the entire industry. When the coils are made they come off the machines flat and are rolled. Not to mention the machines at the end user, cranes, machines, slitters etc. It would cost millions if it were even possible. You dont just flip a 50k coil on its side and then flip it back again. Its not that easy. However some skinny or slitted coils are layed down, palletized, and stacked. And some lighter coils are on pallets too. But I've never seen big fattys laying on their side. It would take some kind of metal skid to support the weight and one hell of a forklift. I have been loaded and unloaded with big forklifts but they have a round shaft instead of forks and they hook the eye of the coil. They're huge and look like they cost plenty.

 

A properly secured coil has very little chance of rolling off even in an accident.

Most of the time when you see a coil break loose it is because the driver was either too stupid or too lazy to throw enough chains on it and/or stop and check/re-tighten those chains at regular and sufficient intervals.

When I went through flat bed securement training my instructor told me something that has always stuck with me.

If you ever get into an accident and you do not loose one piece of freight from your trailer then you will know for certain that you have properly secured your load.

When I pulled a flatbed I was told more than once by other drivers that I was over securing my load, but I always tried to live up to the words of wisdom provided me. I would rather have too many straps/chains than not enough.

 

I usually put at least 1 more chain or strap than is actually needed to properly secure the load. Perhaps it comes from seeing too many accidents over the years and improperly secured loads. Most steel coils are secured in a coil rack. It is very rare for me to haul a steel coil on a pallet unless they are fairly small. I usually haul aluminum coils on pallets. Aluminum requires additional care to avoid damage. Most are rather large. Most coils are loaded to suit the receiver. Most coils that I haul are either shotgun or suicide.

 

I saw a big fatty this morning that was loaded suicide(if it broke loose, it was going to run clean over the cab of the truck and keep on getting.) My brother was with me and thought the driver had too many chains on it, I saw at least 6. Told him, nah, the driver was doing his job and making sure it wasn't going to anywhere that the more chains the better chance of it not breaking loose.

 

As the dry box man in front of or behind you, I would rather see you have too many straps/chains than not enough.

I've seen a lot of flatbedders who couldn't possibly have lived through whatever happened to their trucks, and a lot of spilled loads.