Tips for Preparing to Install a Hay Storage Building

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Throughout most of the spring and summer, we have featured a number of blog posts talking about hay moisture testers and electrified fencing. With the end of summer fast approaching, it is time to get ready for the fall and winter seasons. That means making plans for winter hay storage. One of our temporary hay storage buildings could be the solution you have been looking for.

We sell multiple sizes of storage buildings made with heavy-duty PVC fabric and galvanized steel framing. The advantage of using one of these temporary buildings as opposed to building a new barn is flexibility. Of course, lower costs are a big advantage as well. At any rate, it helps to start making preparations for installation now while the weather is still cooperative.

Carefully Choose Your Site

The first preparation tip is one of choosing your site carefully. The amount of protection your temporary hay storage building offers will be in direct relation to the site you choose. The idea is to choose a site that minimizes the chances of something going wrong. Here are some of the most important considerations:

• Power Lines – Falling power lines could cause a lot of problems for your temporary storage building. As such, choose a site that is far enough away from power lines to be unaffected if weather brings them down.

• Snow Drifts – You know from experience where snow tends to accumulate on your property. It is best to avoid a location that could encourage snow drifts to accumulate along the sides or on top of the building. Snow on top is especially troubling because it adds weight.

• Overhead Threats – Also make sure to choose a site free of overhead threats like large tree branches or ice dams that may fall off a nearby home or barn.

• Underground Utilities – Lastly, you will be driving anchors into the ground to hold your temporary storage building in place. Choose a site you know is free from underground cables and pipes. If you are not sure where cables and pipes are located on your property, call your local utilities and ask them to come out and mark locations for you.

Site Preparation

Once you have chosen a good site, you need to prepare it for installation. If the site is not already level, start the preparation process by addressing this. A level site is important so that moisture does not collect at one end of the structure, thereby spoiling some of your crop.

If necessary, dig some trenches to provide a bit of drainage underneath the crop. If you plan to install the building on top of a concrete pad, digging trenches will not be possible. You can accomplish the same thing by stacking your hay on top of pallets. That way, any moisture underneath will be kept away from the hay.

If you need to drill anchor holes, now is the time to do it. Drill your holes and insert anchors into them to keep them from closing back up between now and installation day.

Lastly, clear out debris, equipment, and anything else that might act as a hindrance to installation. Plan on a clear area of 15 to 20 feet around the entire perimeter of the site. You do not want to waste time and effort moving things on the day of installation.

If you are thinking of installing a hay storage building in anticipation of the coming winter, now is the time to start making plans. It is already mid-August. Cold temperatures and snowflakes are just a couple of months away.

Truck Tarps: Cargo Protection vs. Cargo Control

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Here at Mytee Products, we sell all kinds of truck tarps. We have steel and lumber tarps for the most common flatbed jobs. We also have smoke tarps, machinery tarps, and even mesh tarps that can be used for a lot of different applications. The secret is choosing the right tarp for the job at hand.

Note that the various tarps we sell have a multitude of uses. All our tarps can be divided into one of two categories: cargo protection and cargo control. Despite what you may have heard, they are not the same thing. Trying to use a tarp as a cargo control tool when it is not intended to be used as such can lead to big problems.

Tarps and Cargo Control

The federal government along with all 50 states have regulations in place requiring every motorist, regardless of the vehicle being driven, to properly secure any cargo that could otherwise dislodge and fall from the vehicle. This obviously applies to truck drivers. Flatbed truckers are required by law to secure not only their loads, but also any equipment and supplies they normally carry on their trailers for work use.

Cargo must be controlled by appropriate means. Let’s say you’re hauling a load of pipe, for example. The pipe has to be secured in place using webbing straps. In most cases, wooden frames are used to stack multiple layers of pipes while preventing them from shifting. It would be unsafe and illegal to attempt to secure a load of pipe using tarps alone.

On the other hand, let’s say you are driving a dump truck full of crushed stone. The dump itself contains the stone on four sides. You would deploy a tarp over the top to keep any of the material from flying off during transport. In this case, your tarp is being used as a cargo control tool.

lumTarps and Cargo Protection

The line of distinction between cargo control and protection might be a fine one, but it is an important one to the flatbed trucker. Getting back to that load of pipe for a minute, it is already secured with wooden blocks and straps. So why the tarp? To protect the pipe from the elements and road debris.

It is not uncommon for shippers to demand loads be covered by tarps during transport. They have a lot of money invested in the products they are shipping, and they expect those products to be protected. That’s why we sell so many kinds of tarps. Steel, lumber, and smoke tarps are not intended as cargo control tools. They are made for cargo protection.

Trucking and Mesh Tarps

One last thing we want to address in this post is the use of mesh tarps in trucking. Mesh tarps are typically used for providing shade and privacy, but they are also invaluable for certain kinds of loads. That same dump truck driver who uses a blue utility tarp to keep aggregate in place might choose a lighter mesh tarp instead.

Mesh tarps are also ideal for transporting roll-off dumpsters and yard waste. Keep in mind that waste haulers also have to prevent their loads from dislodging and flying off during transport. Yet because they have nothing valuable to protect, they can use lighter and more easily deployed mesh tarps rather than having to use their heavier counterparts.

Every tarp we sell has a purpose. We stock so many because we have come to realize that truckers like choices. The more variety we can offer, the better we are able to help truckers do their jobs.

4 Loads That Are Perfect for the Flatbed Trailer Side Kit

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The flatbed trailer side kit is one of those products truckers are not sure if they really need. Technically speaking, a side kit is really not necessary to make a living as a flatbed trucker. But owning one does increase your job opportunities. Some shippers expect their loads to be secured in specific ways, and sometimes that means using a side kit.

If you are new to the flatbed game, a side kit is essentially an on-demand enclosure that can completely cover a load from top to bottom much the same way a dry van does. The advantage of the side kit is that it can be installed and removed as needed. Use it when you need it; keep it stored when you don’t.

Here are four kinds of loads that are perfect for the side kit:

1. Loose Agricultural Products

Agricultural products that will not be damaged under their own weight usually don’t have to be pack too carefully for transport. All the truck driver really needs to do is protect the crop against moisture, sunlight, and road debris. The side kit is perfect for this. We are talking about crops like corn, watermelon, and soybeans, by the way.

Along those same lines, there are agricultural products normally transported in crates that can also be handled with a flatbed and side kit. The advantage of the side kit is that the product can be loaded directly onto the trailer without first having to create it. A side kit makes the job faster and more efficient.

2. Industrial Machinery

The majority of flatbed truckers transport industrial machinery just by securing it in place and throwing tarps over it. But as you may already know, industrial machinery comes in all sorts of odd shapes and sizes that do not necessarily make standard tarping easy. Some pieces can be downright impossible to keep completely covered just with tarps alone.

A side kit completely encloses already secured machinery. There are no worries of tarps flying off en route. There are no concerns over damaging tarps on sharp edges. There is no need to use edge protectors and other peripheral equipment normally used in the tarping process.

3. Weather-Sensitive Loads

As wonderful as truck tarps are, they cannot always keep out the weather entirely. Loads extra sensitive to precipitation and sun might be better off enclosed by a side kit rather than covered only in tarps. Loads could be anything from designer building materials to sensitive manufacturing equipment. If there is a need to take special precautions against moisture and sun, a side kit is usually a better option than tarps alone.

4. Wind-Sensitive Loads

Similar to weather sensitive loads are those sensitive to the wind. We are talking about loads that are unusually light, loads that can easily be tossed about at highway speeds if wind were allowed to get underneath them. It might be a lot easier in such cases for the truck driver to install a side kit rather than having to go to great lengths to make sure there is no possibility of wind getting between tarp and load.

Side kits do take some time to install and remove, so they are not ideal for every job. But some jobs require an extra level of protection that tarps alone do not offer. These are the kinds of jobs that are ideal for side kits. If you are a flatbed trucker and you do not own one, now is the time to get one. A side kit will give you more opportunities to find work and make money.

3 Specialized Tarps and Their Uses

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We sell a lot of different kinds of tarps here at Mytee Products. Most of our inventory centers around the trucking industry and its needs, but we also sell a number of other tarps for general utilitarian purposes. We have recently expanded our inventory, and with that have the opportunity to explain the uses of specialized tarps that are vital for the areas they service.

Three of the specialty tarps we now offer are described in this post. Mytee Products is the source for all kinds of tarps, whether you are a trucker or a homeowner in need of something more than you can get at your DIY home improvement store.

Bee Hauling Tarps

The first specialized tarp on our list is the bee hauling tarp. It is also known as a nursery tarp in some circles, but we focus on bee hauling given that our target customers are flatbed truckers. What makes this tarp so special is its breathability. A trucker can cover a load of beehives with one of these tarps in order to make sure none of the critters escapes during transport. At the same time, moisture and air flow freely between tarp and load.

A bee hauling tarp is designed a lot like a lumbar tarp in terms of its shape. It has an elongated top, two side panels, and a rear panel to close up the back of the load. When used in concert with a bulkhead, the tarp completely encloses the hives so that bees do not escape.

As a side note, these are great tarps for transporting nursery products as well. From larger plants to shrubs and small trees, they benefit from the same moisture and air flow bee hauling requires.

Demolition Tarps

The second tarp on our list is not necessarily for truckers only. It is the demolition tarp. It is made of heavy-duty, 18-ounce vinyl and includes polyester webbing and eight reinforced lifting points complete with O-rings. If you haven’t figured it out yet, these tarps are designed for construction projects. However, we are talking demolition rather than material protection.

Lay out one of these tarps prior to demolition and you have an instant debris removal system. Just pile the debris on top of the tarp. When it’s full, connect it to a lifting system via the built-in O-rings. All the trash is gathered together as the tarp is lifted and placed on the back of a waste truck or into a dumpster.

Parachute Tarps

Finally, our third specialized tarp is known as the parachute tarp. It can be used for a variety of loads in the same way steel and lumber tarps are used. The advantage of this tarp is its extremely low weight. The parachute tarp can be up to 40% lighter than comparable vinyl tarps. Equally impressive is the fact that the parachute material is tougher than vinyl.

These tarps are ideal for flatbed loads that are difficult to cover without walking on top. Their lighter weight can eliminate the need to climb up in some cases. And because the material is tougher than vinyl, there are fewer worries about rips and tears. Parachute fabric is just a better choice for some loads.

Mytee Products has every kind of tarp you will ever need. From truck tarps to the utility tarps you might use at home, we have them all. We invite you to take a look at our inventory; we probably have just what you need. And if not, please contact us anyway. We still might be able to find what you are looking for.

The 9 Components of the FMCSA Cargo Securement System

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It is common for truck drivers new to the flatbed game to wonder whether the use of bulkheads is required by law or not. In short, it’s not. But there is a lot more to cargo control than that. The federal government lays out a very strict set of rules defining how cargo is to be secured and controlled. Bulkhead deployment is just one small part.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) publishes its rules in a document known as the Driver’s Handbook on Cargo Securement. It can be downloaded from the agency’s website free of charge. Section 2 of the rules describes the ‘Components of the Securement System’ as defined by the FMCSA. There are nine components to consider:

1. Floors

The assumption here is that the floors referred to in the rules relate to the decking on a trailer. Dry vans, reefers, and straight flatbeds have a single level and, as such, completely flat decks. Step deck trailers are a different matter. You can have two or three different levels depending on design. At any rate, floors play a crucial part in cargo control by providing a certain amount of friction wherever the load comes in contact with flooring.

2. Walls

This component only comes into play for flatbed truckers when side kits are used. A side kit offers temporary walls that can help contain cargo that would otherwise be difficult to control. Obviously, dry goods vans and reefer trailers have the benefit of full enclosure.

3. Decks

This can apply to either the multiple decks of a step-deck trailer or the dual decks of an auto hauler. Decks are similar to floors in terms of their usefulness for cargo control.

4. Tiedown Anchor Points

Tiedown anchor points available for securing cargo are perhaps the most critical component of a cargo control system. Truckers use those anchor points with chains, webbing straps, and bungees. In a dry van or reefer setting, tiedown points are usually mounted on the walls.

5. Headboards

A headboard is the equivalent of a bulkhead on a straight truck – flatbed or box. It prevents the cab of the truck from being breached by shifting cargo in the event such cargo moves forward.

6. Bulkheads

The bulkhead is that forward barrier on the front of a flatbed trailer. In the absence of a bulkhead, flatbed operators have to use extra straps to keep cargo from moving.

7. Stakes

Stakes are anchor points attached to the floor of a trailer or straight truck. They can be used in a number of ways with straps, chains, and blocks.

8. Posts

Posts protrude from a flatbed trailer frame along its perimeter. Posts are an important part of the side kit in that they provide both stability for walls and extra anchor points for cargo control.

9. Anchor Points

The term ‘anchor points’ is more of a generic term encompassing every kind of anchor point on a truck or trailer. Cargo is connected to anchor points by way of chains and straps. The more anchor points, the better.

All of this is probably elementary to you if you are an experienced truck driver. However, a helpful reminder every now and again is not a bad thing. In the arena of cargo control, knowing what you’re doing means all the difference in the world to both safety and legal compliance.

We recommend you download the FMCSA rulebook and keep it handy. You never know when you might have a cargo control question that doesn’t have a quick and easy answer.

 

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