jjp8182
Platinum Member
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.
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.