Hauling firewood on a landscape utility trailer

[Woodchuck71]

Read my post again,never said anything like that.If I was loading a trailer to the rails,with a tail gate ,I wouldnt bother strapping or covering the sides.It is understood,or should be,that said wood is properly stacked within the trailer,not thrown in as you see people doing all the time,IF your load (wood)is properly stacked on above trailer,with the weight limits and laws in place,straps are safer instead adding sides on a trailer,IF necessary.I applaud the job they(CMV inspectors) are doing,fact is,with the new regulations put in place,who do YOU think is the easier target(money)?
As far as I'm concerned,you're pulling ANY load (wood,sand,rock,etc) that's beyond your legal weight limit for your tow vehicle,you should get a ticket.

 

[bowtechmadman]

Thanks woodchuck I had misunderstood original post thinking with sideboards you would still need to ratchet strap each row of stacked wood. I'm in complete agreement with what you have said. I won't stack above the bed of my truck/same with trailers and wouldn't unless I had a means of keeping it in with tarp/straps etc...

 

[4seasons]

So your ok with risking others lives just because your lazy?
And if crap is falling off trailers no mater who it belongs to. That's exactly what we pay them to do. Don't do the crime if you can't pay the fine.

Well you get a 10 for the gymnastics required to land that conclusion from what was said.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Woodchuck71]

No harm,no foul!
Ps.
I deal with COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INSPECTORS every day for the 28 years.

 

[Big Briggs 37]

Tie downs is what I do. I generally don't go very far. Both of these loads are over 5K I'm sure

 

[PA452]

Tie downs is what I do. I generally don't go very far. Both of these loads are over 5K I'm sure

What length is that trailer?

That's a pretty good load on each.

 

[Big Briggs 37]

What length is that trailer?

That's a pretty good load on each.

16'

 

[PA452]

Same as mine, except I didn't build the walls all that high so I can't stack as high as you did. I'm going a lot farther though. I think my trailer is going to fill up faster than I thought.

 

[4seasons]

I deal with COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INSPECTORS every day for the 28 years.

Been there also.
I had my CDL for 20 years during which I drove OTR for a few years until I landed some local driving jobs. I have been inspected more times than I can remember (mostly in Kentucky because of where my last routes took me.) I have never been shut down or cited during an inspection. Only got a couple of fix it notes on inspection for stuff like chafing on air lines and brakes at legal adjustment limits. I would still be at it if a major accident a couple of years ago didn't leave me handicapped. I can no longer pass the DOT physical so I had to give up my CDL.

 

[sb47]

Tie downs is what I do. I generally don't go very far. Both of these loads are over 5K I'm sure

I hope you didn't haul that on public roads. If my local DOT saw you, you'd be headed to jail.

 

[NSMaple1]

This all also kinda depends on exactly what form the wood is your hauling. Small splits? Big rounds? Something else?

 

[PA452]

Both splits and rounds. Splits are left bigger than most people would leave them though.

 

[Big Briggs 37]

Same as mine, except I didn't build the walls all that high so I can't stack as high as you did. I'm going a lot farther though. I think my trailer is going to fill up faster than I thought.

Yep. I took a large silver maple (one of the loads with the red truck) and it took about 4 loads. That's a ton of wood but yes, it'll fill up quick

 

[NSMaple1]

I think I would just get some plywood or osb, cut into 1' wide pieces, and set them on edge against your rails all around.

 

[PA452]

I went a little higher than the rails to give a little safety margin, keep things contained.

I only took one pic early on, but this gives you an idea. Same type of wall on the other side, and a shorter piece will be clipped on the front. Those two sheets of plywood are connected by two hinges. Keeps things together and I can fold it up easy for removal and storage.

I'll take more pics maybe tomorrow or this weekend.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

There are so many ways to achieve the goal of hauling a maximum amount of wood with out too much extra effort. Just putting a parameter of plywood around the edge of the trailer will work. From my experience the top edge of your side boards are my biggest concern with my trailers. I usually put at least a 2X4 to stiffen the top edge which should have some straps going from side to side. As long as the sides are being pulled together so they will not fall over then you should be good to go. I have welded stake bed pockets around the sides then just pulled them out when not needed. I like to have cleats or something to allow straps to go over each row of wood which makes DOT happy and allows wood to be rounded up a bit. Two months ago I renewed my CDL and received my real ID. It was such an ordeal that I almost gave up on it. Six days of DMV tests. After passing the back ground checks. After passing the federal and state requirements which were not easy then they told me that I had to go through the Class C tests. After driving trucks more than 40 years what do I know about driving a car that does not have a air horn. Thanks

 

[PA452]

Ready to go, just need to paint it. I'll only have the walls on when hauling firewood or similar material. Hopefully moisture doesn't destroy that plywood too fast.

Folded up and ready to put away:

 

[rwoods]

I like it. If you haven’t, I would consider putting the hinges on the inside so the panels will fold flat against each other.

Ron

 

[PA452]

Thanks, and yeah, I may end up doing that. It was a fluid process, making changes as I went. Started out with the hinges on the inside and then flipped them; honestly don't remember why now.

 

[sb47]

That will work just fine, though I would get rid of the hinges.