Flatbed Variety

After dropping the preload today that I loaded the night before, I went back and got another load of 24" pipe with a total weight of 64k pounds.

That looks like a whole lot of chaining! How long will it take you guys to get the whole thing moved?

That is all secured in the photo.... 9 chains and 2 each 3/8" cables that run over the top from the front to the rear. Delivered that load today. 2 hours to load and secure and 45-60 minutes to unsecure and unload.

As far as how long, I am assuming that you mean the pile in the background. Well that is the plant and it never really decreases in size. They make them as fast as it can be hauled.

With that though, We have 900 loads of this type of pipe to move this summer. It is going to be VERY busy.

Why are they called suicide coils?

Why are they called suicide coils?

Bud beat me to it. I was about to post the exact same image. haha

I worked steel industry with coils like that. We had special trailers with a valley down the center to transport the coils. I'm guessing that was a 40 to 50000 pound coil.

I worked steel industry with coils like that. We had special trailers with a valley down the center to transport the coils. I'm guessing that was a 40 to 50000 pound coil.

Yeah, it's pretty big. He obviously didn't have enough chains on it. This coil slid on the coil racks instead of rolling, which probably saved the driver's life. (Those boards were in the middle of the trailer when he left the shipper , now they're 20 feet further ahead.)

Every time I have gotten a load of coils, I think of this picture...and then I put another chain on them.

Here's another look at one as it's being extricated from the cab. Bud is right - you can never have too many chains on those bad boys, but if you don't have enough you're living on borrowed time.

It's a strange, but I can smell the oil they coat the coils in. Also fascinating to see the mill take a 20 to 30 ton 10 inch thick slab and send it through a mill with six or more stands, and sheet steel come out at 30 miles an hour and hit the down coilers at the end and get coiled up.

Had a shipment arrive one day to the hot mill, it was a down coiler frame, just a box with 12 edges, weighed 120 tons, the trailer transporting it had over 144 tires I belive, most being steered. The truck could only drive at 18 mph, loaded and unloaded, squeaked in the door with two inches to spare, and the 500 ton overhead gantry crane picked the coiled frame up like a toy. Poor drivers had a 5 day journey home with police escort at 18 mph. The rig and trailer where impressive.

I am currently sitting at an accident scene with 2700 pounds rebar on my deck. Yep the weight is right. the road is closed until the accident gets cleaned up.

As I said we had trailers with a valley down the center and the coil was turned 90 degrees. I see some coils coming north on I65 from AL and cringe when I see them.