Secure Your Load

Utah is working on their version. They just had a woman about 3 weeks ago get nailed in the face with a piece of pipe that fell off something. Windshield post was only thing that saved her from getting killed. My favorite is the 20 kids in the back of a pickup doing 60 mph around the streets.

seems like if they break glass all over your trailer they should be required to blow it off before you pull out...might not kickup falling off, but will still fly like gravel when a car runs over it at 45 or so...got pelted with a bunch of glass that way a while back- musta been a wreck earlier, and the car ahead drove a bit out of the groove, threw glass all over- musta had tires like on my 65- some cheaper goodyears with pretty fine all weather tread- never seen a tire pick up more rocks, like a small gravel magnet...luckily just got a few paint chips, still sucks.

only thing I worry about requiring tarps- how many average joes on a quick dump run might now tarp an insecured load- a tarp aint gonna hold much in...and how many tarps have you seen flapping on the highway ripped to shreds because it wasnt lashed down well enough...good law, hopefully they will just start more frequent stops of scrap haulers, spot checking getting the word out that loads had best be secured AND wrapped so scraps cant blow off...

one of my personal biggest pet peeves is commercial lawn services- ever seen ONE with a deflector on their mowers? I havent...got 2 windshields broke in 3 years by mowers/weedwackers/blowers at work, but 'cant prove anything', didnt see it happen type bs... see these goofballs all over with no deflectors, blowing crap right at traffic, weedwacking gravel edges near cars...I so SO wish cops would cite them for that...never see homeowners pull their chutes off, but the commercial guys almost always do in this area...something about driving past a mower where you can look into the blades just really pisses me off...

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On 2007-04-29 20:13, mavman wrote:
Most of the time you'll see the highway cops sitting on the side of the road when cars & trucks pass them running 80-85 mph. Makes me wonder what their job really is? </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

Paperwork.

They'll spend 2-3 hours of a typical 8 hour shift doing paperwork. Their car is their office, so they just sit by the road and do all their glorious documentation.

Sitting by the road and being "visible" is meant to provide a presence, even though they are busy doing other things. I guess a MAJOR infraction could get their attention....

But, anyway, that's what they do.
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People lose stuff out of their vehicles everyday probably. Refrigerators, stoves you name it. I think it's a great law. Now if NJ would fix thier roads a bit better. That was the one almost guarantee when we were at Andrews AFB. Drive to NJ and you'll come back with a broken windshield. Sure enough, been there done that. Rocks all over the road from pot holes and whatever. Big truck picked one up and tossed it at me. At least it wasn't the piece of firewood I just narrowly missed as it flew over top of my car on the beltway around DC!

Deb

I agree with most of the above discussion. Something really needs to be done about people actually losing cargo, that is really dangerous, and there is no excuse for that.

As far as 18 wheelers being easy to drive, once you are up to speed, they are no differant than a car, just keep the wheel straight, and really getting up to speed is no different than a stick car, just a few more gears to go through.

As far as rocks and gravel being thrown up from dump truck and semi tires, Anybody have any real alternative??? The trucks have a half inch of tread, rocks are gonna catch in them, and come out on the road, MN state law requires at least an 1/8 inch of tread, then the tires must be replaced.

My dad owns a construction company, we do our best to make sure we dont have loss dirt on the trailer, but its impossible to get it all off.

The only solution to not getting busted up by little pebbles and gravel, dont tailgate, draft, ect... Use a little common sense and stay back, and you wont get hit with rocks, The rocks must come off under the mud flaps, so they arent going to fly a mile behind the truck, keep a respectable distance.

Some laws are good, like the unsecured cargo, and some punish hardworking people for others stupidity

Secure your load?...

That just reminded me of a sick joke I heard years ago. Had something to do with 4-H, a Pig, a cork and a monkey. I don't think its PC enough to even make the rounds today. Makes me realize something ... I have had some really degenerate friend in this life. [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_spin.gif[/img][img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img]

I run a cap on my truck, so nothing can blow out. But I would like to warn everyone to be extra careful hauling a trailered car. After 30+ years of no problems, I bought a lincoln LSC over in NJ two years ago. The air bags were flat so I couldn't open the door and lock it in park. On the rear, I used two nylon straps, crossed with axle straps. In front, I used a chain comealong I've owned forever, sucked it down from the sway bar to the front trailer loop tightly and put it on 'lock'. Not long before leaving Jersey, I checked everything at a rest area. But right after I crossed the GW bridge at Philly, my trailer started swaying like heck! I looked in my mirrors and the Linc was half off the trailer! Getting out, I found that my comealong had popped into Neutral, the chain had come out and the bottoming out of the Linc on the trailer frame was the only thing that kept it from coming off! Luckily it didn't hit another car. After 2+ fultile hours of trying to get it back on myself, a Philly Tilt Bed driver "offered" to load it for $80. Since I still couldn't lock it in Park, I fastened the lincoln in front with two comealongs, one nylon strap up front and and another in the rear. As is my practice hauling, I checked the tightness of everything every 100 miles or so.

Just a suggestion to be careful...[img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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