Flatbedding Tips
 

Let's share some ideas from our flatbedding experiences to help each other out.
Keep it please to securement, loading, and tarping.

Thanks!

When using chains on coil loads, bring a few bungees on the deck to keep the chains tight and under control while you are attaching binders and rachets. This helps keep the edge protectors on the coill until you are ready to secure the chains.

I don't know how helpfull, or doable this is, but in load securment class, they showed a video from the mid 80's and there was one patrt i found cool... The guy put 2 2x4's in two of the holes in the back of the trailer, and used them as a handle to pull himself up steppin on the ICC bumper, and license plate step, so basicly he pulled himself up like it was a ladder, holding on to the two 2x4's.

Just a thought. Probably workable on the sides too, over a tire.

When climbing onto a tall load position your 4 inch strap close enough and leave it loose enough so that you can get your fingers under it. This will make a convenient handhold for climbing up, and even better when climbing down off the load.


On a load of Styrofoam insulation use the black plastic edge protectors. Do NOT use the cardboard ones provided by the shipper. My trainer and I learned this the hard way. Last time he hauled insulation he lost a couple of the black plastic edge protectors on a rear x strap, so we experimented with the cardboard that the shipper provided. As we were travelling through high winds a few of the simple pieces of cardboard blew away leaving us with no edge protectors, and a couple of straps started to saw downward into the insulation at an angle. Fun fun.


When folding tarps: Do not fold it so that all the buckles and folds are lined up on one edge. It may look sloppy while folding but if you space out the seams and folds over the entire length of the roll the complete roll will be much smaller.

make sure that you fold your lumbers so that the tongue is on the end and roll away from it. it sounds silly but it happens all the time that folks forget where the tongue is and the tarps are bass akwards and then they have to be turned around.

for your edge protectors, get a 1 or 2 inch pvc pipe about 4 feet long and cut a slit in one end that is 4 to 5 inches long. you can put the edge protector in the slit and hang it under the strap without climbing on the trailer/load or paying $50 for the one that is sold in the truckstops.

Buy a strap winder. They are a Godsend for speeding up the process. Winding a wet, cold strap by hand is a pain and takes too long.

But be careful with the strap winder once it is secured to the rub rail. They can break easily if you are too tough on them.

I cracked the weld on a cheap one the second time I tightened it to the rub rail.

There is a nice strap winder that is made from an steel alloy instead of the cheap pot metal ones that are in most truck stops. It has 4 prongs instead of 2, machined bushings where the winder shaft turns - instead of just a hole, a solid aluminum guide that winds the straps up even and tight, and is of very high quality. I can't remember the brand but the ONLY place I could ever find one is at the Duke Travel Plaza on I70, exit 129, in Ohio.

I have not used this strap winder, but it is advertised as a Heavy duty version to last for a lifetime. It is about 4 times more expensive ($50) than the cheap ones sold in truck stops.

Here is the link to their site. There is a video demonstration on the link as well.
http://www.talcospecialties.com/strapwinder.aspx

To climb on top of high loads of lumber use your toolbar as a step by wedging it into the front bundles and stepping up from the catwalk. Another tip I found useful is to mop your tarps with a mixture of 50/50 antifreeze water to keep them from freezing all winter long. If you have ever had a tarp froze solid this is the way to keep that from happening. Another tip ever had to pick up a preloaded trailor with a high load that needs tarped? carry a rope about 30 feet long, tie it around your tarp, pull your tractor to the side of your trailor and use your tractor to pull the tarp up, this also can be used as a way to climb up just leave excess in the rope and tie footholes in it. When building a bulkhead use bungee's to hold the lumber in place while you chain it down. When loading Vinyl in the wood crates, the ones you can only throw straps across, use metal edge protectors with the straps, you will be surprised how well this helps keep your straps in place and also allows you to put some more umph in winching. Save everything you can, everytime a shipper gives you cardboard edge protectors dont throw them away recycle! When you load rolled paper save those little boards you will find a use for them sooner or later I promise. Thats all I can think of at the moment but will come back with more.