It amazes me the unsafe way people haul stuff....

[Ken45101]

If your hooks face down they won't come off if the chain should go slack, for whatever reason.

If you tie, tape, wire, however you can, the binder handles, they won't release on their own.

Definitely needed! That's what the little holes in the end of the binder handles are for. That's required by Federal regulations for commercial haulers. An alternative is to wrap excess chain around the binder handle.

You have a good start in doing things the right way, just a few small issues as noted.

The federal regulations do not apply to us legally since we are not commercial haulers. However, the regs do provide good information on how to do it right:
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/cargosecurement.pdf


And yes, you need 10-15% of the weight on the tongue, otherwise the truck can become unstable. That's more important when hauling heavier loads with a lighter vehicle.

 

[andrehoude123]

Also to save a little time you do not nee binders on the front....just drive up hook up your front chains back up till there tight and set the parking break then shut off the tractor and put your rear chain and binder on. And up here we need 4 chains for tractors on a trailer an in the X

 

[LD1]

Looks pretty good to me on the weight distribution. You dont want TOO much load forward of the axles. That puts most of the load only on the front axle, and not much on the rear. While it may ride better for the truck, the axles dont like it as much. When I load mine, I pull on and when I see the truck squat a little more than when empty, its good.

As others noted, same about the chains. Always try to go under and hook the chain so the hook cant fall off with gravity. Kinda the way you tied to the trailer. BUT...in your last pic, the hook on the left (front of trailer), the hook should be at the back side of the pocket. IF that chain were to slip around to the back side, your chain would be loose.

 

[Ken45101]

Also to save a little time you do not need binders on the front..

While true, it works better with adjustments on all chains. A little bit of bouncing down the road and any one of the four could have slack. If you don't have adjustments on the chains, you have to start up the tractor and back it up to snug it up. FMCSA requires adjustments on all chains for commercial haulers.

Which brings up another point: it's a good idea to stop after a few miles and check all the tie downs.

 

[radioman]

On the tractor front end chains, I would take the chain under that front bar, up behind, then hook it on the top of the bar. I like gravity to help keep hooks on.

Bruce

I was gonna say the same thing. What you did was a good start. You just need to tweak a few more things to make it even better. first follow bcp advice. Chains go under-inside then up then over to hook on bottom. This way if chain becomes loose or unshackled , the chain will NOT fly around in the wind/air. It stays inside the tractor frame. Second, the chains should be wrapped around the lever to binder, not in between. This way if binder snaps open from a bump, the chain acts as a stop to prevent flying open and off. weight of chain helps too. Next, in the back, you did good- it really is tough to chain down on a sub compact tractor- due to narrow frames. In the rear its more important to have tiedowns in an X (cross) fashion. You have yours in a V shape. In the front its best in X fashion, but a v can be done with no problem, but the rear really should be in an X.
Keep in mind - the rules taught by army guys, trucking industry, etc - but you are just a home owner moving a lightweight equipment and most likely will not be issued a citation but its something to keep in mind in safety aspect.

 

[rd_macgregor]

If the hood hinges forward, be sure that it is latched securely before hauling, particularly if you are hauling it loaded backwards. The slipstream can catch the hood and slap it open very forcefully in an instant. I lost the whole hood assembly off a lawn tractor that way a few years ago (but it didn't have a latch...so [after repairs!] I just avoided loading it facing backwards).

BOB

 

[Budweiser John]

In Michigan, the State Police motor carrier enforcement folks don't care if your moving a private load or are for hire. if they observe a load not secured to federal specifications your gonna get pinched. They are not bashful about it either.........

 

[Scooby074]

In Michigan, the State Police motor carrier enforcement folks don't care if your moving a private load or are for hire. if they observe a load not secured to federal specifications your gonna get pinched. They are not bashful about it either.........

Wish more places were like that!

 

[Coyote machine]

I thought you suppose to center the tractor over the axles. So you saying I need to back up another foot or two? Like I said I am a rookie and want to do it the correct way, not like the yahoo's I have living in my town that throw a small chain over the tractor and not even put a chain binder on it.

Numerous folks say it looks good the way it is. You need to go by what is actually the case and measure tongue weight. 10-15% is what I meant to say is required, and it is for proper weight distribution for the tow vehicle as well as the trailer. Too little weight and the trailer may act up as far as your being able to control it with your vehicle. Too much weight on the tongue and your tow vehicle can be hard to control, especially if you have to panic stop for one of the yahoos in your neighborhood.:confused3:
Follow what is suggested by etrailer.com and their methods to weigh your trailer tongue weight. once you know where to place the tractor you can repeat the positioning in future.
Show pics of final setup, thx.

 

[denverdave66]

Thanks for all the helpful hints, like I said this was my 1st time tieing something down on a trailer. I ordered my Doolittle special cause it is hard to find brakes on a 16' landscaping trailer, much less brakes on both axles. That's why I ordered it special wanted brakes on both axles. My truck has a brake controller in it, but is old and don't think it is working properly I have adjusted it all the way and don't think it is engaging the brakes. What's a good brake controller? My truck has a lot of power when not pulling a trailer it don't have the stock motor in it rather a 327 bored 30 over with a 4 barrel holley and headers on it, but when pulling this trailer with the gate up it seems like it is all it can pull, I can't pull out in front of someone but once I get up to 65 mph it pulls fine. Any ideas on that?