Guy Got Lucky

I got caught up in traffic jam for about 2 hours on 65 because a flatbed lost his 4 large steel coils in the middle of the highway.

Luckily for him they only hit asphalt and didn't hurt or kill anyone, from what people on the CB where saying it didn't look like he had any straps on it at all.

Lucky indeed. When I did flatbed that was my biggest fear, a coil rolling off and landing on me or someone else. Glad no one was hurt. Also glad to be pulling plain ol vans now lol

Wow! That is scary. Coils can be very dangerous.

I would guess for all four of them to come off that he simply got in a hurry and forgot to secure them. That is a huge mistake, and it is one of those nightmare dreams I will occasionally have. I once left a site without completely finishing my load securement. It was simply a matter of getting in too big a hurry. It was only about three or four miles down the road when I realized what I had done. I immediately found a place to pull over and correct my mistake.

Were they loaded shotgun, suicide, eye to sky?

Just wondering. I've never understood the reasons why coils are loaded in these different 'fashions.'

~ Anne ~

Sorry to change subject, but how are scrap cars secured to a trailer? For quite a few years they are covered by netting and I don't recall if they are chained down or what. Yesterday about a quarter mile west of a 2 lane bridge near our home a flatbed driver had pulled over and the furthest rear stacks of cars had nearly fallen off or tipped over his trailer. I looked but couldn't tell what type of securement was used but wondered if there is much cushioning effect left in cars after being compressed/smashed. This guy was parked in a tight spot with the slope of the shoulder making matters worse with not much room for someone to come and fix his load. He was outside on the phone when I passed by the first time and again an hour later.

About 50-55 or so years ago near here a young lady was killed with a piece of car transmission being hauled for scrap went through her windshield. I'm guessing there were other accidents that lead to the eventual requirement of netting these loads.

how are scrap cars secured to a trailer?

Usually they are chained. It is important that the driver stop occasionally and check his securement. Scrap metals really tend to jiggle around and cause their chains to loosen up as they bounce down the road. We call it compression. We have the same issue with aluminum. It is so slippery it will tend to compress and move around as you drive. That's why flatbedders try to stop every 150 miles and make sure things are still good and tight on their loads.

I've never understood the reasons why coils are loaded in these different 'fashions.'

Anne, they are loaded the way the customer needs it for unloading. Let's say they are using a forklift with standard forks. Those will be loaded "eye to the sky." That way the coil is sitting on a pallet that the forklift can slide his forks under to facilitate unloading. Some receivers of coils use a forklift with a single big round spear that slides into the center of the coil. Those coils must be loaded "suicide" style for the forklift operator to unload them from the side of the trailer. "Shotgun" loaded coils are generally unloaded with an overhead crane that has a huge hook they place in the center of the coil. That same overhead crane can unload suicide or shotgun oriented coils, but the shotgun method is considered safer so it will be used when possible.

I wish I had some pictures of them being unloaded, but I don't. Hopefully I explained it in a way that will help you understand it better.

Here's a not so great photo of a coil load gone wild. It illustrates why they call this method of loading the "Suicide" method. In the photo they are removing the coil from the cab of the truck. It was not loaded in the cab, but due to the driver not taking proper care of his business, it ended up in there with him.

how are scrap cars secured to a trailer?

Usually they are chained. It is important that the driver stop occasionally and check his securement. Scrap metals really tend to jiggle around and cause their chains to loosen up as they bounce down the road. We call it compression. We have the same issue with aluminum. It is so slippery it will tend to compress and move around as you drive. That's why flatbedders try to stop every 150 miles and make sure things are still good and tight on their loads.

I've never understood the reasons why coils are loaded in these different 'fashions.'

Anne, they are loaded the way the customer needs it for unloading. Let's say they are using a forklift with standard forks. Those will be loaded "eye to the sky." That way the coil is sitting on a pallet that the forklift can slide his forks under to facilitate unloading. Some receivers of coils use a forklift with a single big round spear that slides into the center of the coil. Those coils must be loaded "suicide" style for the forklift operator to unload them from the side of the trailer. "Shotgun" loaded coils are generally unloaded with an overhead crane that has a huge hook they place in the center of the coil. That same overhead crane can unload suicide or shotgun oriented coils, but the shotgun method is considered safer so it will be used when possible.

I wish I had some pictures of them being unloaded, but I don't. Hopefully I explained it in a way that will help you understand it better.

Here's a not so great photo of a coil load gone wild. It illustrates why they call this method of loading the "Suicide" method. In the photo they are removing the coil from the cab of the truck. It was not loaded in the cab, but due to the driver not taking proper care of his business, it ended up in there with him.

Old School,

Thank you so MUCH!!

Yessir, you NAILED it.....EXCELLENT explanation!

I'd never have thought that the load was set up so the receiver could off load properly, dependent upon the equipment they use. I've wondered this for YEARS.

Totally makes sense! Wondering how the one Bobcat Bob saw was loaded?!? This is actually an excellent topic, especially for futures coming through TT.

Man, that poor guy in the pic.. hope the driver is okay!! Was that when you were driving for them??

You're a plethora of information, good sir!

~ Anne ~

ps; Harvey C. ... we often see scrap cars loaded in flatbeds with a bunch of metal poles 'seemingly' welded upright around the frame...almost like fenceposts, without the crossmembers. Maybe O/S knows what that's called?!? LoL...!

I saw a dry van crashed the other day that apparently had been carrying large coils of copper wire. From my quick glance going by they did not appear to have been secured at all, as they alllcame through the side of the trailer.

Anne A wrote:

Were they loaded shotgun, suicide, eye to sky?

Just wondering. I've never understood the reasons why coils are loaded in these different 'fashions.'

~ Anne ~

Here is a picture of my typical coil load that I take from Oswego NY Middletown NY. Coild on skids with the eye's in the vertical position. For this load of five coils each coil weighed about 12.5k give or take a few pounds. The fifth coil is obscured by the curtian.

I saw a dry van crashed the other day that apparently had been carrying large coils of copper wire. From my quick glance going by they did not appear to have been secured at all, as they alllcame through the side of the trailer.

Like these?

At 7500 lbs each X 6, there is no way to secure them in a dry van to prevent them coming out in a major crash scenario.