8 minute read
Adventures of A.T
This is just one story as these occurrences are happening daily out there. It’s not only tow grids but many other things. How many times have you seen a mattress on the roadside? If a mattress is transported in a pickup and not properly secured, once the wind catches it, it’s gone.
Let’s look closer at this topic. Anything coming off that truck on the roadway is not only the responsibility of the operator but ultimately the company owner. Had Eduardo not been as lucky as he was, he could have been killed.
This can get very expensive. Grid $400.00, totaled car $30,000, loss of license? loss of job? loss of life? I know the memory of killing or injuring somebody is not something I could live with over shear laziness.
There is a definite need to remind the operators about loose dunnage. All items on the outside of the truck should be secured. Brooms, shovels, chain, wooden blocks, etc. Anything and everything needs to be secured. Operators need to understand the serious nature of this issue.
The issue with the wheel lift grid is that the grid on tow bars are made to slide in and out across the tow bar. The factory has a built
Outside look at the damaged caused by loosed dunnage.
lock that is spring loaded and locks
before sliding off the end of the bar. Where the problem occurs is that there is a locking bolt that stops it from sliding and simply should be snugged after every adjustment.
Loaded or unloaded, drivers either forget or don’t understand that the grid can go to the edge of the bar if the built-in lock doesn’t function anymore (whether because dirt and grease build up or the spring clip is no longer reaching the holes to lock). If this happens, you are driving down the road with a 40 lb chunk of steel ready to fly away on the next corner or bump.
Many towers who work the tow bar a lot realize the problem and usually run a bungee cord from grid to grid on the lock bolt in case they forget to snug the lock bolt. This is a quick and easy fix to an extremely dangerous problem. Some towers take and weld a small and short piece of chain to prevent the grid from reaching the end of the tow bar as it’s not like you remove them regularly.
Take the time to discuss this at your next safety meeting. You could be saving someone’s life as well as the future of the company.
This is just one story as these occurrences are happening daily out there. It’s not only tow grids but many other things. How many times have you seen a mattress on the roadside? If a mattress is transported in a pickup and not properly secured, once the wind catches it, it’s gone.
Let’s look closer at this topic. Anything coming off that truck on the roadway is not only the responsibility of the operator but ultimately the company owner. Had Eduardo not been as lucky as he was, he could have been killed.
This can get very expensive. Grid $400.00, totaled car $30,000, loss of license? loss of job? loss of life? I know the memory of killing or injuring somebody is not something I could live with over shear laziness.
There is a definite need to remind the operators about loose dunnage. All items on the outside of the truck should be secured. Brooms, shovels, chain, wooden blocks, etc. Anything and everything needs to be secured. Operators need to understand the serious nature of this issue.
The issue with the wheel lift grid is that the grid on tow bars are made to slide in and out across the tow bar. The factory has a built lock that is spring loaded and locks before sliding ◀
Outside look at the damaged caused by loosed dunnage. off the end of the bar. Where the problem occurs is that there is a locking bolt that stops it from sliding and simply should be snugged after every adjustment.
Loaded or unloaded, drivers either forget or don’t understand that the grid can go to the edge of the bar if the built-in lock doesn’t function anymore (whether because dirt and grease build up or the spring clip is no longer reaching the holes to lock). If this happens, ◀
you are driving down the road with a 40 lb chunk of steel ready to fly away on the next corner or bump.
Many towers who work the tow bar a lot realize the problem and usually run a bungee cord from grid to grid on the lock bolt in case they forget to snug the lock bolt. This is a quick and easy fix to an extremely dangerous problem. Some towers take and weld a small and short piece of chain to prevent the grid from reaching the end of the tow bar as it’s not like you remove them regularly.
Take the time to discuss this at your next safety meeting. You could be saving someone’s life as well as the future of the company.
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This is just one story as these occurrences are happening daily out there. It’s not only tow grids but many other things. How many times have you seen a mattress on the roadside? If a mattress is transported in a pickup and not properly secured, once the wind catches it, it’s gone.
Let’s look closer at this topic. Anything coming off that truck on the roadway is not only the responsibility of the operator but ultimately the company owner. Had Eduardo not been as lucky as he was, he could have been killed.
This can get very expensive. Grid $400.00, totaled car $30,000, loss of license? loss of job? loss of life? I know the memory of killing or injuring somebody is not something I could live with over shear laziness.
There is a definite need to remind the operators about loose dunnage. All items on the outside of the truck should be secured. Brooms, shovels, ◀
chain, wooden blocks, etc. Anything and everything needs to be secured. Operators need to understand the serious nature of this issue.
The issue with the wheel lift grid is that the grid on tow bars are made to slide in and out across the tow bar. The factory has a built lock that is spring loaded and locks before sliding off the end of the bar. Where the problem occurs is that there is a locking bolt that stops it from sliding and simply should be snugged after every adjustment.
Loaded or unloaded, drivers either forget or don’t understand that the grid can go to the edge of the bar if the built-in lock doesn’t function anymore (whether because dirt and grease build up or the spring clip is no longer reaching the holes to lock). If this happens, you are driving down the road with a 40 lb chunk of steel ready to fly away on the next corner or bump.
Many towers who work the tow bar a lot realize the problem and usually run a bungee cord from grid to grid on the lock bolt in case they forget to snug the lock bolt. This is a quick and easy fix to an extremely dangerous problem. Some towers take and weld a small and short piece of chain to prevent the grid from reaching the end of the tow bar as it’s not like you remove them regularly.
Take the time to discuss this at your next safety meeting. You could be saving someone’s life as well as the future of the company.
