Drivers' Corner - Caring in Action

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When pulling a flat bed, do you have to chain your own loads? A driver had
loaded steel in New Lisbon, Wisconsin. It was getting dark and he wanted to
get the load chained before dark. He crawled on top of the load to
place his chains. As he was placing his chains, his foot slipped. With
nothing to grab, he was unable to steady himself. He lost his balance
and fell off the trailer.

The steel pipe was three feet above the trailer and with the trailer height,
his fall was almost eight feet to the ground. The fall was uncontrolled and
he landed on his knee causing severe damage. So severe that it required
surgery to repair the ligaments. He was off work for six months during
the rehabilitation of his knee.

All of us who have pulled flatbeds have climbed on our loads to place
the chains. It is imperative on some loads. And the placement of the
chains is critical to the safe delivery of the load. Some tips that I
learned while driving might be helpful to you:

• Stay on the ground when throwing your chains. Continual
  handling of the chains soon makes one quite accurate in the placement
  of chains when throwing them.
• Set those boomers on the chains that seem properly placed and
  lock them down. Make sure your boomer has all the slack removed. This
  gives you something reliable to hold while climbing.
• Once you are sure about the placement of the chains, ease down
  and continue locking your boomers. And if you use a cheater bar or a
  boomer extension, be extra careful that it does not slip.

Remember, you will need to check your chains in transit. It is
necessary to re-secure your load as it settles!

That's the way I see it - Bob Hataway - TransAlive.

Bob Hataway is president of TransAlive USA, an organization of 100,000 volunteers across America dedicated to serving drivers and their families in the transportation industry through their Caring in Action=Safety Program. They cover every zip code in the United States and move quickly to meet the needs of the drivers and their families when they experience an accident, illness, heart attack or even death on the highway. Call 800-USA-HURT for assistance.