what's needed for hauling coils???

The timbers DO have to be hardwood according to FMCSA, and beveled. I have always used a 4 foot drop or a flat tarp on a coil. I agree with 1 rack per 10,000 lbs. I always use friction mats between the deck and the rack and also rubber between the coil and the timber, like a piece of conveyor belt.

 

Do you guys run 3/8 or 1/2" chains on your large single coils?

 

I've never seen anyone use 1/2" chain on a coil before. Most use 3/8 or 5/16, myself I used 3/8 on coils.

 

Just use whatever you have, some of the smaller coils that I hauled a 4' drop tarp was plenty, some I needed to break out one of my 6' tarps. If you were going to haul coils all the time I would recommend a coil bag, but if its just an occasional coil here and there then I wouldn't spend the money on one. And yes, hard wood lumber ONLY on bigger coils, I used regular pressure treated on a 30,000 pounder once, and had to keep tightening the chains as the coil slowly crushed the lumber. By the time I delivered the coil I had to throw the 4x4 away, it was useless for anything.

 

For just hauling the occasional coil I'd get the coil racks that allow you to use straight 4x4s. They are also more compact for storage. Get some decent racks made up and some good hardwood. If you take care of them they'll last for a long time. I would only use 4 racks on coils over 40000 lbs but I had good racks not the truck stop garbage. Steel corner protectors are fine and more compact than coil cuffs plus you can use them on other freight. 16x16 is a common tarp size for single coils.get another tarp to lay between the two. It'll save the good tarp from small holes from the lap and the banding clips. Canvas is best but it's hard to find a lot of guys just use an old junk one.

 

Same here; I always use 3/8".

To the OP: However, the number of chains you use should be dictated by the weight of the coil and the need for the total Working Load Limit of the chains to be at least 1/2 the weight of the coil -- normal securement rules. There is a section of the FMCSA securement rulebook that deals specifically with securing coils, you might want to give that a look if you haven't already. There are specific do's and don'ts for when you haul shotgun (eye to front) vs. suicide (eye to side) loaded coils. A big one is that you cannot cross the chains through the eye of the coil when hauling suicide-style.

 

I don't know the exact length of the racks we use (am home now, not at the truck) but I know there are shorter ones and longer ones and we usually use the shorter ones, so if I had to guess I'd say you want 27". Note that the rules say that you must have the coil up and off the trailer bed -- it cannot be touching the trailer -- so obviously if you get racks that are too long, you won't be able to haul smaller-size coils without having to use a lot of lumber.

Ha, yeah I've never heard of hauling coils using plastic edge protectors -- if you use chains, and you will usually want to use chains, then those would destroy a plastic edge protector in no time flat. Definitely want metal ones.

 

Did you mean what is the use of hauling coils? If that's what you meant, the answer is that coils are how a lot of steel and aluminum sheet is packaged between shipper and consumer. In other words, a good amount of flatbed cargo is coils of various metals. Being able to haul them adds to the types of cargo a flatbedder can haul, which means more opportunities to make money hauling a load.

 

I recommend tilted racks with 2 widths. With the tilted racks you can use normal oak 4x4s without bevel. If you get the flat kind you need beveled wood. Since I used those same 4x4 as dunnage for lumber, pipe, i beams or anything else, i prefer not carrying beveled as well.

For tarping, they sell coil tarps, but a steel tarp will work. Heck a lumber tarp will work. the bigger the tarp the mroe work, but you can use whatever tarp you have for other stuff. Coils come in all sizes so if you buy coil bacg style tarps get multible sizes. Otherwise just use a standard steel tarp with 6 foot drops.

You will also need rubber mats. These lay in between the wood and coil to prevent damage and make it grip well. i would recommend at least 6 racks since you need 1 per 10,000 pounds. You may hual 2 24,000 pound coils and need 3 on each.