Flatbed Variety

You should really put another strap on for the simple fact that odd numbers are bad luck. Actually, 6 is a bad number too. Put three more straps on.

If I think about it 6 times does that count as 3 straps?

It counts as 4 with certain Calculus formulas.

If I used government math I would owe 8 straps in taxes.

You should really put another strap on for the simple fact that odd numbers are bad luck. Actually, 6 is a bad number too. Put three more straps on.

If I think about it 6 times does that count as 3 straps?

It counts as 4 with certain Calculus formulas.

If I used government math I would owe 8 straps in taxes.

8 straps and 1 crappy Obama lunch.

(Math teacher here)

Well, when you get nine straps, 9 is a perfect square:

Which means you can put three straps on one side, three on another, and three on the third side, and still have three for the fourth side.

No, something's wrong here.

(Math teacher here)

Well, when you get nine straps, 9 is a perfect square:

Which means you can put three straps on one side, three on another, and three on the third side, and still have three for the fourth side.

No, something's wrong here.

I'll teach you the way they teach ironworkers in a rod patch. Aka rebar. Your outside edge is 0 mark and zero always gets a bar. Therefore, since you now have 4 lines and zero gets a bar, zero gets a strap. So Errol, your math world's perfectly.

When I made my delivery in Connecticut this week my back haul load consisted of these two steel "logs" or ingots. I picked them up at a foundry in New Castle, Pennsylvania and I'll be delivering them to a machine shop in Beaumont, Texas. These pieces weigh in at 20,000 pounds each.

When hauling something like this that is heavy and will easily roll or shift to the side in a turn you should wrap some of your straps around the entire piece like a "choker". When you do this you want to make sure that the strap doesn't overlap itself where it comes back together on the top or else it won't tighten up properly on to the piece of freight.

I also drove some wooden wedges up under the edges of the ingots. When they placed the piece on the truck the crane held it in place until I got the wedges into place then they turned it loose. When putting that choker wrap on to a round piece of pipe or solid piece like this you want to get them into place and tighten them just enough to hold the piece in place, then remove your wedges and tighten your straps down the rest of the way. The reason you remove the wedges is because as you tighten that choker down it is going to roll that piece just slightly toward the side you are tightening from. If you leave the wedge in place it will only tighten one side of the choke hold and as you go down the road the vibration will loosen your strap and then you've got a possible disaster on your hands. After it's all tightened down nice and secure you then take a 2 pound sledge hammer/persuader and drive those wedges home. Now you are good for at least the first 50 miles, then I recommend that you stop and check it all again!

Looks good Old School....

There is one more reason for not letting your wrapped straps touch. That is one edge will cut into the other one. I have seen it happen and seen someone get a ticket for an insecure load because it had cut more than 1/2 way through the strap. Personally I would rather have a loose strap than one that gets cut off.

Silly question but I have a nail gun the used the compressed gas canisters. Once the wedges are driven in the final time, could you shoot a couple nails in each for the extra piece of mind that they won't back out?

Silly question but I have a nail gun the used the compressed gas canisters. Once the wedges are driven in the final time, could you shoot a couple nails in each for the extra piece of mind that they won't back out?

Yes you can sure do that. I just normally use a nail and a hammer. Guess I am kinda "Old School"

Nail guns take up room in the truck and they are not a good shape for stacking. A hammer is much smaller and you need to have one anyhow.

Silly question but I have a nail gun the used the compressed gas canisters. Once the wedges are driven in the final time, could you shoot a couple nails in each for the extra piece of mind that they won't back out?

Yes you can sure do that. I just normally use a nail and a hammer. Guess I am kinda "Old School"

Nail guns take up room in the truck and they are not a good shape for stacking. A hammer is much smaller and you need to have one anyhow.

True. But this one is already in a case which stacks easily along with other tool sets I have, wrenches, ratchets and such.

Robert, you could certainly do that, but I guess I agree with Pat. You need a hammer anyways - there are a thousand uses for it out here on the road.