I thought I would give a couple "lessons learned" so to speak with these two OD loads I pulled.

The first 2 things were already addressed by "Jumbo", (thanks Jumbo) I needed extendable or portable mirrors as it was extremely difficult to see anything down the sides or behind me because the load was 12' wide. This was something that didn't even occur to me until AFTER the load was on deck. Although not entirely required, I could have used some heavy duty magnets in which to attach my flags to. This would have allowed me to place the flags at each corner of the load and would have been especially useful on that tank load.

The other dumb a$$ thing that never occurred to me until AFTER I was loaded was fuel.......got to ensure you have fuel BEFORE loading. I realized this when I was sitting at the truck stop on the SW side of San Antonio the other day waiting for the restricted hours to be lifted on the 1604 loop. I had enough fuel with just over a 1/4 a tank and only 95 miles to go to the customers front door but thought how dumb it would have been if I needed fuel. I could have just dropped the trailer, bobtailed to the fuel island and then reconnect the trailer. Not a big deal, just an inconvenience.

The last thing I noticed was not really a lesson but kind of interesting. We all "scan", process, and quickly determine what road signs do and do not apply to us, I found myself really analyzing them ALL more closely then ever.

I am grateful that I learned a couple of new things that will be useful in the future and I am always open to learning more. However, learning on the "go" is not too wise in this case as it could quickly turn into a costly lesson. As I think back, I am a little surprised and somewhat disappointed that no training was offered on OD loads when I went through orientation. I think what L.S. should have done was offered the experience guys a refresher type of training mainly to ensure that the driver follows L.S. policy. For the inexperienced like myself, they should have at least gone over some of the basics. Yeah I know that most if not all this info can be found in the FMCSR but with a carrier that claims to haul 75% oversize loads wouldn't it be in their best interest to at least make sure each driver has a basic grasp of hauling these??? Just my opinion.

I welcome any and all tips, suggestions, or "tricks of the trade" anyone has to share on hauling OD's. I know each load will be unique and therefore hard to offer "blanketed" advise, but I just want to limit how much I will learn on the cuff.

 

I always to try to fuel in the morning. And if load is too big I just drop the trailer and bobtail to the pumps. It is a pain in the ass but it beats trying to stop during the day and fuel. As far as any training I dont agree with how it is done. Just throwing you into the deep end of the pool can end badly. But they have loads and are trying to cover them with the trucks in the area. I was told I would only be pulling legal stuff for first month. Yeah right, Second week I was pulling a 10' wide to Arkansas because I was only truck in yard and it had to get there. It worked out but I wasn't really comfortable with it.

 

And you ARE going to learn alot of stuff on the fly. YOU are the one standing there looking at the load and somebody at the other end of a phone line cant see what you are looking at. If I have any questions I ask who loaded me "how do other guys tie this down" They sometimes know and sometimes dont. Another thing I do is when I get parked for the night at a truck stop I take a walk and if I see another over size load I will look at what they have and how they have it tied down. I have picked up some tips just by looking.

 

Yeah I could see what a PITA it would be to drop the trailer just to get fuel and hook back up. Glad I had enough fuel on that last load so I didn't have to worry about it.

And I hear ya' 100% about the training or lack there of.......I kinda got thrown into both OD's I hauled (I could have refused the loads) with ZERO training or experience.....fortunately everything went smooth for me but could see how things could have easily went wrong at the blink of an eye.

When are you going to show me your mirror creations? I searched both Home Depot and Lowes and came up with zilch in regards to magnets. All they had were those 1' wide ones on poles that are used for sweeping across the floor or work bench to pick up nails, screws, etc.....at $15 a piece I passed on them. So my search continues.

 

LMAO :clap::clap::clap::clap: That is so funny....I did exactly that!!! When I loaded those buckets down in Laredo I flat out asked the guy how do others secure them. He not only told me, but showed me, he was very helpful. Also, when I was sitting at the south end of San Antonio the other night, I noticed 2 other trucks with larger single buckets on them, so as I took the dog for a walk I made sure to study their securement and was pleased to see it was not much different from mine.

 

Perhaps you could find some old speakers from an outdated stereo. Old boomers have big magnets on them.

 

Great suggestion!!! You know I never thought about that.....I have a couple of old tower speakers that might have large enough magnets. I'll have to check it out. Thanks

 

The magnets are a killer idea. Try a woodworking tool supply store like Woodcrafters. They sell really strong little rare earth magnets. Also I think a place like Bed Bath & Beyond may have big strong refrigerator magnets. Try these guys too;

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/Search.aspx?c=2&action=

I had my flags on small pieces of angle iron so I could use c-clamps or vise grips to attach them to the load. That wouldn't work on a tank though.

In my experiences with OD loads, it might be a hard thing to teach. The great fun is that each is so different. A few basic concepts, a big dollop of common sense properly seasoned with a dab of caution should get you through most of what you encounter. Experience will make it all much easier.

Asking the shipper or the riggers loading you is an excellent strategy too. Chances are they've dealt with that particular cargo before.

Steve Booth says hello to most of you.

 

I figured that much of it would be "learn as you go" but would really like to limit that type of learning as it could be a costly experience. I have no problem asking a shipper for advice for the exact reason you specified.

As for the magnets, Orangetxguy had an excellent idea and I checked out my old tower speakers. Unfortunately I do not think they would be strong enough. However, I did see that there is a place here in town called "Northern Tool" and based on their website, they have several different types to choose from for very reasonable prices ranging from $2 to $10 each depending on the strength. I am going to head over there later today and check them out.

Update: Went over to Northern Tools and got 4 round magnets (forgot what the diameter was) with 1/4 inch holes in the center and have a 65lb pulling strength rating for $20. Once I add an "eye" bolt to each I'll be good to go :-)

 

I just delivered another OD load to Iuka, MS that I picked up in Schertz, TX. This one was structural steel and was only a permit load because it was 9' 6" wide. It was however the heaviest load I've had with L.S. to date weighing in at just under 44k and therefore my mpg went down . I hauled it on a company trailer and even with 8% less than if it was on my own trailer, it still paid a decent rate and at 800 miles was easy money.

Those magnets for my flags got their maiden voyage and worked perfectly. With a 65lb pull strength they held on flawlessly and were worth ever penny of the $5 a piece I paid for them. I fully intended to take some pics and post them as I know there are at least one or two of you that like to see them, however with my half pea brain working only at half capacity, I forgot to do it.

There is about a 99% chance I will be loading at or near our Memphis, TN terminal tomorrow so I headed in that direction. As I was sitting here at the TA in Denmark, TN I did some calculating and my current rate per mile average in 4 weeks have far exceeded my average at my previous company. I don't want to jinx it, but this along with how things have smoothed out are making me feel real good about making the move here. As we enter the typical slow season, I will be curious to see if I can keep my current revenue average at the same or better. Time will tell.