Unsecured load rips cab off truck - GIF

**Hoosiersmoker** · Mar 2, 2021, 07:15 AM

There are several steel coating and processing plants around here and we see a lot of flatbeds with 4' - 6' diameter rolls of steel. My kids used to ask why they didn't carry more rolls than just one on that big trailer. I showed them an empty flatbed and pointed out the upward curve of the trailer then one that was loaded with one roll and the slight downward curve due to the extreme weight.

One of my childhood friends had a father that hauled roll stock between locations. On his last trip someone pulled out in front of him in a delivery truck. He slammed on the brakes but when he hit the other truck the roll broke loose and rolled the cab flat including both drivers. The only good part was the second truck stopped the roll so no one else died. The laws of physics are suspended for no one.

**IntheGroove** · Mar 2, 2021, 09:36 AM

Steel plates in motion tend to stay in motion. Steel plates at rest tend to stay at rest...

**marksbug** · Mar 2, 2021, 10:21 AM

2 years ago I was hauling some lumber in/on my trailer....wife by my side. stoped at stop light with the rest of the traffic...sat there for about 2 min when the moron behind me hit the lumber on the trailer...again and again and again. with his truck. a 18" lifted pickup truck.pulling a trailer.... the moron could not see what was in front of him and thought his trailer's breaks had locked up......I got out walked back saw his smashed grill & deformed bumper agnist my lumber, went to his door and asked him what the **** he was trying to do or if he wanted to buy my trailer...he looked puzzeled...the guy beside him knew what was going on....I then told him...YOU CANT FIX STUPID, LET HIM DRIVE. the truck was pretty new, and pretty expensive...and pretty effed up.Im gladd had that "head board" on my trailer...it effed it up a bit but not more than 50 cents worth of damage. my load was secure...his load was missing.....

**Crusty** · Mar 2, 2021, 11:23 AM

He's lucky it was plate and went under the cab. Carrying rolls of steel aligned with the trailer is known as hauling suicide because the inertia from a wreck can snap the chains and let the roll come forward over the wheel holder.

**Moldyjim** · Mar 2, 2021, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by Saltfever

The classic scenario is setting an engine on an old tire located at the back, near the tail gate, in a pickup! What could be wrong with that! LOL

Back in the day, the injection mold shop I worked for had the owner's son do deliveries for us.
He loaded up a mold in his pickup, no tie downs. Not a large mold but heavy enough.
Loaded right over the axle, Say 1' x 2' x 2' steel, just under a ton.
Someone in front of him stopped short at a red light.
He claimed he got stopped in time, but heard the mold sliding in the bed.
It slammed into the front of the bed and pushed the truck into the car in front of him.
So he damaged to the front of his nice new truck, and had a damaged bed and cab too.
Papa wasn't happy with him.
The mold was fine though.

**jdurand** · Mar 2, 2021, 06:40 PM

Long ago we had a truck with a polyethylene liner in the bed. Pretty much indestructible but loads loved to slide on it. Made loading/unloading easy and did push the "all loads get tied down" idea on you very quickly.

**mansworld** · Mar 4, 2021, 02:55 PM

The wise trailer driver fabricates his own steel cab guards and stay away from the flimsy aluminum cab guards.

**marksbug** · Mar 4, 2021, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by Moldyjim

Back in the day, the injection mold shop I worked for had the owner's son do deliveries for us.
He loaded up a mold in his pickup, no tie downs. Not a large mold but heavy enough.
Loaded right over the axle, Say 1' x 2' x 2' steel, just under a ton.
Someone in front of him stopped short at a red light.
He claimed he got stopped in time, but heard the mold sliding in the bed.
It slammed into the front of the bed and pushed the truck into the car in front of him.
So he damaged to the front of his nice new truck, and had a damaged bed and cab too.
Papa wasn't happy with him.
The mold was fine though.

iVE MACHINED THOSE MOLDS AND LARGER BEFORE...YUP THERE OH SO HEAVY!!!. and not a lot of fun to handle. there is a lot of stored energy in somthing that heavy.

**Moldyjim** · Mar 4, 2021, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by marksbug

iVE MACHINED THOSE MOLDS AND LARGER BEFORE...YUP THERE OH SO HEAVY!!!. and not a lot of fun to handle. there is a lot of stored energy in somthing that heavy.

Physics rules all!
I think the biggest I worked on was 4' or 5' x 3' x 3' if I remember correctly.
That one made even the BIG forklift grunt.
Each individual plate alone was a job to move.

**marksbug** · Mar 4, 2021, 03:46 PM

yup, thats about the biggest Ive done also. not fun at all.but I learned a lot doing those for injection as well as punch press. I liked doing the small punch press&small injection molds where I wasent skeered of getting squished if something happened...