Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[Creamer]

In AZ, flat bed tow operators were required to have one front safety chain on the car, in addition to the 2 rear chains. Our company was pretty religious about it, as in if you were "caught" not using one, you were written up, even if no damage etc. 3 of those write ups (with no damages), and you were gone.

I very rarely ever saw other tow companies using the front safety chain, and I very rarely ever saw anyone get cited for it. It was checked during the annual state inspection that you had one, but that was usually it.

I would load the car, just pull the hyd winch down enough to get the car to squat on the suspension a little bit, and then hook the front safety chain, then if the front cable/winch came loose, by the time the car came up on it's full height again, the front chain would be tight then, keeping the car on. I never once lost a winch or winch cable, but we inspected our equipment all the time, replacing cable anytime we got frays or flat spots.

OK - I am confused. You are from Bismarck but you are citing AZ law not ND law?

 

[mbergeon]

Local Habitat ReStore lot-

How much does dirt weight?

View attachment IMG_20180602_112432876.jpg

A LOT

 

[flyerdan]

How much does dirt weight?

Pocket Ref says it's 2106 lbs per yard dry, 2430 moist, and 2700 wet.

 

[Dftodd]

Saw two guys parked on an exit ramp tonight picking up a couple mattresses out of the interstate. Guys had them on a trailer and learned the hard way that they don't stay put very well without straps.

One of the mattresses was laying in a pile of exploded glass. Not sure if they sandwiched something breakable in the middle or not.

 

[Fuddy1952]

We're going home today on I81. Traffic was held up, and this was why. I pulled over at a rest stop to let these people go by so I could take pictures. I clocked this (early 90s?) Toyota truck doing 50 downhill the speed limit is 70 so everyone is averaging 75. I had to close our outside air vent, indescribable odor! Nevada tags. This was I81, near Lexington, Virginia.

 

[sixdogs]

Local Habitat ReStore lot-

How much does dirt weight?

View attachment 558800

A LOT

I think it would be lower if the trailer ball wasn't hitting the ground.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

OK - I am confused. You are from Bismarck but you are citing AZ law not ND law?

Lol.

I'm originally an AZ native. Moved up here in '11. I've not operated a tow truck here in ND (work in entirely different industry now), so unfamiliar with ND laws (and their incredibly lax enforcement here). I did operate a tow truck in AZ for several years, and was required to be familiar with those laws at that time (it's been many years ago).

 

[Fuddy1952]

I think it would be lower if the trailer ball wasn't hitting the ground.

So curious. Why not dirt in trailer which is sitting empty beside the truck which could tow the trailer? I guess that would have been to logical. I guess now the asphalt will have a gouge wherever he went and that ball will be sanded flat, unless he jacks it up and put a caster under it.

 

[Creamer]

Lol.

I'm originally an AZ native. Moved up here in '11. I've not operated a tow truck here in ND (work in entirely different industry now), so unfamiliar with ND laws (and their incredibly lax enforcement here). I did operate a tow truck in AZ for several years, and was required to be familiar with those laws at that time (it's been many years ago).

Thanks! I just found it interesting that you were citing law from half a country away. I hope you are enjoying ND - what a great state!

 

[Creamer]

Local Habitat ReStore lot-

How much does dirt weight?

View attachment 558800

A LOT

This picture reminds of one day when we moved here 25 years ago and I had a new Ford F150. I needed some pea gravel and called a local place and got everything arranged for a yard and they said they would load it. I called my wife and asked her to go pick it up. When I came home after work that day my truck was sitting in the driveway looking about like this as it had close to two yards in it. i went inside and asked my wife and she said they had loaded it way in the back end and when she left it was very hard to steer and she had gone in the ditch on the way home. She realized what was wrong and got in the back and pushed it with her hands to move it forward as much as she could and then drove it out of the ditch and drove slowly home.

Of course I changed my clothes quick and went out and got the load off as soon as possible and was hoping the springs would come back - which they did and I could not find any permanent damage. The next day I had a chat with the owner of the place about loading a vehicle improperly and letting it go out on the road.

I was impressed that my wife realized that moving the weight forward would solve her problem as things like this are not her forte.