Cargo holders ?

idtrans · Feb 15, 2011

My 22' came with like 10 cargo supports / holders that hold into the etrack system. Will I really need 10 of these ? I have straps and hooks for etrack are so many of these heavy supports needed?

I would say 4 is good heck when I drove semi I only carried 4 load locks with me always.

Thanks

zero3nine · Feb 15, 2011

idtrans said:
My 22' came with like 10 cargo supports / holders that hold into the etrack system. Will I really need 10 of these ? I have straps and hooks for etrack are so many of these heavy supports needed?

I would say 4 is good heck when I drove semi I only carried 4 load locks with me always.

Thanks

The only reason I could think of to carry 10 bars in a 22 footer would be if you were hauling furniture.... in which case you would need about 5 sheets of plywood to go with it so you could double deck your box.

fired at you from my Droideka

bluejaybee · Feb 15, 2011

I carry 2 and in my 6 years expediting, only used them a couple of times for double decking a couple of skids. Nonetheless, I carry them and have to move them almost everytime I get loaded. Just becomes a habit after so long. 10 does seem a bit of an overkill, unless truck was used as moving van as suggested by zero3nine.

layoutshooter · Feb 15, 2011

It depends on what kind of freight you are hauling and the weight of that freight. I wish I had 10. I have 7 now and have often used them all. Keep in mind that most of those bars are rated for only 2000lbs. Also keep in mind that you can have your cargo box opened during an inspection and IF your cargo is properly secured you will be cited. Even more important when carrying hazmat. I have been opened on a hazmat run, was MORE than legal and the officer commented on how well my cargo was secured. I suggest you look up the regs on how cargo needs secured. It might help you decide if you need those bars or not.

layoutshooter · Feb 15, 2011

Real life working problem to help you decide.

You are picking up a load of 6 40X40X40 totes of liquid corrosives. They weigh 2000lbs each. Please explain how you would legally, and more importantly, safely, secure that freight.

purgoose10 · Feb 15, 2011

When I ran a ST I carried 20 Aluminum shoring beams. I had one customer in Dallas that I went to quite regular and without fail they would have extra pallets to go. The pallets only weighed about 200 pds ea but you could not stack them. They were parts for F-16 fighter canopy's. I would take the beams lock them in the top e-trac row and drop the pallet onto them. The pallets locked right into place and could carry almost two loads. Customer really liked that and I liked how the loads paid.
If I had not have had those beams I would not have gotten the loads.

greg334 · Feb 15, 2011

Load Bars or Shoring Bars?

Load Bars are those things that are "wedged" into the sides of the box. I think they are good to keep freight in place as you secure them but nothing more than that.

I watch these "truckers' throw freight onto their trailers, throw a load bar up and surprised that it makes it to where ever it's going.

Shoring Bars are those things that go into the e-track slots and you can use decking to get more capacity out of the box - If you have shoring bar blocks and stands or your box is made for it.

layoutshooter · Feb 15, 2011

Keep your axle weights in mind when working that problem. Is it possible for you to load that cargo wrong and have one or more of you axles overweight? Would additional bars help with that?

layoutshooter · Feb 15, 2011

I am speaking of e-track shoring bars. I call them by the wrong name all the time.

purgoose10 · Feb 15, 2011

They are Shoring Beams. They are square and lock into the e-trac slots.
They don't move. Freight won't slide, fall or whatever. They cost about $40 bucks apiece. They work in vertical and Horizontal trac's. I picked them up from guys wanting to sell them and bought a few new ones. If your in a ST and have a lift gate you seem to use them a lot. I moved some trade shows in the old days and they really came in handy with that.

layoutshooter · Feb 15, 2011

Keep in mind that they have to be legally marked with working load weights as do straps. As far as I have been able to determine, and I could be wrong, I have not found any of the ratcheting cargo bars that have legal load ratings on them.

LDB · Feb 15, 2011

When I ran straight truck I had 10 bars. I clipped 2 each in the first two etrack slots at the nose of the box in all 3 rows and had 2 more laying on the floor in the nose. I had 2 more that were locked into the first slot of the lower 2 rows at the cargo door so when I backed into a dock the box was blocked. It didn't work as well as a locked roll up door to keep dock people out but most wouldn't bother with moving them. I had one load in 5 years where I had to move the front pairs to fit the load in. With 22' you always have enough floor space left to keep those bars up front. Now I did often use more than 2 bars on a load and if I went back into a straight truck I'd build up to that many bars again. Better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.

layoutshooter · Feb 15, 2011

Leo, I often have to set freight back further to the doors get keep the weight off of my front axle. That is why I asked that guy about axle weights in regard to securing his freight. I would love to have 10. I plan on buying a couple in March. Need a few new straps too. I think I have 24 but I have ran out once or twice and I could use about 4 more 20 footers.

greg334 · Feb 15, 2011

layoutshooter said:
Keep in mind that they have to be legally marked with working load weights as do straps.

NO they don't.

If you haul in Canada with unmarked straps, they are derate them to a small number according to their width. If you haul Steel in Alabama, and they are not marked, then you can't use them.

Otherwise, it is not a big deal.

IF you have straps that are old, frayed, worn or torn, then replace them. Use good straps, clean them when you can and replace them every couple years. I understand from several DOT officers and the FMCSA that a strap that is frayed or torn or worn needs to be replaced and if you get a cargo inspection, that is what they will look for.

Most shoring bars (beams) seem to be rated at 2000lbs but I have three that I bought a while ago that are rated at 1000lbs. I got a number of them from a dock that was closing near here, all 2000lb rated.

layoutshooter · Feb 15, 2011

greg334 said:
NO they don't.

If you haul in Canada with unmarked straps, they are derate them to a small number according to their width. If you haul Steel in Alabama, and they are not marked, then you can't use them.

Otherwise, it is not a big deal.

IF you have straps that are old, frayed, worn or torn, then replace them. Use good straps, clean them when you can and replace them every couple years. I understand from several DOT officers and the FMCSA that a strap that is frayed or torn or worn needs to be replaced and if you get a cargo inspection, that is what they will look for.

Most shoring bars (beams) seem to be rated at 2000lbs but I have three that I bought a while ago that are rated at 1000lbs. I got a number of them from a dock that was closing near here, all 2000lb rated.

All of mine are rated at 2000lbs. I am under the impression that Canada is doing the same with bars. If the paper "label" is gone it is no longer considered to work at that rate. I THINK the U.S. still "assumes" a 2000lb load rating if the label is gone. Not sure on that. I don't think the ratchet bars are legal anywhere, not sure on that one. I am NOT good at looking up or understanding those regs.

idtrans · Feb 15, 2011

These cargo holders or whatever are square and connect direct into the etrack. they are not load locks that have handles. I will keep like 6 in truck for now. I do not even see a need for 6. I do not haul haz mat. And I have plenty of straps and etrack hooks to use as well. I do not see the need for the extra weight myself. With my luck I will need the whole bunch of them some day LOL

LDB · Feb 15, 2011

Lodi Metals is the place to get straps. They will custom make them any length you want. They are much better material than the chinese junk you get at the truck stop. The ratchet has a substantial release bar that works first time every time. If you want captive they will sew the end and not just folded over but folded twice so it's absolutely not going to pull out of the ratchet. You also can choose more different colors than with ts straps. 9.9 and definitely recommended.

greg334 · Feb 15, 2011

idtrans said:
These cargo holders or whatever are square and connect direct into the etrack. they are not load locks that have handles. I will keep like 6 in truck for now. I do not even see a need for 6. I do not haul haz mat. And I have plenty of straps and etrack hooks to use as well. I do not see the need for the extra weight myself. With my luck I will need the whole bunch of them some day LOL

They are shoring bars (Beams) as mentioned. IF you ever need to deck freight and the box is made for that or you have shoring blocks and stands, it is a good to have.

idtrans · Feb 15, 2011

Thanks for the info Greg. And the straps I have are nice and good quality they are from the company that advertises on here just like my etrack hooks.

I was so happy when I opened the doors to my box and saw tons of etrack I was smiling ear to ear LOL. I am so easy to please at my old age .