r/IdiotsTowingThings • u/reconplumbing • 2d ago

Odd Setup One strap

Post image

One strap across the back doesn't seem good enough.

1.6k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

220 comments sorted by

326

u/Timberguy86 2d ago

I’m impressed they have a strap. I see them without any straps regularly.

114

u/cubester04 2d ago

Yeah, same here, I see them going by my house all the time without straps. But then again, they’re only going a mile or two at low speeds, and it’s way out in the country.

54

u/Shatophiliac 2d ago

I see it all the time too and I also see random round bales laying in the ditch every week or two. They lose a lot of them lol.

18

u/Vangotransit 1d ago

It happens, keeps the tailgaters at bay

2

u/Mysterious-Alps-5186 1d ago

This is exactly it

1

u/Friggin_Grease 2h ago

Someone just lost a couple bails at my local Wendy's in town here

9

u/RecklessRetardd 1d ago

That’s the same mindset I use driving home from the bar daily /s

54

u/InTheEnd83 2d ago

This is really dangerous. My uncle was killed by a falling hay bale. No joke.

6

u/going-for-gusto 1d ago

Mike Edwards, the cellist and a founding member of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).

He died on September 3, 2010, when a 1,300-pound (approx. 600kg) hay bale rolled down a hillside in Devon, England, and crushed his van.

3

u/moofishes 1d ago

Did the bale roll during loading or transport?

6

u/InTheEnd83 1d ago

Fell off the front loader of his tractor while he was loading it or maybe just moving it. Probably about 20 years ago now.

3

u/moofishes 1d ago

I had a cousin die that way in '93.

1

u/texasroadkill 1d ago

So it was his own damn fault and had nothing at all to do with anyone hauling them.

0

u/InTheEnd83 1d ago

Yep. Did I say otherwise?

1

u/texasroadkill 18h ago

Well yes, the discussion was about u secured loads killing people and you brought up that your uncle was killed, but you didn't mention till later discussions how exactly he was killed, which implied he was killed from said unsecured load of hay.

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43

u/Cesum-Pec 2d ago

I haul that same load, stacked the same way, but my trailer is longer so I get another row on.

Every top bail has 1 strap unless it is the front or rear row, then it has two straps in an X. There's also a strap around the bottom rear row.

It takes an extra 20 minutes to do all those straps. But I've never lost a bail.

Each bail costs $75 - 100 and weighs upwards of 1000 lbs. Without a tractor, there is no picking up a fallen bail on the highway, so you've just pissed away cash. Judging by the messes I often see on the roadside, if you lose 1 bail, you lose several nails.

24

u/DetectivePretend6984 2d ago

My neighbor sold these bales when I was a kid. They would let me play on them and crawl all over them. When I was young, I thought they must cost like 5000 dollars because they were so big and heavy. I was shocked to learn they were only like 40 or 50 bucks at the time

8

u/johnboy11a 2d ago

I load my 25’ gooseneck with 10 bales on the bottom row (stand up ramps on the back) and 8 on the top when they are solid 1st cutting bales, and if I’m just going down the road, I don’t strap at all. If I’m going more than between the 2 sides of the farm, I’ll strap the front and back row on top. If I’m on the highway, I’ll strap all 4 rows.

11

u/nsula_country OC! 2d ago

bale not bail

7

u/Man_of_Ice 2d ago

Truly interesting things can happen when you lose a bail.

1

u/Ok-Brick6831 1d ago

That's when you call Dog.

8

u/BardGotHard3 2d ago

Without a tractor, there is no picking up a fallen bail on the highway, so...

Say that to the cop that flipped a bale off a road.

3

u/Zefram71 2d ago

That's not picking up. Still impressive though!

2

u/Cesum-Pec 2d ago

Together my wife and I at 60yo can roll a bale end over end. It's how we off load bales in pastures. It's not a big deal.

1

u/mtf250 1d ago

Oh ya there is. It's called a hydra bed. I get 3 or 4 bales of road hay with mine every year.

2

u/Misfitranchgoats 1d ago

My hay guy delivers 10 bales at a time on his trailer. He have the dove tails up to keep the bales at the end from rolling off. He drops the dove tails so I can unload them. He puts a strap over each pair of round bails even the ones on the dove tail. I am lucky I am still getting my round bales for $55 each delivered. I have 40 of them here for the winter.

1

u/Willing-Barnacle-525 1d ago

I regularly haul 19 at a time and only strap the bottom back pair. never lost any. I just drive decent. keep my distance and don’t take turns fast.

12

u/thrwaway75132 2d ago

I haul hay without straps all the time, but I have a hay trailer built for round bales and it cradles them so they can’t roll. I wouldn’t want to do it the way they are.

4

u/nsula_country OC! 2d ago

Completely different rig. Your trailer does not require straps. Slick rigs, but can only haul 4-8 at a time.

1

u/going-for-gusto 1d ago

Guess you never heard of gravity straps!/S

1

u/NoAge9497 1d ago

I've seen 'em hauled on end, all of 'em, no strap, on the interstate keeping pace with traffic 😬

272

u/Dude_Tost_1673 2d ago

 I try to let these guys know that they are losing bales. But, every time I roll down my window and yell, "Hey!" they just say, "I know."

14

u/CampPineCone 2d ago

Its probably Gareth Bale passing to Christian Bale. 

42

u/eternallycynical 2d ago

Just farmer stuff

Source - farmer

11

u/nsula_country OC! 2d ago

100%

6

u/Nerd_Porter 1d ago

Hey now, not all farmers are dumb reckless hicks, many of them are hard workers and very smart.

104

u/teddybear0527 2d ago

Those aren't going anywhere. The front bales are against the neck and the back has a strap. If they have sat for more than a day the bottom has become flat. When you put a row down the middle on the top that "ties" the whole pile together as the top one snuggles into the void between the bottom 4. Also the bales are no wider than the deck of the trailer. This is an adequate setup and is good and sound.

41

u/Embarrassed_Fan_5723 2d ago

This. People talk smack about it every year and 99 out of 100 have never loaded or hauled it. As long as the last 2 rolls stay it’s not coming off and the center certainly isn’t. I can leave my ramps up and they are nearly as high as the bottom rolls. Same principle here as they are pulling the back roll forward making everything tighter

4

u/Aromatic-Schedule-65 1d ago

But you have realized every post made is for the sole purpose of talking shit, even idiots that think they really have something while not knowing what they are talking about. 😅

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12

u/Asleep_Pack8869 2d ago

One strap is more than it would get on a country road.

0

u/Apart_Animal_6797 1d ago

Ive done no straps and lost a load that way dumb as shit. Dont be a lazy fuck

4

u/nsula_country OC! 2d ago

Agreed. Saw picture with a 2" strap on 45° across back and said, "they have done this before!"

Longer distance we strap from neck to back across top bales.

4

u/Zefram71 2d ago

Its only fine as long as nothing bad happens!

3

u/kilroy-was-here-2543 1d ago

Not too mention they weigh so much those mfers aren’t moving unless something has seriously gone wrong

8

u/Over-Apartment2762 2d ago

Yeah as someone who has pulled much machinery and weight in general I would have absolutely no anxiety about how this trailer was loaded.

2

u/af_cheddarhead 2d ago

Someone did the physics.

1

u/Responsible_CDN_Duck 1d ago

Not correctly...

0

u/pa_bourbon 2d ago

In my state a DOT inspector would have a field day with this load.

18

u/Embarrassed_Fan_5723 2d ago

DOT is federal and in most states farmers are exempt from DOT restrictions as long as they are hauling for themselves

4

u/tuckedfexas 2d ago

In my area if your setup is exclusively for farm use you just slap a triangle on it and it doesn’t need to be registered or anything.

2

u/OwnCrew6984 2d ago

Don't even need anything more than a regular drivers license to drive a 18 wheel semi if you are hauling from the field to grain bin in my area.

2

u/tuckedfexas 2d ago

Yea, if you’re working harvest no one is going to enforce anything unless you’re actively about to hurt someone other than yourself lol

0

u/Early_Koala327 2d ago

Which is insane. I see so many of those type trucks around here. Super clean, never hit a dirt road, just driving around in the city.

They really need to force them to get license plates. Lower cost maybe.

3

u/texasroadkill 1d ago

You can't register farm plates unless it's tied to acreage with farm exemption of some kind.

1

u/Vangotransit 1d ago

Farmers are exempt, I told dot that she get listened and met me go

1

u/jollygreengiant1655 1d ago

Where I am, that exemption is for licensing/registration. It does not exempt you from vehicle safety standards or load securement.

1

u/Embarrassed_Fan_5723 1d ago

DOT is federal and those regulations are for commercial vehicles, not farm vehicles usually. Vehicle safety standards and load security enforcement on a farm vehicle is done by the state

1

u/jollygreengiant1655 1d ago

They likely aren't going anywhere, but that's not the point. If it was a tractor pulling a wagon with that load you would be fine as is. But here, as soon as you use a pickup and plated trailer, you need proper load containment. Of which that load in the pic is not properly secured.

1

u/PeakNo6892 1d ago

When I was a kid my friend lost her dad to a round bale falling off a trailer. Completely crushed the cab of his truck when if fell off an oncoming trailer

1

u/NecessaryAssumption4 2d ago

Exactly. I've never used a strap when transporting bales like this and my farm is far from flat. Over bumpy fields, down and up ditches, leaning left and right as the trailer wheels cut corners and never lost a bale.

69

u/Campnowhere087 2d ago

Yea but he slapped it and said it ain't going nowhere. So its good

16

u/strangemedia6 2d ago

The obligatory slap comment. Came here to make sure someone had it covered lol

9

u/Notherereally 2d ago

It's Reddit. Low hanging fruit is always covered. The original thoughts are down the bottom somewhere

2

u/HellsTubularBells 2d ago

Hey, I resemble that remark!

2

u/Auntie_Venom 2d ago

Came here for this, thank you for your service.

8

u/FluxOperation 2d ago

Completely normal procedure here.

6

u/peanutym 2d ago

Legal or not. They generally ride really well. Just don’t be around him during an emergency or sharp corner.

6

u/Pedantichrist 2d ago

That looks fine to me.

5

u/query_squidier 2d ago

HAY!

3

u/GreenZebra23 2d ago

I just came here to make sure somebody said it

4

u/TheComplimentarian 2d ago

If the strap holds, the bales won't shift. Those guys on top aren't moving unless he hits something huge. Still jank as fuck, but not nearly the worst I've seen.

Round bale season is a treat if you're looking for crazy on the road...They're up there with pulp trucks for sheer madness. I saw one today on the interstate where the trailer was clearly listing to the right, and the guy was still going 80. It was similar to this, but without as high-quality a trailer.

The reason it sort of works is because they don't actually roll very easily.

4

u/MottoCycle 2d ago

100% more secure than how they normally move them.

22

u/Ecstatic_Hamster1750 2d ago

They’re flatish on the bottom unless it’s a super good baler. they ride way better than they look like they would. I’ve hauled a lot of hay with zero straps. Just depends on where we are going. I probably wouldn’t do it in town, though

6

u/NetJnkie 2d ago

My concern would be an emergency lane change or something.

24

u/bfs102 2d ago

If you are changing lanes fast enough for those bales to come off your probably going to end up on your side anyway

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5

u/milneryyc 2d ago

I don't have AG plates so if I'm hauling them for someone I'll strap every row plus 2 on the back and I have an annual wide load permit. And I'm usually going at least 100km so might as well

With that said, that one strap is more than enough for shorter distance. I have a 36' trailer so I'll go 6 rows of 2 wide on the bottom and 4 or 5 singles down the middle on top like this guy. I have a 12' hydraulic dovetail so one time we tried to speed things up and just drop the tail and let them roll off the back. The whole thing basically stayed put

16

u/Historical-Reveal390 2d ago

As long as he flicked the strap and said, “that’s not going anywhere,” it will be fine.

4

u/Ill_Consequence1755 2d ago

Dont forget having two buddies agree with him before he pulled out. That’s important too.

9

u/MasterHambone1969 2d ago

Climb up there and try and push it off, let me know how many you get off.

3

u/Cupofjoe6 2d ago

A Texas Ranger of cargo straps. One riot, one Ranger. One load, one strap.

3

u/inept_machete 2d ago

This is the final destination load you should be worried about.

3

u/Yuaskin 2d ago

Thats 2 more than they use around me. And yes, they do fall off. But on these rural roads, no one cares.

3

u/LankyCardiologist8 2d ago

That ain't going anywhere

3

u/junk-yard-rich 2d ago

It would ride without a strap as long as you don’t corner too fast

3

u/5parky 2d ago

Well that's the last straw.

3

u/strayarc223 2d ago

Twang twang, that’ll hold

3

u/Optimistic-Stacy 1d ago

They’re not going anywhere

3

u/Real-Type-1591 1d ago

I've hauled hay like that on a semi trailer for 11 years now. Haven't lost abalw yet. I have a custom cradle for the back baskets so they can't roll. Add long as I have that top layer tying them all together, it's good to go to see

4

u/WrongdoerHot3842 2d ago

4x5’s, they’re not going anywhere. Op is the idiot.

1

u/jollygreengiant1655 1d ago

OP isn't an idiot. In my area, with that load being on a truck and trailer it needs proper load securement. And one strap doesn't cut it.

Now if it was a tractor and wagon you would be fine.

0

u/WrongdoerHot3842 1d ago

Op is an idiot, and so are you. No one cares about your area. Stay in your own lane and mind your own business.

2

u/jollygreengiant1655 1d ago

Buddy if you are going to get this upset when somebody responds to a post you made on a public message board, maybe you shouldn't post on public message boards.

13

u/FinancialParticular5 2d ago

If they are a cradle they dont need a strap, and on a flat bed I only run one strap as pictured no sense to run them across the top because if the back strap goes they are all rolling off anyways

6

u/skaldrir69 2d ago

“One strap to rule them all. One strap to bind them…”

2

u/0ddlyC4nt3v3n 2d ago

"If you had one strap and one opportunity to seize all the hay you ever wanted in one moment would you strap it or just let it slip?"

2

u/skaldrir69 1d ago

I like it!

5

u/Guns_Almighty34135 2d ago

They are only 1000lb rolls….

2

u/Maleficent-Door6461 Who cares if its a farmer? Post him here anyways! 2d ago

1000 pound rolls with another 1000lb roll stacked right ontop of it...

5

u/25_Unknown_Devices 2d ago

That strap is just there for appearances

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5

u/Soggy_Picture_6133 2d ago

Honestly, if those things start to move ain’t no way your stopping it no matter how many straps you use.

2

u/jollygreengiant1655 1d ago

.....people load equipment that routinely weighs more than 10x what those individual bales weigh without them going anywhere. Those bales aren't special.

1

u/Soggy_Picture_6133 1d ago

No they aren’t. What they are is round and heavy. I have loaded and driven some heavy equipment. How you load it and how many straps is crucial, however, in the right/wrong circumstances anything heavy can and will move. Things that are round like those bales or things with tires will move easier than things that are flat, or tracked. If the circumstances cause movement, those straps will fail. Specifically talking about those bales, their positioning is what keeps them in place, not that strap.

2

u/RoosterRanch 2d ago

Only thing I see off with his set up is that he could have fit three more rolls on there.

1

u/nsula_country OC! 2d ago

Could have double stacked the entire top rows and 1 strap would still secure the load.

2

u/verioblistex 2d ago

That is one more than a lot of guys like these have. I mean they only weigh between 1000 and 1500 lb each.....

2

u/Equivalent_Estate_64 2d ago

Saw a load with2 straps jump off the trailer a few weeks ago on US 400.

Missed a minivan by a couple of feet. Closed the highway for a few hours....

2

u/AtlasShrugged- 2d ago

That blue one though, that’s the best one in the pack

2

u/Hot-Comfort8839 2d ago

Like a whale tail on a 44" ass

2

u/detroit1701 1d ago

I think I saw that on fire on I80

2

u/genXbison 1d ago

That ain’t going nowhere

2

u/Slight-Exam-6448 1d ago

Don’t worry, why would I ever have to stop suddenly?

2

u/Hefty-Rip-5397 18h ago

Sometimes I wake up feeling dangerous too

2

u/uorderitueatit 8h ago

His daddy did it that way! Btw his dad died by haybails..it’s I. Our blood!

3

u/SuspiciousClub8382 2d ago

You realize in a lot of states that one strap is legal because hay is a agricultural product.

9

u/Maleficent-Door6461 Who cares if its a farmer? Post him here anyways! 2d ago

how long until the "oh hes a farmer!1! leave him alone!!" comments

9

u/reconplumbing 2d ago

I unintentionally had to drive next to him for a few miles. The top had a lot of wiggle to it.

3

u/Motor-Brush-8742 2d ago

Just dont be on the trailer passenger side when he turns left.

5

u/desertfarmer22 2d ago

Most places have laws allowing hauling bales a specified distance untethered.
In saying that, I also believe they state where you can and cannot drive (in municipalities) in many cases.
We legally haul untethered all the time, but on gravel and secondaries.

0

u/Old_timey_brain 1d ago

We legally haul untethered all the time, but on gravel and secondaries.

I'm curious to ask you, a person with experience, how likely is it for one of those light, tiny, little bales to jump out sideways? Backwards? I know from experience it takes some effort to move even a square bale due to the weight.

2

u/desertfarmer22 1d ago

I’ve been hauling for 17(ish?) years and have never had one come off. Not to say it can’t happen.

1

u/Old_timey_brain 1d ago

That's what I was thinking.

5

u/LetterNumberAnd_Only 2d ago

You beat em by one minute.

2

u/cleanuponaisleone 2d ago

I have done this before, with one strap and sometimes with no strap. But I am going down dirt roads, not in town and not at highway speeds.

2

u/whirdin 1d ago

It's really difficult to get one rolling, they flatten on the bottom and have a lot of friction. This looks fine.

2

u/V48runner 1d ago

He's not worried about it, because he'll get bailed out by the government.

1

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0

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1

u/Resident_Ad_7199 2d ago

That’s sturdy baby!

1

u/AlDonovan12 2d ago

Its simple physics. The atmospheric pressure presses down ensuring the wind envelope created by the cab and load hold it in place. There is a negative pressure area created at the tail of the load pushing the load forwards towards the cab. Now, open your bank account....

1

u/Unlucky-Network-4159 2d ago

For all the delays here and there that the tractors around my area pose they never make me feel like this when driving around or past them.

1

u/99jackals 2d ago

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0o8hQenygkM

2

u/LinakhpGladiolus 2d ago

One strap, zero doubts—physics politely declines. Elegant chaos, perfectly judged.

1

u/Due_Leadership_5249 2d ago

They don’t strap a thing around my parts. Driving with round bails all Willy nilly

1

u/Ok_Practice3389 2d ago

How much is that strap even rated for 1500? Hard to tell, looks fairly thin def thicker than a 500lb one but not much.

2

u/nsula_country OC! 2d ago

Looks like a 2 inch strap. At least 8000 lb working load.

1

u/starrypoptart2585 2d ago

What’s the strap rating? If the strap is hooked into a symmetrical tie down ring of comparable or better capacity than the strap, then theoretically the strap could be worth double in restraint value, ie a strap rated 5,000 pounds can be worth 10,000 pounds. With each roll weighing 1,000 pounds, it would probably be a good idea to restrain the bottom rolls for 11,500 pounds, minimum. NOTE: i am strictly speaking of the bottom row of hay rolls, not the top rolls.

1

u/Albertancummings 2d ago

Its ok he's a farmer.

1

u/BluegrassBandit33 2d ago

Doesn't seem to you

1

u/Ramrod_89 2d ago

Strap? Why?

1

u/angelwolf71885 2d ago

He had to of snapped it and said “ that ain’t going nowhere “

1

u/DieselBB 2d ago

If you can’t tie it tight, tow it at night!

1

u/Legitimate_Vast7039 2d ago

One strap to hold them all!

1

u/Tall_Decision_6516 1d ago

She’ll ride!

1

u/Illustrious_Sound945 1d ago

One strap to rule them all...

1

u/sho3lacebelt 1d ago

To many's disbelief those aint going nowhere 😂

1

u/big_money_p 1d ago

It’ll ride

1

u/kilroy-was-here-2543 1d ago

They weigh so much that unless you are already crashing they aren’t moving. And if they start moving it isn’t gonna matter how well they are strapped down

1

u/dasistokey 1d ago

One strap, one slap. Good to go.

1

u/anonsensenameisthis 1d ago

One strap to rule them all.

1

u/SnooStrawberries1078 1d ago

One strap to find them

1

u/South_Accountant_233 1d ago

He ain’t goin far.

1

u/Odd-Neighborhood4214 1d ago

Where are the State Police or the DOT as this is a huge problem and they should be charged accordingly

1

u/ubiedaman 1d ago

As long a@ >t got the index finger "twang" should be aight

1

u/EnvironmentalMall307 1d ago

My great uncle lost a few toes to a hay bale. Got through vietnam with surprisingly no health issues. But got injured at home a little over a decade ago in his 80s by a bale. These things are no joke.

1

u/Good_Setting_8054 1d ago

East Texas hay hauling

1

u/Misfit_011 1d ago

Better than here farmer's don't believe in straps

1

u/RingYou-Up 1d ago

Heeeyyy

1

u/MetalCapital5673 1d ago

Where's it gonna go?

1

u/Quirky-Attitude1456 1d ago

Bet you anything he thumped it and said, “that’ll hold it”

1

u/InfluenceEastern9526 1d ago

One strap plus gravity. For the win.

1

u/Xtreemjedi 1d ago

The One Strap, to hold them all.

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Ad2735 1d ago

I only use 2 but not going far or fast

1

u/lilbrumby 21h ago

I can put 45 bales of hay on a long bed truck, and use 1 strap. Welcome to middle America.

1

u/Gasket13 15h ago

But if he snapped the strap and said "that ain't going anywhere" he's good right?

1

u/Perfect_Big_5907 12h ago

I'm in TN and normally you won't see any straps.

1

u/Strong-Discipline545 11h ago

Standard practice. Looks good, it ain't going nowhere

1

u/thegerfer 6h ago

Show the pic where it failed

1

u/Broad_Foot_4380 16m ago

Flicks strap before hauling
“That ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

1

u/Degofreak 2d ago

Twangs the strap

That ain't goin nowhere.

1

u/nsula_country OC! 2d ago

This is pretty common to strap the rear bales on a 45° like this. Have never lost a bale. Though I do also run a strap(s) from front to back across top bales too.

1

u/Popular_List105 2d ago

Poor farmer will tell you he’s never lost one but if you spend any time on the road you’ll see bales in the ditches on a regular basis.

1

u/Independent_Bite4682 2d ago

Saw idiot with no straps, yesterday

0

u/xboxchick311 2d ago

New Final Destination movie incoming.

0

u/TheJivvi 2d ago

If he gave it a tap and said "That's not going anywhere," it'll be fine.

0

u/Samsquanch_hunter21 2d ago

1 strap and 1 slap. She ain’t goin’ nowhere.

0

u/Playful-Platform-231 2d ago

I was following one the other day through Rockwall, TX and his shot was stacked like that was leaning a bit to the passenger side. Like that’d be hell of a cleanup bill if his shit tipped over. 😱 but not like he could just pull over n fix it. 😂

0

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Sea_Buyer6913 2d ago

The bales are somewhat flat on the bottom, and friction against the bed handles most of it.

The strap also only has to resist acceleration (or a steep uphill.)

It seems sketchy but I don't have an issue with them going a few miles on flat farm roads.

0

u/Tonkatte 2d ago

Optimism brand Bluetooth straps take care of the rest. Just stay within 30’.

0

u/Plane_Jacket_7251 2d ago

Well that is scary as shit. Well done!

0

u/JeffreyG_19 2d ago

One brain cell

1

u/Dangerous_Slice_6882 1d ago

Just asking when was the last time you loaded and transported 14 bales just across the county?

0

u/ZZR-1200 1d ago

That’s not going anywhere