Lost a load on I-95 near Richmond, now I triple-check every chain before I leave the yard

Had a 30-ton beam shift on me doing 55 mph because one binder wasn't tight enough and it nearly took out a minivan, so what's your pre-trip ritual for checking rigging that I'm probably missing?

2 comments

2 Comments

haydenp951mo ago

Used to just eyeball it until I saw a load shift on video. Now I do a full walkaround tug test on every strap.

spencerl321mo ago

Got a buddy who used to just throw a single ratchet strap over his kayak and call it good, you know, the kind of guy who figures "eh, it'll hold." Then he took a sharp turn and watched that kayak launch off the roof of his truck like a missile into a ditch. Now he's got like six cam buckle straps crisscrossing everything, plus a bow and stern line for good measure. We joke that he spends more time strapping it down than he does actually paddling the thing, but hey, at least his kayak stays put.