Unsecured hay hauling

[jjp8182]

A key point that's been either overlooked - or just assumed is that the load is not just "secured" but properly secured. Though even then accidents can happen as it's not possible to fasten every little bolt to the hauling vehicle and vibration can make fasteners back off/loosen.

Was an incident not all that far from here a few years ago where a bale came off of trailer even though the load reportedly was tied down .....bale fell off as just the wrong time/place and fell into an oncoming vehicle killing the occupants. Was actually discussed here before as well: Secure Those Loads! -- Teen killed when hay bale falls from truck: Charges pending

Personally I probably cross into being a bit paranoid about securing loads (to the point I'll even use a leaf blower to clear any loose dirt/rocks from equipment after it's been loaded), and even then try to keep an eye on them and the road behind me when hauling items that aren't contained in a fully enclosed part of the vehicle/trailer. Wish I could say all that means I've never had things come off in transit, but it'd be a lie if I did since I've had pieces of cardboard tear off of objects they were fastened to and go flying, as well as a garbage bag of empty plastic containers work it's way out of a bungee net.

Have seen quite a few larger/heavier things come off of vehicles as well. One of the more memorable ones was a backpack leaf blower from the back of a landscapers pickup ... where he'd even neglected to close the tail gate. Tried to get his attention after it fell, but the guy was too wrapped up in cell conversation. I still wonder if he thought it was too much of a "time consuming inconvenience" to secure a load after he got to where he was going and found he was missing equipment.

One of the others I recall was on a trip go go pick up my current trailer I saw a state patrol officer pulling over a guy hauling a mini excavator - the excavator was tied down, but there were roughly a dozen pieces of lumber riding loose (not legal, but not uncommon to see either). That made me wonder what was going on, until a few miles further down the interstate I saw a dump trailer that'd been filled with sand overturned in the median .... quite sure the trailer had been severely overloaded before it rolled. Made me really cautious about ensuring I had everything in working order on the new trailer before heading home (to include ensuring the trailer brakes were appropriately adjusted). ...... on the way home I saw they were still working to clean up the sand, and the individual hauling the excavator wasn't much further down the road from where I'd seen them be pulled over - though all the boards were now tucked under excavator. Whole trip was about an hour and the truck hauling the excavator was less than 10 minutes into it....

All that has driven home not only the necessity of not only properly securing a load, but to pay attention while driving (both to my own loads, as well as those of others) .....and not to hang around livestock trailers (I suspect unbaffled liquid loads - while problematic could potentially be less problematic than livestock that gets spooked).

A few of the more horrendous memories I have are from growing up overlooking an interstate and the multiple times livestock trailers were rolled. Between that and seeing the aftereffects of a pair of snowmobilers who fell off their snowmobile in the middle of the night while attempting to cross the interstate highway ......I will never willing live overlooking an interstate again.

 

[Jstpssng]

I saw a lawn seeder fall off the back of a pickup. It was before daylight and I chased them, flashing my lights and blowing the horn but they didn't stop. I should have gone back and claimed it, but it was probably broken. Hay isn't the only thing which is improperly secured, it just happens to be the topic which the OP chose.

 

[big bubba]

And that’s the whole point of this exercise. There are some folks out there who hate farmers. They want their equipment to be taxed or not even be allowed to traverse roads from field to field.
How could farming and food on the table happen if they were in charge?
The pictures and articles about improperly carted hay are real, but few and far between. Typical of people today who only focus on the small minority of the bad in a group and not the vast majority who do things right.

This would be a better site if pejoratives were not used

This would be better thread if the pejoratives were left off and the discussion was about traffic safety. The comment about rednecks being a safety hazard was totally inappropriate and deserves a retraction or apology. This is a great website. Why don't we keep it civil.

looking at some of the responses, i probably made a mistake in making this original post.
to address the 2nd quote 1st, yes, my poor attempt at "redneck" humor was probably in poor taste to some. as to the 1st quote, my original intent in this safety post was an observation on an obvious state hwy transportation hazard hauling unsecured hay cargo...never an attempt at demonizing a particular demographic like farmers or truckers. If some took it that way, it was not my intent...

as a last caveat: hope anyone reading the thread never encounters an accident involving unsecured loads, whether hauler or victim. should the tragic event occur, i would recommend the hauler to get a good lawyer, as the argument that they are unfairly treated & victimized by society probably will not hold much ground in a court of law. ..or offer little solace to those who suffered personal injury, property damage, or even death.

 

[MoKelly]

looking at some of the responses, i probably made a mistake in making this original post.
to address the 2nd quote 1st, yes, my poor attempt at "redneck" humor was probably in poor taste to some. as to the 1st quote, my original intent in this safety post was an observation on an obvious state hwy transportation hazard hauling unsecured hay cargo...never an attempt at demonizing a particular demographic like farmers or truckers. If some took it that way, it was not my intent...

as a last caveat: hope anyone reading the thread never encounters an accident involving unsecured loads, whether hauler or victim. should the tragic event occur, i would recommend the hauler to get a good lawyer, as the argument that they are unfairly treated & victimized in society probably will not hold much ground in a court of law. ..& offer little solace to those who suffered personal injury, property damage, or even death.

Sorry for all the negative stuff.

I never took any of your comments as insults. Humor or fun or joking is disappearing on the internet and in society. We take ourselves too seriously.

Also - I was and am very happy the Razorbacks won!

MoKelly

 

[big bubba]

Sorry for all the negative stuff.

I never took any of your comments as insults. Humor or fun or joking is disappearing on the internet and in society. We take ourselves too seriously.

Also - I was and am very happy the Razorbacks won!

MoKelly

well thanks, safety & consideration for others is all that matters. on a tangent, funny, i live where i can hear the roar of the razorback games here in Fayetteville...but after decades, never been to a football game. Does that put me in further jeopardy w/rednecks & razorback fans?...of course it does...just to say, take that extra time to tie down yer loads for the next curve ahead...that's all, bb

 

[MoKelly]

well thanks, safety & consideration for others is all that matters. on a tangent, funny, i live where i can hear the roar of the razorback games here in Fayetteville...but after decades, never been to a football game. Does that put me in further jeopardy w/rednecks & razorback fans?...of course it does...just to say, take that extra time to tie down yer loads for the next curve ahead...that's all, bb

My wife’s Dad lives within walking distance of War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Back in the day when conference games were played there, it was something to see. Campers, tailgaters and crowds were amazing. Probably 2x the folks that could fit in the stadium.

Now, they get minor league teams but it’s still a show. Not near the crowds - especially from the other team.

 

[Hay Dude]

So here’s the other side of the coin. This car tailgated me down a backroad (speed limit 25) while I was roading a 200HP Massey with an 11’+ wide hay mower. The road is very narrow and there’s no place to pass. When I came to a stop sign “T” intersection, this little punk ripped around me at about 7000RPM, smoking the rear tires, then shoots his girly hand up the sunroof and gives me the finger. I was pretty whupped and not in the mood to jack with anyone.
I actually caught up to him at the red light and prepared to exit the tractor to do something I always tell my son not to do, but the little snowflake got a green light and got away from me.

 

[ptsg]

So here’s the other side of the coin. This car tailgated me down a backroad (speed limit 25) while I was roading a 200HP Massey with an 11’+ wide hay mower. The road is very narrow and there’s no place to pass. When I came to a stop sign “T” intersection, this little punk ripped around me at about 7000RPM, smoking the rear tires, then shoots his girly hand up the sunroof and gives me the finger. I was pretty whupped and not in the mood to jack with anyone.
I actually caught up to him at the red light and prepared to exit the tractor to do something I always tell my son not to do, but the little snowflake got a green light and got away from me.



View attachment 714498

It's such a shame that some people are just a bunch of selfish pricks and have absolutely no respect for anyone around them and do dumb stuff like that.

Around here, those kind of situations don't really happen that often, or at all to be honest. For the most part, they do respect when any type of Ag or construction equipment goes on the road. Of course, there is always those impatient guys that will pull a dumb overtake move and put everything and everyone at risk, but those tend to be a minority.

If the line gets too long behind a tractor or machine, the operator will be aware of that and pull to the side when he gets a safe place to do it and let everyone pass. If a tractor comes on a tight road and faces another vehicle in front, the vehicle will pull to the side as much as possible and let the tractor pass.

It doesn't really take much time at all to make lives easier for both sides.

 

[MoKelly]

So here’s the other side of the coin. This car tailgated me down a backroad (speed limit 25) while I was roading a 200HP Massey with an 11’+ wide hay mower. The road is very narrow and there’s no place to pass. When I came to a stop sign “T” intersection, this little punk ripped around me at about 7000RPM, smoking the rear tires, then shoots his girly hand up the sunroof and gives me the finger. I was pretty whupped and not in the mood to jack with anyone.
I actually caught up to him at the red light and prepared to exit the tractor to do something I always tell my son not to do, but the little snowflake ️ got a green light and got away from me.



View attachment 714498

Well - maybe in the long run you were fortunate he got away.

It’s not worth the consequences dealing with those type of folks.

Eventually, and always, they get what they deserve.

MoKelly

 

[bcp]

A mile or two ahead, wave as you go by, as they stand beside their car in the ditch.

Bruce

 

[Hay Dude]

Maybe Darwinism will finally catch up to him.

 

[Panik]

Food for thought...

I live in a rural area and reasonably regularly see things such as double wide, double stack hay rolls on the road through our valley secured at the front rolls and held in at the back by the ramps. I also see 45ish hp tractors "secured" with dog chain a couple times a year. Hell, I know someone who transports his skid unsecured behind a 1/2ton... he isn't a farmer. At the same time I also very regularly watch idiots tailgate or blow past both me AND high crop tractors with spray bars at 70mph along a double yellow....sometimes in fog.

My personal favorite, as a gun enthusiast/owner, was puling into the gas station by my house for a drink and seeing the un-stickered truck in the handicap spot with a loaded revolver laying on the bench seat with the windows down.

It's not rednecks, farmers, or rice burners as an individual groups. It's the people in general who fail to take in consideration how their behavior might impact those around them.

 

[Jstpssng]

It's not rednecks, farmers, or rice burners as an individual groups. It's the people in general who fail to take in consideration how their behavior might impact those around them.

Amen!!!!

 

[Hay Dude]

Food for thought...

I live in a rural area and reasonably regularly see things such as double wide, double stack hay rolls on the road through our valley secured at the front rolls and held in at the back by the ramps. I also see 45ish hp tractors "secured" with dog chain a couple times a year. Hell, I know someone who transports his skid unsecured behind a 1/2ton... he isn't a farmer. At the same time I also very regularly watch idiots tailgate or blow past both me AND high crop tractors with spray bars at 70mph along a double yellow....sometimes in fog.

My personal favorite, as a gun enthusiast/owner, was puling into the gas station by my house for a drink and seeing the un-stickered truck in the handicap spot with a loaded revolver laying on the bench seat with the windows down.

It's not rednecks, farmers, or rice burners as an individual groups. It's the people in general who fail to take in consideration how their behavior might impact those around them.

Agree, but let me offer this. It takes a lot of effort and concentration for the farmer to negotiate narrow back roads with large farm machinery, all the while having cars coming in the other direction, swerving to miss oncoming vehicles and telephone poles to the right.

Now throw in some punk tailgating a piece of machinery like that, then being passed in a violent angry manner and given the “F…. Y…” while passing illegally on a narrow road with double yellow.

This is what you get for being part of the food producing chain so a punk like that can eat? And there a small group here that wants farmers to pay road taxes? Or not be able to travel on roads between fields at all?

 

[jjp8182]

Well, when driving I generally try to remember the phrase "you can't (legally) fix stupid".

Ignorance can be generally overcome with teaching, but willful ignorance (aka stupidity) can only be fixed by the individual ....or Darwinism.

On a semi-different note have a coworker who was once driving a large articulated tractor pulling an implement and had a car come upon him, tailgate him for a while and then attempt to pass ..... only to have an oncoming vehicle put the car driver into a position such that they decided to change lanes and put their vehicle between the tractor and the implement .....as they were coming up to a red stop light.

The coworker was half tempted at the time to wait until the police showed up to cite the driver (was before cell phones were so common), but didn't want to lose the additional time .... so he
ended up slowly releasing the clutch when the light changed and hoped the driver was paying enough attention to realize the tractor/implement was moving and would do the same.

In the end the situation got resolved (surprisingly without damage), but hopefully the idiot in the car isn't/wasn't inherently stupid and they learned not to put themselves between a tractor and it's towed implements (or even between two towed implements). ..though whatever could possess a person to even consider that an option in the first place is beyond me.

 

[Panik]

Agree, but let me offer this. It takes a lot of effort and concentration for the farmer to negotiate narrow back roads with large farm machinery, all the while having cars coming in the other direction, swerving to miss oncoming vehicles and telephone poles to the right.

Now throw in some punk tailgating a piece of machinery like that, then being passed in a violent angry manner and given the “F…. Y…” while passing illegally on a narrow road with double yellow.

This is what you get for being part of the food producing chain so a punk like that can eat? And there a small group here that wants farmers to pay road taxes? Or not be able to travel on roads between fields at all?

Friend... what I was saying was not meant in any way as a refutation your reasons for being pissed about what happened to you.... In truth while I had read your post, what I wrote was based on comments made earlier in the thread that leaned towards stereotyping groups of people. The valley I live in still has a large amount of family ag businesses (cotton, corn/soy, hay, cattle) and I get pissed when I see idiots getting impatient about passing farm equipment in my little stretch of paradise because it endangers everyone on the road.

Put another way, I used to work for a state agency as a marine biologist and pretty regularly used to drive older style long bed 3/4 duallies hauling either boats or carcass trailers.... wasn't oversize farm equipment or CDL level hauling but it did give me a strong appreciation for the sheer, dangerous lack of consideration that occurs on the road daily. I do understand what you are saying because I have experienced it in my own way.

In retrospect, and on a funny related note, some time before I started working for the state lab the carcass trailers being used were all open top. That stopped when someone was hauling two dead manatees back to the lab from across the state and one of them ruptured from decomp gases and apparently drenched the car that was following too closely with dead manatee juices.

 

[repete]

Consideration is a two way street. And for information, I travel on the road with my tractors as well.
A couple years ago I was following a row of pea harvesters on a 55 MPH road doing 7 MPH. Very slow movers. I accepted that is was a farming community and that was life. I became irritated when they stayed in the lane of traffic rather than pull into a turnout area with more than adequate room for them to let the 30+ cars behind them get around. We all had to go another mile before they turned off.
Yes, I understand tractors on the road but this type of indifference above does no one any good at all.
We should all do what we can for others on the roads.

 

[ljjhouser]

So here’s the other side of the coin. This car tailgated me down a backroad (speed limit 25) while I was roading a 200HP Massey with an 11’+ wide hay mower. The road is very narrow and there’s no place to pass. When I came to a stop sign “T” intersection, this little punk ripped around me at about 7000RPM, smoking the rear tires, then shoots his girly hand up the sunroof and gives me the finger. I was pretty whupped and not in the mood to jack with anyone.

Interesting.. little arrogant ***** are everywhere. But I think he didn't see your tractor, or the mower. He only saw something got in HIS way. "His day will come." Just smile and know that. Someday, probably soon, people won't see him, and he won't even know why. It is because he acting like a child and doing adult things (driving) and had made himself UNIMPORTANT. And as adults we know that eventually, everyone pays for their actions. Just another silly little **** that doesn't really matter in this world. Someday it will be an accident, and someone will get their boots stinking when they step on him. Best Wishes, Larry

 

[ljjhouser]

Oh, another thought. Several years back we had an exchange student come and live us with from Spain. She spoke very little English - mostly very broken. There were a lot of our customs she did not understand.
One day, there was an old red pickup turned the corner. He waved and I waved back. She (the Spanish student), asked - did you know him. "No." Then who was he? "Just someone probably lives around here, just being polite. Kind of a redneck.
THEN she ask "what is a redneck?" Boy I stuck my foot in that. I could only say only the truth "I am not sure that I know."

 

[5030]

I have, in the past (not this season) put idiots in the ditch that are in a big hurry to get around me when I'm pulling wide implements. A 18 gauge coffin is no match for a 10K pound tractor pulling an implement anyway. Being courteous is a thing of the past I guess. All in a big hurry to go nowhere. I always yield to traffic when I can get off the road but there isn't always a place to get off immediately.

Last one was in a big hurry but found out there wasn't enough room on the berm to get by so he got sucked into the ditch. I did stop to see if he was okay and he was so I kept on trucking. Hope he enjoyed the wrecker bill, maybe he will think twice next time.

Like I said previously, motorists don't realize a properly placarded and illuminated farm tractor, pulling an implement or not, has the legal right of way in this state, except on a limited access highway.

Dumb and dumber..