PSA: Strap your stuff down!

[Anubis]

A few years ago (I actually posted it here on ATOT), my cousin was driving to school when chunks of ice flew off the top of a semi infront of her. Luckily she saw it all and ducked while the ice chunks flew through her windshield. The force was so strong it took the headrest right off of the seat and even ended up hitting the rear windshield (going through the entire car). The trucker didn't hit the brakes at all and kept going while my cousin was in a ditch on the side of the road. They ended up finding the guy who was driving since my cousin remembered the company logo on the back of the truck. They were able to track him down via his route, time, etc. I wonder if that thread is still around...

does she live in MA? story sounds familiar to one that made national news and got some laws passed

 

[Anubis]

Google images of Maria Federici...I wont link them here.

Secure your load, please.

just so people know, A sheet of plywood flew off a trailer and went trhough her windshild and cut 1/2 her face off

 

[CraKaJaX]

does she live in MA? story sounds familiar to one that made national news and got some laws passed

Nope, NY. I don't recall any laws being passed because of it...

 

[highland145]

Google images of Maria Federici...I wont link them here.

Secure your load, please.

Dang.

 

[Anubis]

the passed some in MA about cleaning off the top of trucks because something similar happened, sheet of ice came off a semi, went through a windshield, think it may of killed some people

 

[apac]

No problem, consider it strapped down.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/apac020/is_that_a_person.jpg

 

[Anonemous]

Yea that's why I try to avoid driving behind trucks/vans with ladders/objects behind them. You never know when a bump in the road or if one of their ropes will snap and that stuff will go through your windshield.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Holy shit, I found the thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=13134&highlight=

 

[PingSpike]

Yeah, this shit drives me nuts. People just pile all kinds of crap into the back of a pickup unsecured and it blows all over the god damn road.

 

[BoomerD]

I remember hearing a case once from a lawyer friend telling me about a ladder that flew off the top of a van/truck that wasn't strapped down. It went right through the windshield of the car behind it.

It always amazes me how damned many ladders end up on the highway.

I used to commute into the SF Bay Area on a daily basis. It seemed like every day, "CHP is reporting a ladder in the number 2 lane of I-80 near <insert exit>"

Yes, refrigerators, couches, and mattresses are also a fairly regular occurrance on the highways, but ladders seem to be the most common.

 

[chusteczka]

Many years ago while in school, I was in my first or second week working with a friend power-washing and staining decks over the summer. I needed a ladder, took it off the top of the work van, finished with it, and put it back on top the van. But I did not strap it back down because we were still working. Then my friend decides he is going to check on the status of another job in another location, so he gets in his van and drives away with the ladder loose on top. He came back to tell me someone honked at him and told him to pull over and secure his loose ladder. That was a dumb mistake of mine and I am glad no injuries or other serious situations resulted.

 

[Anubis]

i often wonder what goes through someones head when they get where they are going and realize the fridge is no longer in the back of their truck

 

[highland145]

I'm trying way too hard to think up some witty response, but I got no game today.

"No but we're on a first name basis."

 

[skyking]

Was driving to work yesterday and a truck going the opposite direction had a couple of bats of insulation fall of.

Several years back I was driving one of those big GMC vans on the truck chassis (Savannah?) and the truck ahead of me had some sheetrock strapped down on a rack. unfortunately they only strapped it down the middle, perpendicular to the direction of travel (side to side and not front to back) so traveling 65 down the highway they caught air between the sheets which caused some to fold back and snap off. Evasive maneuvers in a van like that were a bit harrowing.

That happened to me too, but no way to avoid. I was boxed by his second trailer on the right and a full lane of traffic on the left. I just kept on and took the hit. Braking hard would have caused a big pileup too.
It was like getting shot with a gypsum shotgun
The headlight was broken on one side, and the core support was pushed in about an inch too. There was white crap all over the engine, pieces of paper stuck under all the trim and the wipers ,the antenna.

 

[Raduque]

While riding in my mom's van when we lived in WV, a large, about 3ft square block of styrofoam flew off a semi's flatbed trailer and bounced off the windshield directly in front of me on the passenger side. The truck was exiting the freeway and we were in the middle lane. I told her to follow him, but she wouldn't.

 

[velillen]

People in the family have pickup trucks, so I always have access to one in a pinch. But I have to wonder, how often are you moving that you have to have a pickup truck? I've needed one exactly once in the last year (to get a lawnmower back to my house).

Its not just for moving for me. I use it all the time for picking stuff for home projects, sleeping in the back, taking it up in the mountains, ect. Its hauled quite a bit just in the bed. Had a few friends mention the gas mileage thing and i ask what their wrx sti gets and its only slightly better than my truck. Dont think people know trucks can get 20+ mpg now a days. Definitely not like my dads old truck that i think got 6 on a good day

As for securing down, I do always over secure things. Use nice straps and plenty of rope just ot make sure. usually do that then secure a tarp over every thing for another layer of protection (though more for rain than anything).

 

[DrPizza]

One of my friends was delivering large conduit for an electrical company. It was strapped down quite securely - that is, it couldn't go up. What it COULD do though was slide backward when he was going uphill. Once the first few pieces came out, the rest were much more free to catch the breeze and go flying into the road. Then, they proceeded to roll downhill and all over the place.

How Do you guys do without a pickup truck. I would not know what to do without mine. So for everything you need moved you have to call a friend or rent a truck?

Grand caravan carries just as much as most trucks with a cap on them, if not more with the center seat removed. I agree though - I couldn't cope without something to haul stuff. In the past week, my van has held: 3 kayaks in the back end. 16 bales of hay (in addition to a trailer load that it was towing), another 16 bales of hay in addition to another trailer, eight 50 pound bags of grain, and about ten 50 pound bags of coal. I wouldn't want to do that in a little car.

 

[ViviTheMage]

How Do you guys do without a pickup truck. I would not know what to do without mine. So for everything you need moved you have to call a friend or rent a truck?

golf works fine, never really move anyway.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

People in the family have pickup trucks, so I always have access to one in a pinch. But I have to wonder, how often are you moving that you have to have a pickup truck? I've needed one exactly once in the last year (to get a lawnmower back to my house).

I use my truck and trailer for getting free firewood for the casa (my electric bill is cheap because I use free firewood to heat my home), just last weekend I used it to haul 3 yards of river rock for some flower beds(saved a $85 delivery fee), haul away brush from the yard, hauling sheetrock, particle board, etc.. from the home depot, pick up furniture with no delivery fees, and much more. I've found an amazing deal on an Ashley furniture dining room set and yep you guessed it I loaded it up and took it home. My truck is not a garage queen.

 

[PingSpike]

I thought about getting a truck but it would just be a hard to park vehicle with no backseat and poor gas mileage most of the time. I needed a family vehicle more and trucks are not good at that task. I figured a trailer was the better bet since truck duties aren't needed that often. I actually really wanted one for awhile but it just didn't make sense when I looked at the cost and needs. I'm not interested in a third vehicle either, I don't have the garage space and don't want to pay to insure, inspect and maintain yet another vehicle.

My folks have a couple vans for their business and my brother has a truck so I've tapped them in the past, but they're kind of far away.

 

[Evadman]

Is this the 'stupid loaders' thread, or the 'admit to being a stupid loader' thread? Howabout I do both at once.

Quite a while ago, someone bought about 40 sheets of 4' by 12' sheetrock and wanted it on top of their van in the roof rack. They are about 70 lbs each or so and a rack is MAYBE rated for 500 lbs. After arguing with the guy and management telling me to do it, I put them up there with the fork. He even got up there and strapped them down. I was very suprised that he actually made it out of the parking lot when the van rolled on it's side when he turned out of the lot.

The pallet of concrete in the back of a S10 pickup was also popular. IIRC, max rated was what, 1200 lbs? And you want me to put 56 eighty lbs bags in it? What are you, stupid? Sure, sign this thing and I will put it in there. *crunch* I think I personally broke a half dozen vehicles by overloading them when I was told to. Ripped the tailgate off one with a bunk of 2x4's, snapped axles, etc. Was always a fun day.

I am also not immune. I had a pallet of concrete board in my truck (about 6000 lbs). The forklift driver wouldn't let me drive the fork, and couldn't get the load all the way against the front of the bed and it ended up about 1 foot from the front. I strapped it down so it wouldn't fly away or slide backwards and snap the tailgate off. But I did not secure it from moving forward because I ran out of 5 ton straps. A jackass postman driving a postal jeep backed out of a blind driveway right in front of me. There was oncoming traffic, so all I could do was slam on the brakes. The load slammed into the front of the bed and caved it in; I thought the truck behind me had actually hit me. It was jarring, but I didn't destroy the postal truck.

 

[Tsaico]

A tarp, bungee netting, and ratcheting straps... I agree, how hard can it be? I have a pick up and have a milk crate with ropes, blankets, and all that stuff. The only thing i don't regularly carry is the flags for things that are hanging off the bed more than 6 ft. Anything that has flat surfaces and can catch the wind should be securely tied down.

As for moving, my favorite is a 12 ft open trailer behind the truck. Load the entire bed, then the trailer. a lot cheaper than the Moving van and great for the large odd shaped items like couches, beds, tables, etc.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Is this the 'stupid loaders' thread, or the 'admit to being a stupid loader' thread? Howabout I do both at once.

Quite a while ago, someone bought about 40 sheets of 4' by 12' sheetrock and wanted it on top of their van in the roof rack. They are about 70 lbs each or so and a rack is MAYBE rated for 500 lbs. After arguing with the guy and management telling me to do it, I put them up there with the fork. He even got up there and strapped them down. I was very suprised that he actually made it out of the parking lot when the van rolled on it's side when he turned out of the lot.

The pallet of concrete in the back of a S10 pickup was also popular. IIRC, max rated was what, 1200 lbs? And you want me to put 56 eighty lbs bags in it? What are you, stupid? Sure, sign this thing and I will put it in there. *crunch* I think I personally broke a half dozen vehicles by overloading them when I was told to. Ripped the tailgate off one with a bunk of 2x4's, snapped axles, etc. Was always a fun day.

I am also not immune. I had a pallet of concrete board in my truck (about 6000 lbs). The forklift driver wouldn't let me drive the fork, and couldn't get the load all the way against the front of the bed and it ended up about 1 foot from the front. I strapped it down so it wouldn't fly away or slide backwards and snap the tailgate off. But I did not secure it from moving forward because I ran out of 5 ton straps. A jackass postman driving a postal jeep backed out of a blind driveway right in front of me. There was oncoming traffic, so all I could do was slam on the brakes. The load slammed into the front of the bed and caved it in; I thought the truck behind me had actually hit me. It was jarring, but I didn't destroy the postal truck.

Wow.... that van story is great. That's something straight out of a movie. I bet you had a nice smirk on when it happened...

 

[SandEagle]

I'm trying way too hard to think up some witty response, but I got no game today.

"No, but yo momma seems to think I am!"

there you go, that'll be tree fiddy.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I once saw a crushed car cube perched precariously on a flatbed truck fall off at an intersection. I was two cars back and a lady in the car in front of me hopped out to move it out of the way. I'm not sure what she thought it was but, I rolled down the window as I pulled around and said, 'ma'am, that's a car, I don't think you can move it.' She answered back, "well, help me!" The gears ground in my head and, I just said again, 'IT'S A CAR!'