Archive for January, 2010
Tarp Off A Flatbed Trailer In Five Easy Steps
Vinyl tarps are a valuable tool when it comes to using a flatbed trailer. Regardless of how well the items are stacked the entire load needs to be protected in order to get it to its destination safely. The high wind pressure created while driving at high speeds becomes very strong requiring a little ingenuity when it comes to tying everything off.
Loading the Flatbed
Before the tarp can be pulled across the load you need to arrange the load properly. First you will need to ensure the weight is distributed evenly across the trailer to make it easier to pull and steer. Arranging the load with wind resistance in mind is also important. The more wind hitting it the harder it is to pull and the more stress is put onto the cover itself. This is the single biggest reason tarps tear while inroute to its destination. When loading try not to have anything high and wide standing over and above your truck.
Tarp Selection
Use the right tarp to cover the load. Polyethylene and canvas tarps are simply not going to stand up to the abuse of the wind and other elements you will encounter on your trip. By the time you make the first mile you might already see tearing. Instead select heavy vinyl tarps with a weight of at least 18 ounces that is UV treated and waterproof. They are not only ten times stronger than the typical blue poly covers you see but they will not break down in the hot sun either.
You also want to look at the actual construction of the cover. Choose a style that has heavy wellattached grommets. The sewing of the fabric’s edges will also make a big difference out on the road. The sewing around the edges of the tarp can also make a significant difference. Look for hems that have two rows of sturdy stitches that go through multiple layers of the material.
Tie Down the Load
Once the products are loaded and you have chosen your vinyl tarps it is time to start covering the load. Stretch the cover across the load and ensure there is an equal length on both sides. Use sturdy rubber tiedowns to attach the cover to the trailer and start strapping in the centers. When you get to the corners fold the excess underneath before strapping it down to prevent the wind from catching the edges.
Next use wide nylon ratchet straps to tie both the tarp and the load down to the trailer. If the trailer is equipped with an enhanced ratchet system run the hook over the load set the metal bar across to secure the straps and lock the ratchet mechanism into place.
Covering your flatbed trailer with a tarp is the single most important step in securing your load for transport. The exposure and wind pressure can have a significant impact but by loading the trailer correctly and using highquality vinyl tarps accurately the products will reach their destination safely.
About the writer: Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on tarps visit www.mytarp.com.
Tales From The Road: Tractor Trailer Accidents
Whether you pick up a newspaper or watch the news on television you can always find some story of a tractor trailer accident that happened. These types of accidents are a regular occurrence on the news because these horror stories happen all the time. Luckily there are some stories that do not result in any loss of life. Here are some interesting stories of tractor trailer accidents that are beyond belief.
In New York City a baby girl and her grandmother were nearly crushed to death in a tractor trailer accident. The 61yearold grandmother along with her 1yearold grand daughter came face to face with a tractor trailer when it fell from an elevated highway and smashed down right in front of their car. The grandmother recalled that she instinctively came to a screeching halt when she heard a loud sound above her. Having come to a halt the rig dived into the fourlane road ahead of her car. If the driver of the car had kept moving the truck would have landed right on top of the car.
25 million honeybees were inadvertently released after a tractor trailer accident occurred on a highway in Missouri. The accident happened when a tractor trailer carrying more than 500 beehives which carry thousands of bees each flipped on its side. The cargo had spilled all over the highway forcing crews to shut down that area until all the bees could be cleared. An Iowa farmer who owns the bees said the bees were being taken to Wisconsin to help pollinate cranberry bogs.
North Carolina authorities had their hands full when a tractor trailer carrying about 6600 pounds of lowgrade powdered uranium overturned. A husband and his wife were driving the rig traveling from Virginia to the Global Nuclear Facility. The tractor trailer accident occurred when the driver lost control of the vehicle and overturned near the interstate 40/95 interchange. Luckily the threat level was low due to the uranium being packed securely in steel and the packaging had not been breached. Crews carefully loaded the containers into a different truck and both people in the tractor trailer accident suffered only minor injuries.
These are just a few of the many tractor trailer accident stories that make the news every day. According to statistics the highways and interstates of the United States witness over 500000 truck accidents each year. Thousands of new trucks will be added to the road each year due to the high demand of big business that the trucking industry has become. Down the road you can bet that there will be more stories of tractor trailer accidents that involve near death experiences or sometimes just some unbelievable tales from the road.
About the writer: Nick Johnson is lead counsel with Johnson Law Group. Johnson represents plaintiffs in many states and focuses on injury cases involving FenPhen and PPH Paxil Mesothelioma and Nursing Home Abuse. Call Nick Johnson at 18883115522 or visit http://www.johnsonlawgroup.com
Road Water And Hydroplaning Information And Tips
When we travel by car and are the one doing the driving we know how important it is for our safety and those that are riding with us that we be a cautious as we can be. When the weather is fine that usually is not any problem but when the weather is not cooperating it can be a little tricky and a little dangerous if we are paying close enough attention to what we are doing.
People are causing accidents everywhere these days because a lot of us have started taking our road safety for granted. We can cruise down the interstate doing seventy miles an hour and think nothing of chatting away on our cell phone and even worse trying to text someone eating or any number of other things. We should not try to do these things and drive at the same time when the weather is good much less when it is bad.
We need to remember that it is not just snow or ice that can cause us road problems. Rain is also one of the leading reasons that people have wrecks. It can happen anytime there is enough water on the road to make it a little slick and it does not take that much. Everyone knows that it is wise to slow down when it is raining because you have wipers going rain falling and your view can be obstructed by these things.
Smart drivers know that keeping your tires in good condition and having them balanced correctly are essential for safe driving in any conditions especially rain snow or ice. The thing about standing water on the road is that hydroplaning is a real risk. When you travel at higher speeds your tires are not always making firm contact with the pavement when they are treading over water. This can cause you to slide and possibly lose control of your vehicle. When you apply your brakes quickly in a situation like this it can usually make matters even worse. Never brake forcefully when you are sliding out of control.
The best precaution to avoid hydroplaning is to just slow down when it is raining and water has accumulated on the road. You never know when you could hit an uneven spot in the road and go flying off where you never planned. When you are driving more slowly the likelihood of losing control of your vehicle is not as great.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Rachel Yoshida is a writer of many topics visit some of her sites likeWater Damage and Document Drying.