Secure this load

Brik · September 8, 2017

Okay - Quantity 100 5-gallon buckets with lids. Each is about 18" tall and 12" across the lid. The stack nicely. Contents inside bucket weigh about 20#.

Trailer is a 5'x10' flatbed utility type trailer.

How would you secure 100 buckets to the trailer?

Stacking two high by 5 across and 10 long ways is 100 buckets.

I'm thinking I use some type of wood strapping to make an angle I can put on the outside 'corner' of the pile and then ratchet straps across that strapping. Any better ideas? Should be secure enough for a 1000 mile trek.

I have never really seen cargo netting that big. I cant palletize them for various reasons.

Thoughts?

SouthernSilveradoGuy85 · September 8, 2017

I would put a rope or long ratchet strap around each "layer". So around all of the bottom 50 and another one around the top 50. Then using some bungees or rope maybe even connect the top to the bottom. Then use pallets or a sheet of plywood on top of them all with at least 3 straps going across them. I'm sure you can go to a store that had 2 or 3 pallets they can give you since most throw them out anyways. Or go to a warehouse that uses pallets and may have a bunch stacked up that they can let you have. You can never over do it so better to over rig it and tie down than be lazy and have something fall off while going down the road. Sometimes all it takes is another few minutes to do it right. I used to deliver building materials to construction sites on a 24 1/2' flatbed.

Back in a Bowtie · September 8, 2017

i tend to over do things.... so i would make it basically enclosed. Surround all sides with ply wood. 2x4 ring around the top. then ply across the top. Ratchet the whole thing down.

Back in a Bowtie · September 8, 2017

or to save some materials use a half sheet of plywood for the sides.. 24inches would cover the top bucket and 9 inches of the bottom bucket.

aseibel · September 8, 2017

I would put as many as possible in the back of my truck first of all. Since the bed sides are taller than 1 pail, you can stack 2 high in there and make the trailer load a lot simpler to tie down. Is there a reason you can't do this?

And what the heck do you have in 100 pails that only weighs 20# each? Can't you just dump it all on the trailer and cover with a tarp?

Otherwise, to do what you are suggesting would require a whole bale of twine to secure loose pails. I know the plywood suggestions above are some extra work, but to make a safe load it might be necessary.

NEFisher11 · September 8, 2017

What are doing first off? Transporting it 1000 miles this seems odd.

sdeeter19555 · September 8, 2017

or to save some materials use a half sheet of plywood for the sides.. 24inches would cover the top bucket and 9 inches of the bottom bucket.

trailer.png

This...

For 1000 miles, things can work loose. You don't even want to think about something coming loose at night...

To be truthful, a single piece of plywood over the top, then snugged down with three or four straps would probably lock them all together. The main thing I'd pulling straight down on them to keep them from "unlocking".

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

SouthernSilveradoGuy85 · September 9, 2017

snugged down with three or four straps would probably lock them all together. The main thing I'd pulling straight down on them to keep them from "unlocking".

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

After delivering building materials on a flatbed I've learned not to go off of "probably" or "hopefully. Especially for a 100 mile trip, I would do things that made damn sure nothing would move or fall off.

Oh and I forgot to mention, especially if you us new straps, to check all of the straps and whatever else is used to secure every 150 miles or 3 hours. That's the general rule for a commercial truck so I do the same with a pickup. New straps will stretch, and it doesn't take a whole lot to make a load shift so also keep an eye on the straps with your mirrors. You should have the straps tight enough to where they won't move around in the wind. If you see any movement then tighten it down some more.

sdeeter19555 · September 9, 2017

After delivering building materials on a flatbed I've learned not to go off of "probably" or "hopefully. Especially for a 100 mile trip, I would do things that made damn sure nothing would move or fall off.

Oh and I forgot to mention, especially if you us new straps, to check all of the straps and whatever else is used to secure every 150 miles or 3 hours. That's the general rule for a commercial truck so I do the same with a pickup. New straps will stretch, and it doesn't take a whole lot to make a load shift so also keep an eye on the straps with your mirrors. You should have the straps tight enough to where they won't move around in the wind. If you see any movement then tighten it down some more.

You should know what the who your berating does before you start...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk