Secure that load

[MossRoad]

Here's a link to a story about some one allegedly losing a skid steer bucket from a trailer while driving down the highway. It landed on the highway, someone in another vehicle struck it, spun and was hit by other vehicles. The driver of the vehicle that struck the bucket died.

 

[Junkman]

A similar accident happened about 3 years ago in Worcester MA on I-290 with a ladder that fell off a truck. The driver of another vehicle was killed, but unlike the accident above, they never found the vehicle that had dropped the ladder. As a safety precaution when ever I secure something, I also use duct tape to make sure that the binder doesn't loosen by taping the handle. With chain binders this isn't necessary, but the nylon straps that many of us use, it does help to keep them secure.... Junkman

 

[MossRoad]

I had a friend that was riding a motorcycle when a ladder fell off the roof rack of a truck coming towards him. Hit him square in the full face helmet, knocked him out and broke his arm. Lucky it didn't kill him.

 

[Joe1]

About 10 years ago, I took my home made utility trailer to a Home Depot type store to buy some plywood. The trailer dimensions were 44" wide and 54" long. It worked great behind my VW Beetle and other compact cars. I bought a couple of 8' 2 X 4's and two sheets of 4 & 8 5/8" plywood which I had them cut into four 2' & 6' pieces and two 2' X 4' piece. I laid the plywood in the trailer with one end in the rear of the trailer and the other ends draping over the front of the trailer in the air stream. I laid the 2 X 4's over that to hold them down. Since I was only a mile and a half to home, I got lazy and didn't tie them down. I was doing about 45 mph. When I got about half way home, the 2 X 4's slid to one side, and I could see the top sheet of plywood start to fluter in the air. Before I could stop, a sheet flew out of the trailer, went end over end in the air and flew over the roof a car behind me. A second sheet did the same thing. A couple of feet lower and it would have gone through the windshield of the car behind me and killed the driver.

That scared the living hell out of me. I got stopped and retrieved the load and, after a good tie down, I drove home a much more sober person.

I had NEVER failed to tie some thing down before and certainly never since.

Every time I got into trouble for something, I was in a hurry. I've learned, the hurrier I go, the behinder I get.

Here's another scary but true story. About 40 years ago, my cousin worked for his father who had a necavation business. They had a flatbed truck with a back hoe mounted on the rear of the truck that could swivel about 210 degrees. He was driving it from a job side one afternoon. He had forgotten to secure the hoe so it could not move. As he drove home, he was doing about 45 down the road. The road had a crown to it and the hoe had gradually swung to the right side of the truck without him knowing it. The bucket hit a parked dump truck. He heard the bang, looked in the mirror, saw the hoe swing completely aroung and ducked just before it took the cab off the truck he was driving. He was unhurt.

It must be genetic.

Joe

 

[chim]

A couple months ago I was driving to work on a two-lane road. I was driving into the sun, and visibility was not optimum. Cars travelling in front of me each swerved to the right as they went by an oncoming cattle truck. When I got closer, I could see why. The truck was a straight job, and the bed had a side door on the driver's side of the truck. Below the side door was a ramp that could be pulled out to load cattle. The ramp was sticking out about 3' or so. I did a U-turn and chased the truck down. The old boy driving the truck kinda chuckled and said "somebody must notta hooked the chain right"..........................chim

 

[40Kchicks]

This summer I bought a 17 ton feed bin from a farmer that was going out of business. He came up a got my 20’ gooseneck trailer so he could load the bin. I guess I was in a hurry because I somehow forgot to lock the ball. The weight kept the trailer on fine until they started loading the bin and the trailer lifted off the ball. I was really embarrassed. This got him started telling me about the time he went and picked up a load of steers with his big stock trailer at the auction. Somebody closed the door to the trailer but didn’t latch it. Somewhere during the hour long trip home the rear door came open. When he got home he stopped at his front gate and saw a steer on the other side of the trailer. “I wander whose steer that is”. He pulled ahead and there were a couple more steers heading down the road. Finally he walked around and found that these stray steers were his. Somehow he hadn’t lost any animals. Can you imagine how terrible that could have been to see live animals falling out of a trailer at 60mph. He was very very lucky.

Another friend sent his ponies for a tumble when he didn’t lock the ball on his horse trailer. It came off the truck and the hitch hit something sending it over and over. All three ponies were injured but amazingly non of the injuries were fatal.

Check those doors and hitches also
Eric

 

[Currmudgeon]

Ah, Worcester! My home town.

I had a near disaster with nylon straps. I had bought a couple of yellow ones on sale at TV Hardware. After only a couple of weeks, I was carrying a 34 ft extension ladder on the truck. When I got hone, I noticed that one of the straps had parted. I broke the other with my bare hands. If the second strap had parted on the freeway ... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

The sunlight had destroyed the nylon, apparently because the yellow dye did not have enough pigment in it. The blue ones and the red ones, are still solid after two years. I did buy them from slightly more reputable sources, so I don't think it was only the color.

Anyway, I pay a lot more attention to the straps, now.

 

[Phred]

Several monthsago I recall an article in an arkansas paper anout a guy hauling a washer in the back of his truck. For some reason it fell out on the express way but did not hurt anyone. This individual stopped to get the item and was struck by a tractor trailer. He did not survive.

Be carefull out there..

Fred

 

[BigEddy]

Got my own horror story.
Taking an old sectional couch to the Salvation Army.
Loaded it in, one piece nested upside down on the other, and strapped it down.
Went inside to get my wallet, came back out, hustled all the kids out of the various "spaces" between the cushions and into the truck and off we went.
Got onto the main road, just got up to speed, and came out into the open. Looked in the rear mirror to see one section "bounce" upwards. Hit the brakes. Too late. Next gust lifted it out of the truck, flipped it over, and it landed rightside up on the road beside me. I'm already on the brakes, so the dang thing passed me, doing 60kmh downhill. Had great little hardwood feet with steel inserts, so it just kept going, me chasing it. Lady coming the other way saw the whole thing happening, came to a stop, but couldn't get out of the way. Broke the front light, but that was all. She was real good about it . Turns out she sold furniture for Sears, and the only reason I was getting rid of our old one was that we had a new one delivered that morning - from Sears. She was killing herself laughing when she phoned her husband and said "Honey - Guess what, I was just hit by a love seat"

Moral of the story. Just cause you tied it down when you loaded it, doesn't mean it's still tied down when you depart. My strap was in the way of the fort playing so the kids removed it. Now I always check everything right before I drive off. Since saved me losing my hitch mount bike rack once, when the hitch pin was sitting on the bumper.

 

[RonR]

I've been hauling stuff for years. Most weird was an antique dentist chair that a friend bought for her retired Dentist father.
I haul a lot of stuff in the pickup and on trailers, including boats and tractors.

Only lost one load so far, and that was 30 YRs ago. Had a chain break on a farm truck load of hay as I was entering a curve. I heard something dragging (the chain). Looked in the drivers mirror, nothing. Looked in the pax mirror to see bales bouncing off into the ditch. That was mess.

Now, I check the load a couple times before I leave and EVERY time I stop for break, eating, or gas. You can't be too careful.

Enjoy.
Ron