A heavy load of wood timbers shifted as this truck made a short turn in a church parking lot. After much effort with a telehandler that was to small for the job the load was lifted and happily on his way.
Had this happen to me years ago when I first started driving.. between lowering the landing gear and small moves I was able to get the 5th wheel to drop back.. learned really quick you can't make those sharp turns with a flatbed
CLEARLY OBVIOUS,..... insufficient use of ductape and bungee cords!!! The trailer was uncontrollably twisted to the left due to the earth's gravitational force during a full moon. He must have missed that part in the truckers operating handbook! 🤣👍
+Greg Heller, I'm an old flat bedder. The first thing I noticed was that he had no belly wrap's. He may have had enough chain for the weight of the bundle. But, regardless he should have belly wrap's on all three bundles. This driver is very inexperienced or he's just flat lazy. If he had used belly wraps his load would not have slid sideways on there skids. In addition with properly placed and tight belly wraps his bundles would have remained stiff keeping the trailer from bending. The video doesn't show the rest of the trip which was probably interesting at least.
Explorer602010 The problem with belly wraps is most of the time the trailer is loaded before you have a chance to throw them over the fist layer. Many shippers won't allow you near the load while it's being loaded. so if you can't force the strap through with a pole then it's not getting any belly wraps.
The loads not more then three tiers or more than 6 feet tall at the third tier. No belly needed. He needed 3 straps on the front and 2 for every bundle after
Stuff happens. It's how you get OUT of it in one piece is what counts. I didn't see any blood, oil or busted parts, the forklift was still running and he drove off under his own power. All's well that ends well. Thanks Ernest!
I was going to comment on how he recovered! Though I would of done it another way, I think he did ok. Not sure I would put that much stress on that fork though? Just enough to drop the dolly's, drop, and then reconnect! I wasn't there so I can't comment on how he got in that predicament. All we had was a 3 1/2 min video to base our judgment. But I'm not going to slam the guy. Trucking is a tuff job and it's not for everyone.
I was taught to NEVER turn anywhere close to 90*to the trailer with a full load like this! And would have had at least 4 or 5 4" straps on each group of lumber! I have rescued other drivers in this situation. Crank the landing gear down hard, dump the airbags to let the load level some. Used the sliding 5th wheel to slide back and forth allowing the truck to straighten out. It took time, but with no other equipment to use, it worked!
1: not enough securement. DOT regs say 2 straps in the first 5 feet, and 2 in the last 5 feet. 2: he should have used 4" straps, 4 would have most likely worked for each stack. This is just a lazy driver who didn't want to do things the right way.
I have to say, that trailer shouldn't have been on the road! When you are driving for a company you do as you are asked even under those circumstances. That driver was actually in his way to get a D.O.T physical. The driver has Mony many miles under his belt, hauled cars all over the country before this video was ever thought of! Pour equipment and things are bound to happen! The driver in this video became a farmer and still drives Semi with no tickets, no accidents, no fines, clean CDL, and is a million miler club member! You may think to yourself, How do "I" know? Because I'm the driver.. my Father shot this video, and I'm glad I could have given him this content to shot and make a video!
Bontrager Entertainment what I meant was in the comment sections. Every One always has an opinion about things they know nothing about. Shit happens ... glad your ok
Just my two cents worth... If we all think about how a fifth wheel pivots on it's pins above the slider... the part that allows it to flex when you go through a dip... this is what I think happened. Running down the road, the fifth-wheel does not allow the trailer to rock side to side. But rotate that fifth-wheel 90 degree, like it was in this situation because of the tight turn, and now which way will that fifth-wheel rock... side to side... all it would take is one side of that bunk of lumber to be heavier than the other side and the fifth-wheel will allow the trailer to tip. You don't have this problem with a dry box or refer because the the wall support to the structure... but on a flat.... it will twist and let it drop. Just my thoughts....
I have never been what you would call your "typical truck driver". :-) 30 years, 3+ million miles with no accidents or violations keeps me out of that category. All I can hope is this driver learned a valuable lesson.... Thank you for your comment Ernest.
Wow. The load shifts and almost ends up in the buck him. Hes lucky to get the load back center.....and still pulls off with just two straps per stack. More luck than sense
I think part of the problem is he's using ratchet straps. You can't get nearly the tightness on those as you can a 3" or 4" strap with a bar. A third strap would have been extra insurance. Never too many straps.
Pulled out without adding straps!! Very foolish...it shifted once it'll shift again... after that kind of struggle I personally would have added 2 more straps each .... wow!!😳
Back in 77 I started pulling lumber with my first truck'n job. Those ole floats did the twist all the time! We didn't even have straps, all chains and binders. Tie her down RIGHT and keep going turning around tight, ya got no problems! So there driver, learned something huh, just Keep on truck'n🥳! Back out......
@@abrahammarin2674 Hey man,, you have to turn less sharply with a loaded flat,, We had high 5th wheels 41" on 0ur trucks & they would flip forward all the time f you tried to 90degree turns.
2" rachet straps, are you serious? I just noticed this is an old vid, but it just popped up in my feed. My rule of thumb on tying down lumber was one 4-inch strap for every 4 feet in length. I never lost a stick.
Yeah if you dont know how to do it thia happens, ive done turns like this with flatbeds and lowbeds, never came close to losing my load or twisting my trailer ever....
Only came close to doing this with a truss load because the driveway was so tight and had no choice but to jackknife to get it in the property county permits wouldn’t allow them to move the fence so I could drop them in the yard so I had to make a 48’ roll trailer into a 38’ roll trailer and jack knife it into the driveway with lumber packs on both sides it was a mess I got it done but it was a clenched moment lol I overuse straps and make them as tight as possible. I get bitched at for breaking trusses and panels all the time. I always say I’d rather break a piece of wood then lose a load
Im a flatbeder trailers flex but hate it when a driver is trying to back up or do this with his Window up u need to hear what's going on ...in my opinion 2 million miles under my belt with no accidents
That's now to bad of one ,,,,,,I come up on one in Tx few years back load drill stem strip and strap second stack from top to first set 4x4 from bottom back stack was all that was on trailer rest went thorough head ake and cab with 2 to 3 ft sticking through windshield
A 2" strap is good for 2,000 lbs. So 2 of them is 4,000. I'd imagine that section of lumber was more like 8,000 lbs. Stationary binders on your flatbed is one thing, but they do make 4" ratchet binders. I only use 2" straps to prevent my tarp from getting damaged from the wind on those crazy shaped loads, I never touch the 2" binders for anything else. I've hauled allot of lumber and I put 3 4" straps on the front and back of the load and 2 4" straps in the middle sections of the load unless it's 2 tiers high then I use 3 on every section. I don't haul lumber anymore, now I haul the fun loads like pickup trucks, massive steel tanks, granite saws, giant 34,000 lb single blocks of granite, ginormous water valves for water treatment facilities. I'm starting to do over sized loads in a month so that'll be fun. I have a sweet Peterbilt with straight pipes and a 475HP beast.
This guy is an accident waiting to happen, he needed two more straps per bundle on that load, this happened in a parking lot at a very slow speed, just imagine how it would go if he is put in a situation on the freeway at 60 mph, with that very unsecured load of lumber. There's a lot of people out there holding steering wheels. it takes more than shifting a 13 speed and driving on a straight line to be a trucker.
***** I wouldn't have used hand ratchets on that for sure. Open end trailers can be dangerous, that's why drivers have to be super cautious. IF a driver is being cautious he shouldn't have to break hard at max speed, but if he's being cautious n STILL has to break hard, then it is not a preventable accident on his part (like if someone pulls out in front of him off a side street) but head ache racks will only stop so much force anyway. It's a risky load on flats, I've done flats before n luckily had no accidents. Risk comed with the job NO doubt.
I haul lumber occasionally. A bundle that size should have 3 4" straps, especially the front one. Linear loads require 4' spacing between first and second, then 8'. Lumber is tougher than steel because it compresses, and you need to tighten more often.
I saw a Gardner truck with a set of empty double flats making a u-turn on Marygold in Fontana flip the rear trailer the exact same way, EMPTY. Unfortunately, for him, he was not on a truck route. Careful of what your doing, drivers.
I'm going to re-iterate what someone said below. NO WHERE NEAR ENOUGH STRAPS ON THAT LOAD!! I've hauled steel and machinery for a living. I wouldn't even move a truck around the parking lot secured like that let alone take it out on a public road. Each one of those stacks is way beyond the WLL of two 2 inch ratchet straps and I don't see any corner protectors to keep the straps from being cut. I can't believe it didn't slide into the cab the first time he hit the brakes or over the side crushing a car. Disaster waiting to happen.
jim smith I tried explaining this to some guys at a home depot that were loading me, I had to have them band it load it so that it was bumped up against whatever was on its other side. loads can shift so easily, why some people act like they don't know better baffles me.
Not secured right.. Law states two tie downs in the first ten feet and then one each ten feet. Must also have enough to secure half the weight of the load. I would of had four, four inch straps. It looks like his are only two inch straps and way under secured. I would say three 4 inch straps should of been used. My back ground is 15 years heavy haul, flat bed. Just my two cents.. Glad he made it
Philip Enloe actually by law this would be legal since he had 2 straps on each bundle. It was trailer flex that allowed the load to shift. You never jack a flatbed trailer that sharp when loaded.
richard vaughn actually I'm going to have to disagree Richard Philip is right that load bundle looks to be at least 10 feet long which would mean a minimum of 3 straps. in fact dot says that any bundle that is not properly blocked by a header board has to have an artificial headboard in place by adding additional strap to the front. I would have put for 4 inch straps two in the front where one acts as the header board one in the middle and then one towards the end
With the telehandler lifting the trailer level, why not crank the landing gear down un hook the tractor then back straight under the trailer. Why take a chance of breaking something on truck, trailer or telehandler?
Qualified or not qualified anybody can run one of the machines my 10-year-old can run one I’m sure it’s hard for some people but if you give them the advice on how to do it they could’ve helped instead of watching for the camera lol 😂 I’m happy the guy got it all done good job
@@kingkon164 I own a flatbed trucking company, don't know anything about tmc. if you wanna haul your lumber like that you will wind up in the same predicament or worse, you can have it through your sleeper if you have to stop fast.
@@LifeWithChase I'm very familiar with lumber, coils rolling through the sleeper, rebar sliding into the back of the sleeper, frozen lumber tarps 😑😑. Not a easy job and it was my first job when I received my CDL. Safe travels driver😎
@@kingkon164 you don't have to work at tmc to know that. I see what you done there though.😂. But naw, the guy driving the truck in this video didn't even have his 4in straps on the load. He was using 2in straps. Which is oka to an extent. But I would never use them to secure a full truck load.
agreed....2 little straps on each set is ridiculous. that is a fatality accident looking for a place to happen or this inexperienced flat bed driver to drop it on someone.
Two things one the straps r to small 4 in with binder under rub rails but u should have let landing gear down Wich would have straighten trailer then push wood but the winch lines on side of trailer are cheap and less time to secure and way stronger
I had an old trailer that twisted like that when I started with my company. I told the manager about it and he told me to take it easy with the turns and always stay 10 mph below the posted limit and to NEVER, EVER move that truck until I have 1 strap for every 3 ft of length plus a gut wrap for 2 stack or more. Flatbed is a different world man.
Some trailers will lean over to far. When the forklift driver raise the trailer up, he should've lowered the landing gear down, unhooked and rebooked to the trailer.
Just glad that did not happen to me. I was laughed at for over securing loads if I had room for a strap or chain I put it if I could get away with it start with that load needed a belly wrap that alone would draw the load in some not the end all though. You drive a little way stop and tighten it down, drive a little do the same until you drive and don't tighten any more. Then you still stop and check it because you know how loads are. Loads are not unpredictable they are very predictable they are going to shift that is why you have to keep on them.
Even without flatbed experience it's pretty easy to see he was using about half as many straps as he needed for that load, plus the ones he did have are too small. Not nearly enough holding strength to keep that load in place during a hard turn or hard stop during a turn which is what I think happened here.
they are the proper straps for the trailer and the load. the problem is that there was not enough straps being used. by law, there is supposed to be a strap every 4 feet on a load. on lifts of lumber that looked close to 12 feet in length, there should of been a minimum of 3 straps thrown on each. even more overkill, a belly strap if the driver was not that experienced. and probably nit tightened enough either.
This is exactly why I'd never haul lumber. You can't secure it well enough. I prefer pipe or coil eye to the side or "suicide". I might be new to flatbed but I'll make damn sure my loads don't shift on me. Lumber doesn't pay good, it's a real pain in the ass because it shifts easily.
Don Tait I was saying the same thing the whole damn video not that they could hear me. but it was common sense to me once it was straightened up a little but with the lift put the dollies down and then re-center the load and secure it better. I run moffett trailer everyday and see some wild crap. Unloading everything from lumber to floors to trusses to wall panels and everything in between some of the loads look nasty until I have a web of straps on them. I get yelled at all the time because I make my straps to tight I said I’d rather break a wall or a truss then lose a load.
hi hauled loads twice that size as long as you strap it down really tight with enough straps and check it often you should be ok you always make your turns jacking it hard very slow and if you think the trailer is going to tip over put down your dollies just enough to where they barely touch the ground dump the air on the truck and baby it I go into 3 or 4 job site daily and knock on wood I never had any trouble just flat tires from nails
well for one,you shouldnt be using 2 inch ratchet straps for a load like that.that is why the load shifted to begin with.4 inch straps and trailer mounted winches for lumber or 4 inch hand winches and crank the hell out of them to keep load in the center.
Even with all the proper strapping (chains, cables or nylons) that flatbed trailer's structure would not have held down the top heavy weight of the load over the 5th wheel plate to keep it from rocking forward or backward (along the intended pivotal plane). So either the driver, loader or both exhibit lack of fundamental understanding of the basic physics of class 8 coupling.
I'm sorry but I've NEVER seen a commercial driver rely on ratchet straps to secure a load. Do you not have the wenches on the truck to secure the load? Any way, no damage so that's good.
I was thinking the same you just can't fix stupid. Who does he think he is superman ? To be able to tighten the ratchet enough to be safe for this type of load and only two per segment.
+69adrummer I have run with ratchet straps before, didnt like it but i didnt have a choice, this guy in the vid should have had more than two straps on the first bundle if for any other reason because thats what the law requires...
I ain't going to hate comment, because shit can happen to anybody at any time by not paying attention for 5 seconds, but what he had to do was just pull forward and the trailer would have straightened out on its own right? correct me if I'm wrong, safe trucking!
News flash. 100 straps wouldn’t have prevented that. The load shifted “after” the guy turned too sharp and the trailer about fell over. It didn’t cause it.
+☢TruckMafk TM™" I AM a flatbedder. This is fucked up. Load just about slides off the trailer (at LOW speed) and what do they do? Push it back and get on down the road. WTF kind of load securement do they think they're achieving here? Two tiny fucking hand ratchet straps on each stack? Did this driver not receive any training? Fuck! This is ridiculous.
Um, first thing I notice is your lacking the proper amount of straps., could be ur first clew, second thing I notice is that you improperly distributed the weight on the trailer, allowing trailer to twist, third thing I noticed is reliant on the other two is you probably shouldn't be a truck driver
Failure to secure load, simple..! Treated wood timbers require more than 2 straps to secure load, which should have been banded by shipper before loading..!
I agree Howard I used to drive flatbed and I would never strap my load like that it appears that those Timber bundles were at least more than 10 feet long so therefore he needed at least three straps on each bundle not to mention an extra strap to make up for the lack of a header board. if I was a DOT officer I would be having a few words with the driver.
Just my two cents... But why didn't he drop the front landing legs to keep the trailer from slipping, and then off load some of the load with that front end loader. seems that trying to hold up the entire load is also a dangerous issue for that front loader driver.
marstrucking423 it still would have shifted over if you tried to turn this sharply. He caused the front of the trailer to flex over toward the tires which caused the load to slide over. Flatbed trailers are not rigid and they will flex and you can flip your truck by attempting a sharp turn with a heavy load on the front of your trailer.
he should have dropped the trailer and picked it up again, it would have been a lot safer than the way he did it,and if those straps are what i think they are they are good for ten (10) ton breaking strain,but this is the usa so laws may be different
uncle albert the landing gear won't crank with weight on it. When you cranked it down you would never be able to raise the lower part back to level, so you would have to drop the trailer 1 to 2 feet lower than the fifth wheel.
First off this isn't just a load shift problem but that trailer I promise you has either a busted or rusted out fifthwheel that is weak or it has a bad floor and structural rust rot or all thee above!?!? Because for a all steel flatbed with a closed tandem that trailer twisted WAY WAY to easy!!!! Or actually that trailer has probably already been rolled over once and it already has a twist in it and once steel is twisted it has a memory and it wants to twist back to wear it was twisted and tweaked previously!!! But that is obviously more than just a load shifting problem and that load shifted after the trailer twisted from making a U-turn.
yes it is very dangerous because if it has structual damage it can break loose at the fifthwheel if it is rotted or broken. or if it is twisted from being rolled over once before then it will be 100 times easier for it to rollover in the same direction as it did he first time. its hard to say what exactly is wrong with it without seeing it in person. But without a doubt that trailer has major issues and shouldn't be used in its current condition.
Jason Donahue That is not a structural weakness caused by rust. It is an issues inherent to flatbed trailers because they have no vertical structural support to prevent twist. This is taught in flatbed 101 "Avoid tight turns where the tractor passes 90* to the trailer. Particularly with loads exceeding 4' in height." This guy obviously had almost no training and very little experience. Otherwise he would have more than just two 2" straps per stack of lumber. I can assure you that the load is undersecured by any standard. 1. Those ratchet straps do not have the leverage to be tightened sufficiently to prevent load shift WITH ONLY TWO 2. The working load limits (WLL) of those straps is 2,000lb The tare weight on the truck w/ steel trailer is roughly 35k. That means the load will be roughly 45k lbs. Each stack of two bundles is +/- 13,500lbs. The front stack being slightly less than the center, the center less than the back. 4,000lb WLL for over 12,000lbs is just asking to be crucified in the predictable lawsuit WHEN something happens.
+Ernest Bontrager "Epic"? What's "epic" about it? The Ten Commandments" is epic. The Illiad is "epic", not a video of idiots. Look up the definition of "epic". You should have known.
Not a load shift, just an incompetent driver that doesn't know the limits of his truck. U can't jack flatbeds that tight. I use to haul bagged concrete, & the new guys always would do this in our yard. usually before they strapped down.
I worked at the railway and seen this happen before. Loaded a 20 ft container on the front of a flat bet and tries a 90 degree turn and the same thing happend. I guess you could say not too bright!!
Bill Driscoll 4 inchers are 5400 lbs. 2 inchers are only 2500lbs. Your load can still move even with extra straps as straps will stretch when you put them under extreme stress. You need to make sure you never take a corner too hard or stop suddenly.
`Perhaps part of the problem, Three more straps could have been applied to each bunk for a total of five, from each end two straps, four foot apart and one in the middle, again for a five count total each bunk! ~Especially due to the fact of the lumber base being such a distance from the securement strap/ trailer rail, This is always a recipe for load shift and/ disaster whether being in close quarters turning in a parking lot or out on the highway, ~Myself, hauling such loads, I would prefer seeing load stops setting on the floor of the trailer from the lumber load to that outside rail, with the stop sliding down into the rail for the purpose of securement and/or holding position of the device. two stops each side of bunk, homemade. ...Anyway By law, Securement of such loads I believe it is two securement devices four foot apart from the end, and five foot apart between, Looks to me likes a great idea for this load! ~My opinion, This is one of those cheap lessons! May your travels be safe!
if you go beyond a 45 degree angle between the truck and trailer this will happen everytime, if the load was secured as law perscribed the trailer would have twisted but the load wouldnt have moved. 2 pieces of load securement within the first 8 ft of the load, and 2 for every 10 feet of load. 10 years of flat bed driving expierence...
