So this seems kind of dumb, but surely I'm missing something. Just about every flatbed trailer I have seen, including my own, has tons of stake pockets on them. You could use them to attach the rachet straps, but eventually they will wear through the straps, thus I added D-rings to my trailer. The only other purpose I can come up with is to make Sanford & Son style walls for you trailer.

What am I missing here?

they're not just stake pockets, they;re to attach chains too as well. its a safety almost, you drop the hook down through from the top and loop around the outside to catch the hook on the top edge. the truckers pulling highboy flatdecks that come into our yard always have their chains fixed like that.

Well duh, to put stakes (with or without "walls") in so you can load smaller objects higher than a couple inches above the deck. It's not that complicated. :flipoff2:

Well duh, to put stakes (with or without "walls") in so you can load smaller objects higher than a couple inches above the deck. It's not that complicated. :flipoff2:
I have seen truckers from Canada with metric stake pockets, it was a bitch to get the standard ones to fit
















:flipoff2:

I don't think they're stake pockets at all..... they're chain pockets.

My 32' gooseneck only has stake pockets. We use them to tie our trucks down.

there are straps that are designed to work with a stake pocket. It's shaped like a flat hook. You push it up from the bottom (hook facing outward), hook onto lip so the strap is hanging down through the pocket. Then you bring the strap around the pocket and hook it to the vehicle. That flatness of the hook protects the strap from rubbing on any edges. If the strap becomes loose, it won't unhook because it's hanging in the pocket.

I don't know if that made any sense at all! I'll see if I can find a pic.
EDIT: Here's one. If you look at the strap holding the trailer to the real trailer, you can see how the strap wraps around the pocket, then goes up.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c138/EMIEVEL/jobs/Chrispics109.jpg

there are straps that are designed to work with a stake pocket. It's shaped like a flat hook. You push it up from the bottom (hook facing outward), hook onto lip so the strap is hanging down through the pocket. Then you bring the strap around the pocket and hook it to the vehicle. That flatness of the hook protects the strap from rubbing on any edges. If the strap becomes loose, it won't unhook because it's hanging in the pocket.

I don't know if that made any sense at all! I'll see if I can find a pic.
EDIT: Here's one. If you look at the strap holding the trailer to the real trailer, you can see how the strap wraps around the pocket, then goes up.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c138/EMIEVEL/jobs/Chrispics109.jpg
Know where I can get some of those?

My tie down system is pretty ghetto and I would really like to get the real deal.

try New Haven Moving Equipment. They have locations everywhere. There are a lot of other places as well. When I get a chance, I'll try to find the actual hook picture.

Wow is this really this hard of a concept to grasp? I use mine alot for tiedown points and rachet strap points.

Wow is this really this hard of a concept to grasp? I use mine alot for tiedown points and rachet strap points.

Not really, hence I knew it had those uses as I originally posted. I personally won't tie my Rachet straps to them as eventually it will wear through them, even with the wear guards. Plus the Stake pockets are located in really awkward locations. I don't personally feel I can get enough leverage from the sides of the trailer, that's why I had D-rings on the front and rear.

I wish my trailer had them - there are times when I'd like to put sides on my trailer for hauling odd loads of mulch, firewood, or other loose materials.

As noted above they work well for using stakes as a secondary means of securement when a DF driver decides that he is going to dolly off with nothing besides a single 4x4 under the drop-legs and pull his straps of BEFORE unhooking his truck. The top level of pipe fell off but the lower level which included 4-20’ lengths of 24” Sch 100 (7500#’s per) did not start rolling away across the yard. In this case the stake pockets and rub rails are perfectly suited to tie down to as well due to the size and shape of the load.


http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=268792&stc=1&d=1161467933

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=268791&stc=1&d=1161467933

I thought they were just for sides, the ones on ours i wouldnt trust to hold a load.

What kind of ground is that unstable in a lot that it would colapse, was it hollow underneith or what?

What kind of ground is that unstable in a lot that it would colapse, was it hollow underneith or what?

Almost any.

I thought they were just for sides, the ones on ours i wouldnt trust to hold a load.

I'd be cautious about using the rub rails to tie down to instead of the stake pockets they are attached to.

What kind of ground is that unstable in a lot that it would collapse, was it hollow underneath or what?

Site rules call for a minimum of 18"x18" dolly pads under each drop leg but it is debatable if those would have helped in this case. However the very next day the same crew decided to use a single 4x4 yet again and everyone involved was let go.

It is a leased logistics/tranship yard that has had over 25,000 trailers through in the past 3 years, the sink-holes were a BIG surprise to everyone. Arrangements were made to have a packer come and ensure that the ground had proper compaction.



I'd be cautious about using the rub rails to tie down to instead of the stake pockets they are attached to.


I think you need to look at the construction of the rub rail and how it is attached to the trailer, most of the heavy trailers I have seen generally have stake pockets every 18" and additional welded supports in the mid-span of the stake pockets. With a 3/8"x2" rub rail welded to this I would not have any problems chaining to the rail if required.

I wish my trailer had them - there are times when I'd like to put sides on my trailer for hauling odd loads of mulch, firewood, or other loose materials.

Wish granted: http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/finditem.cfm?itemid=18250

$14 plus shipping for 8 of them, made of 3/16" material, good stuff, I still have 14 left.

Al

Wish granted: http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/finditem.cfm?itemid=18250

$14 plus shipping for 8 of them, made of 3/16" material, good stuff, I still have 14 left.

Al

An interesting little note on another awdirect page

Avoid DOT inspections, delays or fines because of improper load securement!
As of January 2004, it is illegal to hook your tie down straps to the rub rails on your flat bed. The PortaAnchor and PortaWinch provide you with a better, legal way to anchor your tie downs. Simply slip the PortaAnchor or PortaWinch into the stake pockets on the sides or ends of your trailer and then use standard 4 inch straps or chains plus winch bars to make the tie down. Meets the new DOT regulations for load securement. 5,500 lb. WLL. Made in USA.

from: http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/finditem.cfm?itemid=20023

An interesting little note on another awdirect page

Avoid DOT inspections, delays or fines because of improper load securement!
As of January 2004, it is illegal to hook your tie down straps to the rub rails on your flat bed. The PortaAnchor and PortaWinch provide you with a better, legal way to anchor your tie downs. Simply slip the PortaAnchor or PortaWinch into the stake pockets on the sides or ends of your trailer and then use standard 4 inch straps or chains plus winch bars to make the tie down. Meets the new DOT regulations for load securement. 5,500 lb. WLL. Made in USA.

from: http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/finditem.cfm?itemid=20023

I must admit the above got me curious so I did a little bit of research about this subject and made a few calls and came up with this from the North American Cargo Securement Standard which says the following:

393.104 (c):
Vehicle structures and anchor points. Vehicle structures, floors, walls, decks, tiedown anchor points, headerboards, bulkheads, stakes, posts and associated mounting pockets used to contain or secure articles of cargo must be strong enough to meet the performance criteria of 393.102, with no damaged or weakened components that will adversely effect their performance for cargo securement purposes, including reducing the working load limit, and must not have any cracks or cuts.

393.104 (f):
Use of tiedowns.
(1) Tiedowns and securing devices must not
contain knots.
(2) If a tiedown is repaired, it must be repaired in
accordance with the applicable standards in
paragraph (e) of this section, or the manufacturer’s
instructions.
(3) Each tiedown must be attached and secured in
a manner that prevents it from becoming loose,
unfastening, opening or releasing while the
vehicle is in transit.
(4)All tiedowns and other components of a
cargo securement system used to secure loads
on a trailer equipped with rub rails, must be
located inboard of the rub rails
whenever practicable.
(5) Edge protection must be used whenever a
tiedown would be subject to abrasion or
cutting at the point where it touches an
article of cargo. The edge protection must
resist abrasion, cutting and crushing.


Nowhere does it specifically prohibit hooking anything to your rub rails, just the preferred practice is to run the securement under rather than over the rub rails. As AW Direct is in the business of selling cargo securement items I would not rely on them being unbiased in the information presented.

From here: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/cargo/cs-policy.pdf

I think you need to look at the construction of the rub rail and how it is attached to the trailer, most of the heavy trailers I have seen generally have stake pockets every 18" and additional welded supports in the mid-span of the stake pockets. With a 3/8"x2" rub rail welded to this I would not have any problems chaining to the rail if required.

I am talking about most "car trailers" and the like, and they seem pretty weak to me.

I must admit the above got me curious so I did a little bit of research about this subject and made a few calls and came up with this from the North American Cargo Securement Standard which says the following:

393.104 (c):
Vehicle structures and anchor points. Vehicle structures, floors, walls, decks, tiedown anchor points, headerboards, bulkheads, stakes, posts and associated mounting pockets used to contain or secure articles of cargo must be strong enough to meet the performance criteria of 393.102, with no damaged or weakened components that will adversely effect their performance for cargo securement purposes, including reducing the working load limit, and must not have any cracks or cuts.

393.104 (f):
Use of tiedowns.
(1) Tiedowns and securing devices must not
contain knots.
(2) If a tiedown is repaired, it must be repaired in
accordance with the applicable standards in
paragraph (e) of this section, or the manufacturer’s
instructions.
(3) Each tiedown must be attached and secured in
a manner that prevents it from becoming loose,
unfastening, opening or releasing while the
vehicle is in transit.
(4)All tiedowns and other components of a
cargo securement system used to secure loads
on a trailer equipped with rub rails, must be
located inboard of the rub rails
whenever practicable.
(5) Edge protection must be used whenever a
tiedown would be subject to abrasion or
cutting at the point where it touches an
article of cargo. The edge protection must
resist abrasion, cutting and crushing.


Nowhere does it specifically prohibit hooking anything to your rub rails, just the preferred practice is to run the securement under rather than over the rub rails. As AW Direct is in the business of selling cargo securement items I would not rely on them being unbiased in the information presented.

From here: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/cargo/cs-policy.pdf


JasonMT. Thanks for digging into it a bit more. No time yesterday, but I though I would at least post up what they (AWDirect) was saying...