i tried pliers and the hooks were too strong for them. for me it was much easier to bend them with a hammer: 2 hits and you're done. i used the flat part of the winch bar as a mini-worktable.

 

yes you must use the oversize load sign in the usa, NOT the D. But you must use the D in quebec.
in ontario and the rest of the canada i think either oversize or the D is fine.

you need some corner board edge protectors for your straps.

the look like two small peices of plywood fastened together with two shirt pieces of old strap.
i always used them on brick or stone or steel or cement, anything that can cut your straps.

you can also buy the small plastic edge protectors as well.

if you haul alot of brick and stone, you could get special brick sideboards that cover the side of the skid and stop any peices from working loose and falling off, otherwise its usually a good idea to tarp bricks or stone on skids.

 

i know the ones you mean ... mackinnon - the company i'm leased to - uses these wooden edge protectors on all their flatbed trailers. i have bought plastic edge protectors from tarp stop in gary, in. will use them from now on. they take less space and weigh less than the wooden ones.

 

Yes, one chain in front strap in rear. I find it works best.

 

if you ever need edge protectors for shingles, 1/2 inch plywood with old straps holding them together, 3' long, i have aboiut 20 of them I bought with the truck, and don't need them... lmk In CT btw...

cheers, and keep the shiny side up

 

thanks, i just bought a bunch of new plastic edge protectors from tarp stop.

 

The restrains that prevent the machine from moving forward should have the combined load rating equal to 80% of the machine's weight. Since one machine weighed 14,000 lbs just one chain or one strap in the back wouldn't be enough. 14,000 x 0.8 = 11,200 (2 chains or 2 straps are needed).

Also, on this particular loader the rear axle housings are uneven and are located real close to the tire, with the rest of the axle hidden inside the machine. The crane holes in fenders are too small for a strap ... There was a thingie with 2 eyes in the back where you can put a big pin, but I didn't have any pins

By the way, on the way to the delivery place I stopped by a CAT dealer and picked up a can of their yellow paint. It fitted the color of the loader to a t. I used it to cover a few minor scratches made by my chains... The guy who signed the paperwork for the loaders was quite happy with the condition of the machines.

 

Heavy equipment dealers are usually not as picky about a few scratches where chains are secured as car dealers. I always try to be careful, but it is difficult to not have any scratches when using chains. You might get some carpet or material to use between the equipment and chains.

 

next time if I'm not sure how to strap it while minimizing damage to the paint, I'll just call the consignee and ask them how they want me to secure it (and get the name of the person on the phone).

 

September 8th, 2009

I got up at 6 am and drove 10 miles west to Cambridge CAT (Ontario, Canada) to pick up a spray can of yellow paint. As I expected because I had my truck serviced there quite a few times, CAT guys gave me the paint for free. I sprayed the scratches on the loaders (the color was a total match) and headed back west to Brampton, where I unloaded the machines at an equipment rental place. I didn't run into any trouble with the receiver and unloading went pretty smoothly except for one moment when I was backing this articulated loader and its left rear wheel was suddenly halfway on the guard rail! After wiggling the tail of the 14,000 lb beast for some 5 minutes I managed to put her straight without plunging 3 feet to the ground below.

I sent in the "load delivered" message around 9:30 am via my satellite and Dispatch wrote back telling me "to grab a coffee" and that "we're working on a load for you." Fast forward to 4 pm: I'm still waiting and Dispatch ignores my "check-in" messages. I try my cell and Verizon Wireless is quick to inform me that "there's no signal". I'm in a huge urban area (Mississauga) just west of Toronto, and there's no signal! I'm thinking it might be because of the nearby airport.... So, I move the truck and try again. This time, Verizon doesn't complain and I'm connected to Cindy, my dispatcher. Turns out that satellite was out since 1 pm and though there's nothing for me for today they have planned me to load tomorrow at 0800 in a small town east of Toronto called Pickering, with delivery somewhere to Indiana. The traffic in the morning thru Toronto is murder so I stay put in Mississauga at a Petro_Pass Cardlock station ... My home terminal is 40 miles WEST and it's rush hour so there's no point going back to the yard.

What do truckers do when they wait for a load? In my case, I:

- did my books for August: I have a master spreadsheet for 12 months and most popular categories of expenses; as soon as I put in the numbers for the month the spreadsheet shows me the totals on the far right for all the months in the year; I made it in my favorite OpenOffice program which is free and does everything you can do with Microsoft Office (go to OpenOffice.org - The Free and Open Productivity Suite to learn more and download)
- sent in my GST return by Internet (to get a refund for the sales tax I paid on truck related purchases)
- drove over to an International dealer and got my air tank leak finally fixed (the fitting was loose even though I have already had it changed twice); the mechanic took the fitting out, cleaned the rust in the tank, and then used sealant to seal the fitting inside; it worked but he said if I get an air leak in the same spot again, I'll need to replace the $200 air tank
-did some shopping at Traction Heavy Truck Parts Mississauga; I bought 2 more chain binders and 1 20' 5/16" chain (now I have 10 of both); a can of Termin8or (I'm going to spray my ECM on the engine and all the wires that are exposed to the elements under the hood); and - last but not least - 2 battery-operated wide load lights with magnets (see the pic). Now I'll have at least 2 lights at the back of the trailer if I do OD again. I'm still looking for a cost-effective setup for the roof of the truck. Traction had some stationary lights but each was close to 100 bucks. I think I saw them cheaper on the Net.

After I parked at Petro-Pass I took out my folding bike and rode a few times around the block and then to a nearby gas station to get some snacks. Yesterday I rented 3 movies at a Rogers Video Rental in Guelph. I watched 2 yesterday on my laptop ("No Country for Old Men" and "Rescue Dawn") and the "feature presentation" for tonight is "Logan's War" with Chuck Norris. OK, where's my pistachios?