I just woke up and we are all pretty much boxed in. I think I could make my way out but I think I would get stuck in the process. It looks like everyone piled in last night and all bets were off with regards to legal parking. It's still snowing and blowing pretty good.

Not much TV around here. I watched My Three Sons, The Facts of Life and Little House on the Prairie last night...Geez.

The load I have is 7' tall and I have 2 8' drop tarps with 3 rows of D rings. The tarps are 27' long so plenty of overlap. I started from the back then did the front. I rolled up the extra 1 foot then bungee. I don't see how much different or better I could get at doing this particular load. The front and back are sealed pretty good like a Christmas package.

My theory is that it's those 1/4" J channels on the floor of the trailer. Here is a picture and on either side of those red strips is the channel. It's open to the ground from there and a place for the air to come up. I think most flatbeds don't have this and this is an option for some sliding hooks. The billowing is happening all down both sides so it's not like just one place.

I'm thinking about buying some of that expanding caulking if I can get some before I get home and crawl under the trailer and seal the channel as an experiment while I'm tarped up. Another option after I'm unloaded is to nail down some thin Masonite.

This has to be the only thing. When I walk down the sides and check everything is really tight.

 

Shouldn't that have been written....."bring a new trailer home home" lol

I'm curious also. When you bring it home where do you stay? In your truck or the house?

 

I would but I used all my straps for the load. It's an odd stack of random hardwood so I secured it as best I could. It's almost like I want to run a rope around the middle of the whole load.

 

You might think about getting some 2" hand ratchet straps to use on the tarps. I have bought them on sale for as little as $10. They can sell for around $20 each. You can also buy some 3 of 4 inch hand ratchet straps. Those can run as much as $39 each. I like the had ratchets. They work well for some loads I haul on my step deck. I have about 10 of them. I also have about 13 of the 2" ratchet straps in addition to those on the trailer. If you only use them to throw over your tarps, they are quick to use.

 

[quote="SteveBooth"]You must have me confused from someone from New Hampshire.

BTW, don't quit your day job. LOL

 

[quote="rank"]Oh no, I already did!!!

LOL

 

If you are standing in the trailer can you see the ground thru those channels? I don't think they are open, of course I'm not positive as my Transcraft doesn't have anything like that at all.

As far as nailing down anything on the trailer, first time they have to "slide" something on whatever you nail down will be gone.

Also don't be afraid to stretch those bungees either, if they are not tight they will stretch and that will cause the tarp to billow.

Don't be afraid to use rope either, rope WON'T stretch like the bungees will.

I ALWAYS put a 2" strap on the front and another one where the 2 tarps meet to help keep everything down.

Besides the 12 winches on the side of the trailer, I have 5- 3" ratchet straps and 5- 2" ratchet straps....can NEVER have too many straps.

 

Had enough of driving today. I put on all my snow gear and walked around this morning and found I was probably the only person who could get out and I did. Everyone else was either boxed in or 4 foot snow drifts blocking them. I headed out and did pretty much 30 to 40 all day. I've never seen so many jackknifed rigs and cars in my life. Probably the worst conditions to drive in to date for me. Once I was on the highway I was pretty much committed with no place else to go.

The only break I got was after a toll booth and being able to pull over to make coffee and check my load. A few straps were loose.

I went by tons of trucks that had just crashed but didn't see a single one actually happen. I led the way for probably 4 hours at one point with a line of trucks that went back as far as you could see. They could have passed and I asked if I was going to slow and they were all non stop telling me lead and that I was the one keeping everyone sane. Good conversations once again and everyone in a good mood.

Every single truckstop exit, service center and rest area was jammed up with all the trucks either stuck inside, on the entry ramp or exit ramp. I don't think Ohio has many snow plows.

I'm in a truckstop just over the PA line and there must be 20 trucks stuck in the snow trying to get out since this morning. Other trucks are trying to pull them out. I've already seen to trucks just rip the ICC bumpers off other trucks. If they can't gently pull them out, they back up getting a running start and that's that, goodbye bumper.

I already talked to 2 flatbed drivers who have there own authority and they looked at my tarp job and said it was a real good job, tight and secure. They figure the same as I did that the trailer is letting a ton of air up from underneath causing the billowing. The tarp isn't going anywhere but it bugs me to see it in the mirrors.

Here's a few pictures from today.

 

Don' laugh but this shovel has gotten me out of a few jams.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=297540

 

Nope, I won't laugh because I think I'm going to trade in my plastic snow shovel for something like that. The times people have need a shovel is when they are stuck with big humps of ice and that would work great too hack away at it.