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Is this an acceptable way to bind.

Ford LT-9000

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The officer that gave you the fine doesn't show up 90% of the time so the ticket gets revoked. One of my cousins is in the court systems she always says if you don't feel a ticket is right contest it. You need to use common sense when contesting a ticket or a fine because if you know it was grossly illegal then you get what you got.

The only thing you can not contest is a notice of inspection if the DOT finds a mechanical problem with your truck they will make you go have it repaired. If the problem is serious enough they take your license plates off your truck and the truck is condemed on the spot. A leaking or dripping steering box is one of them if the DOT officer feels its dripping too much your truck is pulled out of service. Call in a heavy tow truck your getting pulled off the road and your bank account is going to take a hit.

The two trucks that will get away with the DOT is garbage trucks and honey wagons the DOT officers will rarely crawl under either one of those trucks. If its raining you won't see the DOT doing roadside inspections or if its frosty and cold. I have to laugh about the inspector that does school busses he is so overweight he can't get on the floor on a creeper.
 
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atgreene

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Nov 30, 2005
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508
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Sebago, Maine
The first time I ever got checked was on a causeway in a neighboring town. Wind was comeing off the lake on a 20 degree November morning. DOT guy told me to get a sticker on the trailer, up my regitered weight and drive careful. He was shaking so bad I almost asked him if he wanted to get in the cab while he went over the paperwork.

Sometimes you get lucky by showing up at court, but I firmly belive that a good attitude when dealing with them beside the road will get you further.
 

Ford LT-9000

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The first thing I was told about dealing with the DOT is never pizz them off when they pull you over be nice. If you have a vehical with hydraulic brakes the first thing they ask you do to is put the emergency brake on leave the transmission in neutral and get out of the vehical. If the emergency brake doesn't work you better have a crying towel because they start searching.

The DOT knows the most neglected item is the E brake now its well that doesn't work lets start looking. If your truck looks clean and doesn't look like a wreck they usually be pretty easy.

Right now my truck is illegal because my license plates are on the wrong end of the truck. The plate without the sticker is supposed to be on the back and the one with the sticker on the front. My truck is over 12,000lb gvw that is a 288 dollar fine and any RCMP can give me that fine. If you don't have a license plate light thats 196 dollar fine if your license plates are dirty another 196 dollars each. I get in the habit of getting the windex out and washing the license plates.

The big thing the RCMP or DOT catches contractors or regular citizens on is if you change the color or body on your truck and don't change the registration you get a 109 dollar fine. Say your truck is a flatdeck and you made it dump the registration has to say the dump truck.
 

Countryboy

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Load Out Tech. / Heavy Equipment Operator / Locomo
I get in the habit of getting the windex out and washing the license plates.

So now you have clean license plates that are in the wrong spot :rolleyes: . Why not skip a cleaning and move them to the right spot? :pointhead
 

Ford LT-9000

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I haven't had a chance the dealer put them on the wrong end of the truck when I bought it last week. I will probably do it tommorow and go see the sign company about getting my name put on the truck they do laser cut vinyl lettering.

The RCMP is more interested in speeders right now than getting after commercial trucks. The max speed limit throughout the area is 60km/h 37 mph. If you get caught doing 10km/h 6 mph over the limit you get a 138 dollar fine then if your doing over 21km/h 13mph over you get a 196 dollar fine.
 

Squizzy246B

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Perth, Western Australia
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Digger Driver
This aussie publication gives some advice re-lashing over the tracks:

Open the PDF from the link and scroll down to pages 156 to 161. The page numbers are in the blue strip down the left or right of the page.

The information contained in that section appears clear enough but seems to contradict some from earlier in the publication. It always seems an average numbskull like me has to read it about 7 times to get the info in:Banghead

http://www.ntc.gov.au/FileView.aspx?page=A02206503300790020
 

Grader4me

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Jan 11, 2006
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New Brunswick, Canada
Tracks as anchor points

Squizzy, your requlations are very clear in regards to using tracks as anchor points and very clear about running the chain over the track. Ours don't specifiy that at all. So we can use tracks as anchor points, but we cannot run a chain(one side to another) over the tracks.
I am a little surprised that you can run two chains into one anchor point. Our regulations are not completely clear on this issue, but from my understanding, I don't think that we can, so I think I will do a double check on this.
 
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Squizzy246B

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Squizzy, your requlations are very clear in regards to using tracks as anchor points and very clear about running the chain over the track. Ours don't specifiy that at all. So we can use tracks as anchor points, but we cannot run a chain over the tracks.
I am a little surprised that you can run two chains into one anchor point. Our regulations are not completely clear on this issue, but from my understanding, I don't think that we can, so I think I will do a double check on this.

They are not too badly written but (re; the one point thingy) you have to go back to the start on what loads can be applied, tensions etc...so it depends on the weight of the machine and the strength of the securing point. As long as the point is up to the combined loads its OK. Pretty obviously most towing points are going to be up to the job....less you got a 30 foot long cheater bar hanging off the tensioner. What is the no no is where the chain is run through from one side to the other without a shackle, so the machine can still move sideways.
 

Grader4me

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They are not too badly written but (re; the one point thingy) you have to go back to the start on what loads can be applied, tensions etc...so it depends on the weight of the machine and the strength of the securing point. As long as the point is up to the combined loads its OK. Pretty obviously most towing points are going to be up to the job....less you got a 30 foot long cheater bar hanging off the tensioner. What is the no no is where the chain is run through from one side to the other without a shackle, so the machine can still move sideways.

Your right about the towing point being strong enough. Here is what really gets me...In our regulations they talk about having the proper chains, tightners, having the correct WLL on the chains and tightners, make sure that you have all the calulations done properly so that you are in compliance.

There is no specifications on the strength or construction of your anchor points! What good is it to have all of the proper and legal tie downs etc. and your anchor points are iffy?:beatsme
 

Squizzy246B

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Your right about the towing point being strong enough. Here is what really gets me...In our regulations they talk about having the proper chains, tightners, having the correct WLL on the chains and tightners, make sure that you have all the calulations done properly so that you are in compliance.

There is no specifications on the strength or construction of your anchor points! What good is it to have all of the proper and legal tie downs etc. and your anchor points are iffy?:beatsme

Well, this is a cop out but: Not withstanding the fact that a machine bound on the tracks can still roll forward or backward and losen the bindings; if you refer to the operators manual and use the manu'f tie down points then I think you can safely assume they are up to the job.

I have a problem here with all the uncertified/unstamped gear coming into the country. I refer mainly to shackles.....you can get anything you like stamped on a shackle in China...just as you can tyres.

I have tie down points on my big trailer and I know these were inadequate when I bought the trailer (so I beefed them up). DOT man checked all my chain, shackles and D-rings but didn't stick his head under the tray to see if the attachment points were adequate.

At the end of the day its not as a precise science as we would like to think it is...and if it gets anymore regulated and complicated a numbskull like me wont know what the hell to do.

The marine guys have this issue well covered...if you ever get the chance try and get your hands on a merchant ship's "Cargo Securing Manual" or if you get really keen look for LASHING AND SECURING OF DECK CARGOES
By Captain JR Knott, FNI ISBN: 1 870077 18 0

Note author's name:rolleyes:
 

Grader4me

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I have tie down points on my big trailer and I know these were inadequate when I bought the trailer (so I beefed them up). DOT man checked all my chain, shackles and D-rings but didn't stick his head under the tray to see if the attachment points were adequate.
:

I should have clarified a bit better. These are the anchor points that I am refering to. The ones on the equipment that are built to the manufacturers specifications would be fine.
 

Ford LT-9000

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Thats funny that contractors like Squizzy are not allowed to hook to the tracks of a machine. Then you look at the pictures on the link Squizzy posted looks like the chains are raked back quite far. Any time I or the other contractors I work with strap down a excavator the chains are closer to the tracks.

Excavators are the easiest thing to strap down the worst is rubber tired backhoes, wheel loaders and articulated trucks.
 

richardcatdaddy

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subject.

Your boomers look good,if you chain your boom you can move it okay,I add one more chain.The tie down points under the rear of the machine will let you chain from one more point.As far as rubber tire backhoes go.Two tie down points are on the front of most hoes,I chain pulling to the front on each side then move to the rear.On the Cat hoes beside the pivot point on the rear boomis 2 more tie down points,I cross chain there pulling to the rear.I also lay down the boom as low as I can on the trailer and then chain it also.DOT says one chain,strap or binder every ten feet.Chaining like that will satisify that requirement.I have never had a problem crossing the scales with a backhoe secured in that manner.:usa
 

LowBoy

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Cross-chaining acceptable;Cross-dressing...not good.

Here's a shot or 2 of "this week's DOT/FMCSR acceptable way to bind a track machine," provided you use acceptable rated chains and binders, and enough of them. This TimberKing feller buncher weighed 64,000 lbs. I threw a chain over the dipper, and 2 over the cutting head to make sure I was OK crossing Virginia scales, headed to IronMart in Lexington, SC from Hopkinton, NH. ScaleMaster commended my efforts, and that's all that counts...:notworthy
 

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thejdman04

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Illinois
Here's a shot or 2 of "this week's DOT/FMCSR acceptable way to bind a track machine," provided you use acceptable rated chains and binders, and enough of them. This TimberKing feller buncher weighed 64,000 lbs. I threw a chain over the dipper, and 2 over the cutting head to make sure I was OK crossing Virginia scales, headed to IronMart in Lexington, SC from Hopkinton, NH. ScaleMaster commended my efforts, and that's all that counts...:notworthy

That is the way to do it. I guarentee you can chain it down properly in the time it takes for ad ot man to write you a ticket or the tiem it takes to lift it back on the trailer when it falls off
 

LowBoy

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I agree...

You said a mouthful there, jdman. The concept is too simple...secure it so it's safe, and go along with no worries.

I have (even recently,) been in a little bit of a pucker and to save 2 minutes, I've jumped in the truck and headed off with minimal chains. Within a couple of miles, however, my conscience starts to bother me and I'm stopped again putting the RIGHT amount of stuff on. The time savings was "ZERO. NONE. NADA." Had to do it again anyways. As the old saying sometimes applies..."Never have time to do it right, always have time to do it over..." I try not to apply that adage very often if possible.

I had a 725 Cat articulated dumptruck on recently that I had four 1/2" "man-killer" chains and binders on, 4 point contact, pulling opposite each other. It still felt a little "spongy" as I was moving, so I stopped again and threw one more 3/8" chain across the articulating pin area. That solidified the rocking sensation completely, and from there on out it was,"Get outa the way...madman on the loose...":guns
 

Ford LT-9000

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Wow thats more chains than what we put on bunchers here even 300 excavators get 4 chains on the tracks and one over the dipper. The lowbeds here are a little wider pretty rare swing outs and planks are used.

Over chaining is better than arguing with some DOT guy on a power trip who prolly never run a piece of heavy equipment in he or she's life.
 

RollOver Pete

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Loosing a load on a freeway has a way of changing the way a driver does things.
I learned this the hard way at the young age of 18. :rolleyes:
Lucky for me, no one was hurt and I was able to drive/drag the load off the freeway, down the frontage road and right into Johnson Tractor in Riverside.

Some smooth talking and some cash scored me a forklift to undo what should have never happened had I taken the time to look things over. :professor

Now, weather I'm hauling equipment, pulling a flatbed or anything that has to do with securing a load, I chain it down then chain it down some more.
:exactly

I'll never take a load of anything that has been tied down by someone else.

In fact, I wont visit, talk, accept help or have anything to do with anyone while I'm securing a load.

Many people get by with 99%
But its the 1% that you overlooked that could change your life for ever. :my2c
:cool2
 
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