California lowbed guys....dealing with the CHP

[Chaz Murray]

Over the last few weeks we have been hearing of people having problems with the CHP stopping people for chaining down loads through the holes on the side of the trailer. They have been telling people they need to be chained to a rated attachment point IE: D-ring or other type of attachment. This is not true and there is no law on the books that mentions anything about this according to the California Trucking Assn. If anyone has been ticketed for that specific problem please let me know. I would like to forward a copy of it to the C.T.A.

 

[MKTEF]

Generaly it seem to me that u have the same rules over there as here...

Here it's nothing saying u need to tie to a D-ring.
But law says all parts of the securing must be sertified for their load.

Thats logical, there is no use in a sertified binder and chains, if u connect them to points not sertified.(and maybe not dimentioned for that load)

Trailer producers here in Norway has to write a sertificate documenting that the tiedown spots, their welds and their construction are sertified to a given strength and direction.(and its smart to be shure they hold that load)
That sertificate must be presented to the DOT at first time of registration and a copy taken with u when on the road.
A D-ring is in many cases a much easier hardware to document the strength on than a hole in the trailer....
U get a sertificate with the ring, and if its welded acording to instructions, its ready to go for the rated load and directions.

I bet this is what the CHP is pressing on your trailer users.

In the other end, the spots on the equipment must have the same documentation, but thats another discussion...And many big producers have a way to go on that...:cool2

 

[tonka]

wow what a crock, cali needs $$$$ and this is how they go about it......

 

[Dualie]

SO chaz are you going to be handing out W.L.L. stickers for the frame holes? If so put me down for a professionals worth.

with you guys using T-1 steel is it safe to assume that I will by far exceed the rating of a G-100 grab hook before I tear the 110,000 PSI steel?


The only time i have been hassled was with of all things a small 6K forklift. he was trying to claim that my 2 chains 4 binders with slack in the middle wasnt a "legal 4 point tiedown"

i said if ANY one of the loaded chain segments brakes their is 3 more holding the weight how is that NOT a 4 point tiedown?

 

[Chaz Murray]

SO chaz are you going to be handing out W.L.L. stickers for the frame holes? If so put me down for a professionals worth.

with you guys using T-1 steel is it safe to assume that I will by far exceed the rating of a G-100 grab hook before I tear the 110,000 PSI steel?


The only time i have been hassled was with of all things a small 6K forklift. he was trying to claim that my 2 chains 4 binders with slack in the middle wasnt a "legal 4 point tiedown"

i said if ANY one of the loaded chain segments brakes their is 3 more holding the weight how is that NOT a 4 point tiedown?

They are in the process of being printed now...should be a couple weeks. Our trucks have been busted for the same thing you are talkin about...one chain with slack between...CHP is such a PITA...they seem to make up the rules as they go and dont enforce the ones that are actully on the books

You have nothing to worry about...you will break a 1/2 chain before you rip out a hole on the side of the trailer

 

[Dualie]

They are in the process of being printed now...should be a couple weeks. Our trucks have been busted for the same thing you are talkin about...one chain with slack between...CHP is such a PITA...they seem to make up the rules as they go and dont enforce the ones that are actully on the books

You have nothing to worry about...you will break a 1/2 chain before you rip out a hole on the side of the trailer

IM not mad at them for singling us out. I am mad at them for letting these beat down trucks with visible defects roll thought without a second look

 

[RollOver Pete]

Over the last few weeks we have been hearing of people having problems with the CHP stopping people for chaining down loads through the holes on the side of the trailer. They have been telling people they need to be chained to a rated attachment point IE: D-ring or other type of attachment. This is not true and there is no law on the books that mentions anything about this according to the California Trucking Assn. If anyone has been ticketed for that specific problem please let me know. I would like to forward a copy of it to the C.T.A.

There needs to be some kind of veh. code written in black and white that clearly states what is acceptable as an attachment point.
I'm sure I'll be running into this mess soon.
And when I get stopped, I'll politely ask the nice officer to show me the code, rule, law or what ever it is.
If he can't, then I'll ask him if there's anything else I could do for him.
By this time, he'll more than likely have an attitude.
My response will be to smother him with kindness while baffling him with insults and questions that he'll not likely have an answer for.
Throw in a few "I don't understand" and "could you please explain to me what it is that you are talking about" questions.


Oh.....
I just love my job.....

 

[bear]

You get 'em ROP! That's the way to do it for sure.

 

[Dualie]

There needs to be some kind of veh. code written in black and white that clearly states what is acceptable as an attachment point.
I'm sure I'll be running into this mess soon.
And when I get stopped, I'll politely ask the nice officer to show me the code, rule, law or what ever it is.
If he can't, then I'll ask him if there's anything else I could do for him.
By this time, he'll more than likely have an attitude.
My response will be to smother him with kindness while baffling him with insults and questions that he'll not likely have an answer for.
Throw in a few "I don't understand" and "could you please explain to me what it is that you are talking about" questions.


Oh.....
I just love my job.....

thats the best idea i have heard as of yet.

The funny thing is they wonder why we just run the coupe's all together?

 

[RollOver Pete]

thats the best idea i have heard as of yet.

The funny thing is they wonder why we just run the coupe's all together?

Wonder?
Nothing to wonder about.
See here for yourself


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy-1APuqzhM

 

[Dualie]

ha that's the reason i brought up scale house runnin.

I don't run the lowbed that way often but every time I have the line was out the front door fowling up the traffic in the right lane for 3/4's of a mile. I said Fark it and hit the number 3 lane and put the hammer down.

11'6 wide and 13' 11 tall said the hell with it and went on by. another coupe I run often is cordelia. I just find a nice reefer or intermodal container hauler to use as a nice blind as I stroll on by...

I have special ugh hurm bah huuurrm "permit" routes that i run every now and again.

 

[qball]

rop. stickin' it to the man. love it. stay golden.

 

[RollOver Pete]

rop. stickin' it to the man. love it. stay golden.

Thanks qball :drinkup
I don't know about stickin' it to the man?
I mean, we both have jobs to do.
I like to think as myself as a professional at whatever it is that I'm doing.
I take pride in my work, I look out for the owners best interest, and always try to make due with what I have.
That said, I've been doing this for a while.
I know what works and what doesnt work.
Now,
I'm suppose to let someone who hasn't the foggiest bit of a clue as to what he's talking about tell me how to do my job?
Unfortunately, yes.
Since I don't write tickets or legally carry a gun I have no choice but to remain lower on the food chain than the nice officer who thinks hes above me and knows more about what I'm doing than I do.
As long as the one in control doesn't feel threatened by me, things will go just fine for him.... to a point.
I'll treat him with the same respect that I receive.
I've been this route many times before.
The outcome has seldom been good for me.
You treat me like a criminal,
Then I might just act like one.
Some way, some how, I've always gotten by

 

[PSDF350]

I'll treat him with the same respect that I receive.
I've been this route many times before.
The outcome has seldom been good for me.
You treat me like a criminal,
Then I might just act like one.

Pete couldn't agree more. Except I like to say treat me like a dog i'll **** on your leg. Metaphorically speaking of course

 

[surfer-joe]

I remember running into this in California about eight years ago, our lobed was stopped and the fuzz made the same arguement about having to have load rated and certified tie-down points. We took that citation into court and got it thrown out simply because, at that time, there was no regulation for it anywhere and we were simply following "industry standard practice." The judge saw the reasoning behind that and reminded the officer that just because he thought trailers needed certified tie-downs, didn't make it so.

On the other hand, I'd like to have a buck for every twisted, torn out piece of trailer framing I've seen caused by a chain and boomer being over tightened or being ripped out. I could probably fly down and buy ole Squizzy a beer or three and then fly home with cash to spare. Some drivers just don't have a clue when it comes to tying down heavy iron.

 

[RollOver Pete]

I wonder what kind of lecture I'll get for not having any D rings or stake pockets?
Just wedge a hook into the "V" and crank her down

 

[MKTEF]

On the other hand, I'd like to have a buck for every twisted, torn out piece of trailer framing I've seen caused by a chain and boomer being over tightened or being ripped out.

Normally u wont be able to apply the same force trough the tightening device as the chain/device is rated for...

So if u are able to tear out peaces/bend/destroy something, you certainly have connected the chain to a spot not dimensioned for the load.
And this is the fact that the CHP is addressing in their controls.

But if you are transporting a wheeled load, especially if it has springs on, and u mount your lashings wrong, there can be tremendous forces on the lashing when u brake and the load move/springs get uncompress.

I've seen chain lashings rated for 32000Lbs been snapped of in a emergency brake with a 109 Haubitser as a load.
Springs on it got compressed in the braking and the chains where snapped when the vehicle jumped back/up as the truck stopped.:cool2

The direction of your lashings is very important when u deal with wheeled load.
In these cases u might be able to destroy lashing points, but your chain is supposed to give way first....

 

[Dualie]

On my old trail king i always had to loop the chain through the pocket and back onto itself. It was a small pita but never let me down.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

I have never had any problems with my Murray tearing out pockets, but on my older Cozad, I had at least 4 pockets torn out. Most of them courtesy of a 988 loader with no park brake.

 

[Dualie]

yea those wheel loaders you had to chain tight. IF their was on inch of slack in one chain it was going to bang around till something broke.


I could rip the holles in the side of my cozad if i got the right hair up my rear and the truck was stuck but thats a different story all together