A dispatcher's comment about my tie-down knots got me rethinking everything

Last month I shipped a 1972 Chevelle from Phoenix to Tulsa. I had it strapped down the way I always do, four ratchet straps, crossed in the back. The driver took one look and said, 'You're gonna lose that bumper if you keep the hooks on the frame lip like that.' I thought he was being picky, but he showed me how the weight shifts during braking on an open trailer. He had me reroute the front straps through the control arm mounts instead, and use rubber pads where the straps crossed the fender edges. It took an extra 20 minutes, and honestly I felt a little dumb for never thinking about it. That trip had a sudden stop near Flagstaff and the car didn't budge an inch. Since then I've been asking every driver I meet for their own loading tips. Has anyone else had a carrier point out a flaw in your setup that you'd never noticed before?

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wendy_murphy1621d ago

Funny you mention that, because I once had a tow truck guy point out that my spare tire was holding my trailer hitch together. I thought it was a clever fix, turns out it was a fire hazard waiting to happen. Now I just ask them to double check everything before I pull out, saves me from my own "creative" solutions.