A few words on big trucks...

[STEPPENWOLF]

I know I wouldn't wanna sling those heavy tarps around in the rain,snow or windy days.Train watching monday and next store they unload lowboys,it takes ten minutes to unload and 45 minutes to an hour to fold tarps and roll up the straps.You can keep the flatbeds.
Tankers were nice once you got used to a moving load and learned how to shift with the load going forward and not to the rear...easy way to rip out a crank shaft.
Plus you are still sloshing at stop signs and lites:-) You don't have to back into docks ya just need to get close enough for the hose to reach.

[dbeardslee]

I know I wouldn't wanna sling those heavy tarps around in the rain,snow or windy days.Train watching monday and next store they unload lowboys,it takes ten minutes to unload and 45 minutes to an hour to fold tarps and roll up the straps.You can keep the flatbeds.

They've got their good points and bad points. The best thing about them is you always know how your load is secured.

We used to pick up 5K pound rolls of paper in Illinois that was used on drywall making machines and haul it to the Lafarge gypsum plant in Silver Grove. They gave you these things called saddles, which were basically three inch strips of 1/4" plywood with what amounted to door stops on both ends. You'd put two saddles under the front and rear rolls, and one saddle under the ones in the middle, and put two 5K pound straps over the front and rear rolls and one 5K strap over the ones in the middle.

You have to picture what these rolls look like - they're taller than I am, and when you get them all put together it looks like a giant hotdog on your wagon. I was never real crazy about only putting one strap over the middle rolls, but you only carry so many straps in a truck. Once when I was picking up there I saw a guy loading a dry van, so I asked him how he secured the rolls. He said "Oh, we nail the saddles down." He evidently thought that made it safe. I just walked away shaking my head.

But you're right - there's an awful lot of work to running a flatbed.

[STEPPENWOLF]

They are nice. I met a guy that had a huge sleeper like that. And, his wife and son that lived in it with him OTR. TV, fridge, bathroom, kitchen......basically a real nice camper.

Think the blue one had a bowling alley and swimming pool in there somewhere.

[Prisoner6]

Think the blue one had a bowling alley and swimming pool in there somewhere.

Or maybe even a racquetball court ...

[STEPPENWOLF]

Saw this bad boy today,he couldn't make the turn out of the lot so after three tries I went to him and told him how to get out of there.


And then when I was out meandering around I saw this Coke truck,hate to think of what happened.

[tomcos67]

Forget about not only not being able to get out of parking lots.How about when they don't no where they are? When exiting the nys thruway in my town .Things get confusing fast per some riddlious road planning.Thus using the wrong GPS, will make you turn prematurely and ending up in residential neighborhood.Long story short, friend ended up with double tractor trailer going down dead end street!!Ripping power power lines from his house. first house on street.??And many other stories as well.And no one will post a sign .