TIE DOWN YOUR LOAD !!!

[Arky217]

I was going about 50 mph on a dual lane highway this morning when a pickup passed by me in the left lane. The pickup was towing a small trailer with a UTV on it.

After it got about 100 feet in front of me, the highway begin to go uphill. Almost as if in slow motion, the UTV begin to roll off the back of the trailer. I braked and pulled over on the shoulder and stopped.

The UTV back tires came off, then the front at which point the right front tire of the UTV blew out. It rolled into the right lane, then onto the shoulder, on into the ditch and finally into a field beyond the ditch, it's front wheels wobbling back and forth all the time.

Unbelievably, it stayed upright the entire time.

How fortunate the truck driver was that there was no other traffic behind us.

I could see no evidence of chains or straps on the trailer. I'm thinking that perhaps he had the UTV's parking brake on only, it that.:confused2:

If I hadn't noticed it until after the UTV had left the trailer, I may have hit it as it crossed the right lane.

Moral of the story: Please strap or preferably chain down your trailer loads !!!

If the load comes off the trailer, it could be someone's life !

 

[aczlan]

My motto (for implements, tractors and other such heavy items) is:

If the load would come loose by turning the trailer upside down and shaking it, the load is not properly tied down

Aaron Z

 

[two_bit_score]

I bet the driver never stopped. What an idiot.

 

[5030]

I bet the driver never stopped. What an idiot.

Probably financed.

 

[two_bit_score]

Probably financed.

Or stolen.

 

[56FordGuy]

"Ah, it's real heavy. It'll set there!"

"I ain't going far."

:laughing:

It's funny, but it's not funny. Secure the load; and bungee cords don't count! :thumbsup:

 

[KennyG]

Last week I saw a pickup (70 mph on the highway) with split firewood stacked about three sticks above the bed rails, with a a spare tire sitting on top of the stack (to hold it down?) No straps, nets, or anything.

 

[BSVLY]

We were driving up Cajon pass in SoCal and right there in the center lane of I-15 were two Skidoos! Drove for another 30 miles and never saw the trailer. Can you imagine when they pulled up to the lake?? " Dude- Where are the jet Skis.............. dude?"

 

[tungularafishcamp]

A good friend has an aluminum flatbed that he nver used to tie his snowmobiles down to just set the parking brake. Couple of winters ago his hill was glaciered up, it was raining, and his studs were worn down so he came back down the hill backwards til the corner which put him in the ditch throwing his sled off into the snowbank. He called me up and I came over with my kubota(had just gotten it to town) and got him out of the ditch and up the hill. Of course he invited me in for coffee, while drinking it I txted my son to come get the sled and put it in our garage. Finished the coffee, went to leave and give him a ride down to his sled and OH NO!!

I let him stew all night then called him the next am to go sledding as the mountains had been getting snow as we got rain. He reminded me about his sled, so I said no problem he can use my wifes, I would be over in a bit. The look on his face when I pulled up with his sled as well as my own on the back of my truck was priceless:laughing:

Guess what, he still doesnt tie down his sled:confused2:

 

[two_bit_score]

That's a great one, Rick!