Got straps?

[Richard]

Out to box store to get stuff for bathroom remodel... happened to have camera in pocket /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Driving down road on way home, I THOUGHT I noticed rubber straps holding a riding mower on a trailer. I slowed down & reached for camera just in case.

I was trying to drive safely while free aiming a shot to my left out the drivers window. As you can see by the pic, my timing/spacing was all messed up, HOWEVER, if you look through the wing window... you will see a clear shot.

Seems he had rubber straps in back AND in front??
He had two on each end and the gate of the trailer was gone.

Would rubber straps such as these be deemed "ok"??

I think I'd at least want a ratcheting strap.

Oh, and it was a pretty young dude, baseball cap backwards on his head and as I recall, he had a business name on side of his vehicle. So it seemed more of a commercial operation, probably operated out of his parent's "digs".

Please pay no attention to the dotted lines on road which might insinuate I'm swerving into their lane.... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I claim the camera was at fault /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[thcri]

I personall would never ever use rubber straps. After they stretch so far they break. That riding mower is heavy enough to rip them with a sudden stop or even if the guy takes off real fast. I think they even say on the box when we buy them that they are not for use on heavy objects.

murph

 

[Bird]

There actually are some pretty heavy duty ones, perhaps most frequently used to hold tarps on 18-wheelers, and I've been told they're very strong, so maybe they'd hold a riding mower. However, for me personally, I agree with you; I won't be using them. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Dargo]

Dang! I learned my lesson with straps. I can't imagine using bungee cords!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Oh, on a related note: I saw an IL DOT cop with a trucker pulled over on I 57 yesterday. I can only guess, but the DOT officer was writing and watching as the trucker had about half of his yellow straps exchanged for chains and binders on his load of about 6 large rolls of steel. It sure appeared as if he was getting a citation for using straps to hold down the large rolls of steel instead of chains and binders. I say this because he was clearly changing the straps for the chains and binders; and the DOT officer had out his note pad and was writing away.

 

[MrJoe]

Great pix, you almost never have a camera when you want one. When I ride my motorcycle I stay as far away as possible from this kind of setup. If that was my equipment I sure wouldn't use rubber bands to secure it /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I got lucky yestarday on the way to work, passed a coil of chain at the on ramp. Just could not pass it up so I shot up to the next exit and boogied back. 16 feet of grade 70 transport chain w/ hooks. Some trucker was PO'd a his next stop but at least it found a good home /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RobS]

That's pretty typical for a landscape/mowing outfit from my observations. Not sure how these guys get away with it. The other day I pulled up next to a trailer. Had a nifty ride-on, stand-up, articulated fertilizer spreader for lawns. The only things holding it on the trailer were two bags of ferty, one in front of a tire and one behind. On the rear of same trailer was a push mower "held" in place with a bungy cord. I often see several ZTRs on these trailers with no tie downs what so ever.

I realize they want to load/unload quickly moving from job to job, but the potiential liability is incredible. Imagine a lawn mower flying through the air in an accident!

Be safe out there /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[SkyPup]

Riding a motorcycle and surviving on the road requires a keen intellect to prevent numerous nasties from occuring as you well know, following any pickup, trailer, etc. filled with anything is a total no-no as you never know what next is going to come flying at you at high speed... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

BTW, be sure to watch out for the sights or smells of diesel fuel on asphalt too otherwise your world may turn upside down instanteously. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( watch out for the sights or smells of diesel fuel on asphalt )</font>

In June '86, we were on our way home from Quantico on the Aspencade, on I-40, just west of Nashville, TN, cruising along in the right lane, when all of a sudden I noticed the inside lane was very wet; couldn't figure out how rain could be quite that isolated, then I noticed the wet strip gradually came over into the right lane, so I started slowing down, then over onto the shoulder when I realized it was diesel, and when the wet strip came onto the shoulder, I slowed to a crawl and off the shoulder into the grass to avoid crossing that diesel. My wife got excited on the back seat and wanted to know what I was doing. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif And when we crested the hill, there sat the 18-wheeler that had lost many many gallons of diesel. I didn't stop so can't say for sure, but I think a tank truck had a valve come open as he was tooling down the road, and I went on around him in the grass and then back onto the road.

 

[SkyPup]

Tire rubber and diesel fuel on asphalt make for one super slippery condition!

I was riding my motorcycle out to our rural mailbox when I was coming up to a stop sign about 100yards ahead. Started to smell raw diesel fuel fumes and was wondering about it when I looked down and the road surface looked wet, suddenly both wheels on the KTM 640 Adventure bike lost traction and I was slideing sideways towards the curb, luckily I was only going 15 mph, but when I put my boot down for stability, alas it too had virtually zero traction. A tractor had a leaking fuel tank and had splashed diesel fuel from the post office down to the corner stop sign..... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[TheKid]

At least he had some kind of tie downs on it. A couple of weeks ago a pickup pulling a deck over trailer with a Bobcat track loader on the rear of it passed me. You guessed it, no tie downs of any kind. At least the ZTR mower on the front of the trailer was secured better. It had a couple of 80# bags of concrete stacked behind it.

 

[midlf]

Hey MrJoe - when I see goodies on the road I leave em. About 12 years ago someone I know stopped to collect a chain from the freeway. Got smacked by a car when he ran out into the road, killed him. Worst part, his two small kids were in his truck watching it all happen. He got thrown about 100 yards.

High price to pay for a used chain that was $30 new.

 

[Ozarker]

I don't use rubber or elastic cords for any purpose. I use rope or ratchet straps for light loads and chains for equipment.

I have a friend who was blinded in one eye when one of those elastic straps broke loose from its hook as he was attaching the other end. It hit him in the eye so had that the eye splattered like an egg hitting the floor.

 

[LBrown59]

I use Bungee Straps a lot as they are handy for many things.
Would not be without them.

 

[MrJoe]

Good point midlf. This one was on the side of the on ramp, had plenty of room to pull over and get back in the truck. Wnen I was much younger I did find a good length (40') on the side of the road. Only problem was I was on the motorcycle. Being a confirmed pack rat there was no way I could pass it up /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif Wrapped it around me like some character out of "Road Warrior" and headed out. There I go on my spotless Honda 550 with full face helmet on draped with some truckers chain all over. Still got the chain 25 years later /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[scott_in_ny]

I recently saw a new pintle hitch on the side of the interstate.....had to go six miles and turned around and thank god it was still there.

One time I was at a light coming off the highway and the pickup in front of me had the tailgate down with tools etc.....

he floors it out of the light and takes the left and a craftsman plastic 300piece or something socket set falls out opens up and sockets all over the road. I pulled up, put my hazards on and caused a slight traffic jam as I retrieved all the sockets, wrenches etc... It was pretty funny. A cop pulls up when I was almost done and asked whats up.... I told him and he says nice score...ha ha then he looks over and tells me I missed one..... ha ha ha
there was some nice SK ratchets in there also.

Another time I was driving the interstate and there is a brand new 8' fiberglass ladder in the center lane.... I pull over, back up,just about to jump out and get it and here comes a wave of cars.... a guy in a bimmer talking in the phone hits it and goes right over it , crushes it, no flat tire, and kept going. Well i called the cops and got the **** out of there before there was a pileup.

I see stuff all the time but sometimes its just too dangerous to pick it up. Thats a horrible story about your friend w/the kids.

 

[Scrounger]

I never find anything useful to me now like tools or a good chain, but in college I did put 300 pounds of chicken in my Mustang and the frat had one heck of a chicken BBQ and beer blow out. A Purdue truck rolled over and the load was all over. We ran like nutz picking up frozen chickens and pilled them by the truck. The driver was so thankful he asked if we wanted a few. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif We filled the car of course. We shot a few in a catapult we built too. Engineers are strange ya know.