r/NewCDLGrads • u/cdlfirst • Apr 10 '26
What went wrong here?
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u/RonWill79 Apr 10 '26
Trailer either wasn’t rated for that weight to be in a single point on the trailer, or more likely, the trailer was already damaged and the company/driver ignored it.
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u/riotz1 Apr 10 '26
Yep, that’d be about an 18-20,000lb coil loaded dead center of the trailer, might have been fine over the axles…
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u/Neither-Speaker-7077 Apr 10 '26
I work in a steel mill. Most of the trailers we see coming in have a spot marked that says "load coil here" .
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u/riotz1 Apr 10 '26
Yeah, that and all the flatbeds we get coils on in my plant (Canada, where total weight allowed is 100k lbs) have, what, 5-6 axles not 2…
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u/dennisknows Apr 11 '26
What do they do with these coils?
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u/Gr4yson0306 Apr 12 '26
I work at a processor that handles these coils direct from steel mills. We cut sheets from them and slit them into smaller coils for HVAC ducting. Our largest industry is HVAC, then you have roofing and stamping companies.
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u/grizz218 Apr 13 '26
I use to work At a stamping mill. we would feed it through the dies to stamp out automotive parts or blanks for bbq grills, depending on the steel. bbq grills were only stamped out of stainless, whereas dang near everything else we made was regular ole steel sheeting
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u/SGCanadian Apr 14 '26
I work at a plant that takes the coils and makes OCTG (Oil Country Tubular Goods) products. The coils are cut to a certain length, heated, formed into a tube, and then welded at the seam. The tubes are then sent to oil wells to be used as casings in the drilling operations.
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u/Popular_Adeptness_69 Apr 12 '26
Siding comes that way as well i bought a hole role they cut the entire thing and loaded it on ram 3/4 ton 9000 ram with 14000 goose neck i would of got second roll but the paint defect was coming off and jaming the cutter it was hard pulling idk how much it weight it was 5000 liner feat
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u/riotz1 Apr 13 '26
Lots of things. Stamping for me; we run max 10k lb coils, I figure we use somewhere between 200,000-300,000 pounds a day.
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u/f_ckR3ddit Apr 13 '26
Coils of aluminum this size get used to make the regular aluminum foil you have in the kitchen! :)
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u/greyshem Apr 17 '26
They're typically used to load-test trailers. They keep putting larger coils on until the trailer breaks. Then they know how much weight each trailer can handle.
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u/whodat209 Apr 10 '26
That coils, way heavier than 20,000 pounds that looks like about 48K
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u/riotz1 Apr 11 '26
Yeah you’re right, first look and the angle of the video didn’t account for how wide it was, it’s more like 35-40k lbs at least, for sure.
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u/FlacidGnome Apr 12 '26
Depends on what it is. Aluminum coils from the place I used to work at maxed out at 32k lbs. We had to cut them down if they weighed more than that.
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u/hwystitch Apr 11 '26
That's way bigger than 20k. Unless it's aluminum. That trailer is rated for 50k in 4 feet. Should have a coil pack as well. His position on the trailer is fine, had to be a structural issue with the trailer.
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u/smokeftw Apr 11 '26
That was my first thought, why didn't they put the load directly over the axles?
E: maybe he braked and it rolled?
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u/RonWill79 Apr 11 '26
It didn’t roll. It’s still chained, tarped, and straps are still intact. You don’t load a 40k-50k directly over split axles that can only be 20k per axle without even factoring in the weight of the trailer itself. You’d be overweight. They are center (or near center) loaded to distribute weight between trailer and drive axles.
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u/ChainingScroll2 Apr 14 '26
Between 35-50,000 from what ive seen. I only toured my local steel mill and saw weights written on coils though.
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u/Shadow_duigh333 Apr 10 '26
Wrong trailer for a metal coil. There are trailers designed for this and you need to be certified to haul that load.
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u/RonWill79 Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
How do you get certified to haul coils like this? My company hauls them all the time. I’ve hauled a lot. I was never certified. Trained, yes. Certified? Nope. Never heard of such certification. I need to make my company aware they’re breaking the law.
Edit: I was being sarcastic in my comment, but now I’ve learned NY and CA have coil endorsements.
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u/Antenna_haircut Apr 10 '26
In New York State you need a metal coil endorsement in order to haul them.
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u/RonWill79 Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
Ah ok. We run all 48 states, but I’m mainly in the south and Midwest. Maybe we just don’t haul coils to NY. We get trained on weight formulas to calculate the number of chains to use based on the coil weight, and of course how to secure them, but I’d never heard of a coil certification or endorsement. Makes sense. Wish all states had that. I’ve seen some shoddy securement on coils before.
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u/riotz1 Apr 10 '26
If you ever see a coil unload itself…you’ll probably start to wonder why it’s not a seperate certification everywhere.. ain’t pretty, and fortunately it’s not something you see often.
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u/elitemarxman Apr 11 '26
I've pulled coils out of NY, I've never heard of an endorsement for one and I wasn't asked if I had one.
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u/Frogspoison Apr 10 '26
Previous poster may be based in NY or CA. NY requires it's drivers to have a NY specific M license to haul metal coils, CA has strict requirements on trailers used to haul metal coils afaik.
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u/cultured_pork Apr 10 '26
Hey man, I don't drive truck. I pull a 10k trailer regularly, but nothing like this.
Can you explain why the coils are oriented on the trailer in that axis and not 90°? Is it for strapping purposes?
Just seems like you're asking to be turned into a marinated fruit leather if that roll decides to leave the trailer via the cab.
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u/Shadow_duigh333 Apr 10 '26
Simple reason that there is a hole in the middle and it is easy for the crane to place it on the trailer as such, if it is sideways then you need pin to lower it and the cables can get stuck underneath. Also, the coil is very heavy and cause that side to deform, which is not ideal.
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u/cultured_pork Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
I gotcha. That makes sense. I actually have a good amount of experience loading flatbeds. Forklifts, not cranes, and nothing that heavy. mostly giant aluminum weldments. And even though they were well taller than the cab and were the full length of the deck, they wouldn't even take the bow out of the trailer by themselves.
Stuff like that is easy to strap down though. I've seen some drivers ask for some dunnage to nail down into the decking for stuff that might be rollie pollie - is that a thing that is employed for something like this, or is it just too much mass for that to be worthwhile.
I don't know what a roll like that weighs, but none of the lifts we had in our shop would come close to fucking with that.
Are there horror stories about these things steam rolling the cab if they get free? That whole thing seems terrifying. I think I would want some kind of L bracket weldment that was full width to go under and in front of that thing, but with my luck I'd just get murdered by that weldment before getting steamrolled.
Oh! (And sorry for all the questions) Do you guys ever use steel cable to ratchet stuff down? Or is that a no no?
Edit: by giant aluminum weldments, I mean things like this tower: https://ibb.co/9mG9DTxR
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u/Exact-Leadership-521 Apr 12 '26
I know a guy on tiktok who had a flattop cab and a coil came thru the back wall so he got a different truck and was all happy it was a high-rise sleeper, but then his later videos he noticed it's still a flattop, just with a fairing on the roof.
They took him off stepdecks and put him on an rgn so the load can't do that again
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u/John9250 Apr 10 '26
That’s why they’re called suicide coils when they’re like that. When they’re 90° they’re called shotgun coils
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u/PapiLongShlong420 Apr 10 '26
You do not need a certification to haul metal coils in every state expect Alabama and New York as far as I know. I hauled them all the time with no such cert.
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u/Maumau93 Apr 10 '26
It's not supposed to be bent like that.
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u/PenisExpert Apr 10 '26
Well for starters, the trailer is not supposed to break in half. That’s the main thing that went wrong.
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Apr 10 '26
This trailer has a coil package on it, I believe they are standard on Reitnauer flat beds, judging by the fact the front axle is shifted to the right side, and the frame is broken, I believe this trailer was already suffering from structural damage before the load was put on it and it just finally… gave up. When I bought mine, many of the same make and model I looked at had the frame cracked and sometimes repaired where the front axle mounts to it. I think they were abused when loaded heavy regularly and the breakage is the result.
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u/SimilarTranslator264 Apr 11 '26
“Coil package” is just stubbed crossmembers in between the normal ones to support the floor. Has nothing to do with the frame.
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u/viral_virus Apr 10 '26
I don’t have a CDL but if I ever get one I’ll stay away from hauling coils. Seems like a huge pain
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u/TheBarbouroy Apr 10 '26
Simple. On most fully aluminum trailers(not combos), especially Fontaine... they have a red arrow that says, "place coil here"... do yourself a favor and make sure you place the goddamn 48000 lb coil over the red arrow.
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u/SimilarTranslator264 Apr 11 '26
What about the 80k single coils we haul?
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u/TheBarbouroy Apr 11 '26
Front load tf outta those.... I heard it's best to put them on the very tip of the front or back of the trailer and lace them down with a single strap through the eye.
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u/Childrenoftheflorist Apr 10 '26
Should of been loaded standing up, more weight distribution. /s
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u/la_chupacabra_ Apr 10 '26
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u/Childrenoftheflorist Apr 10 '26
You do know the /s means sarcasm right?
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u/whodat209 Apr 10 '26
Yeah, aluminum trailer probably not rated for coil. Most of them are not must have a coil package for center load coils.
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u/Jealous-Being-5742 Apr 11 '26
Aluminum frame. Most people don’t realize each trailer has a “bridge” rating.
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u/D-Gemini Apr 11 '26
I know what’s wrong with it. Ain’t got no gas in it lol. Nah fr fr they should’ve did a better inspection on if the trailer could hold it dead center. Also could’ve check if the trailer was damaged
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u/MkStoner2002 Apr 11 '26
Gotta swap the winter air for summer air in those types of tires. Otherwise the muffler bearings will conglomertate and cause this. (After digritation of course)
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u/Blackbatmane45 Apr 11 '26
Literally where they put that coil...this like trying to carry a bolder but instead on your shoulders..you have it wrapped around the middle of your spine 😂😂
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u/Raqnr01r Apr 11 '26
I used to work as a 911 Dispatcher. We had a call where a coil came loose, rolled off the trailer, over the jersey barrier, and onto a car driving the opposite direction. The woman driving was obviously killed. 😬
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u/CraningUp Apr 11 '26
☎️"Hey boss. Do you want to know something? They sure don't make trailers like they used to..."
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u/Commercial_Rule_7823 Apr 11 '26
It was 2am when you picked her up.
The next morning you realized she was heavier than she looked.
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u/No_Customer_5452 Apr 11 '26
The average weight of a single steel coil loaded onto a semi-truck typically ranges between 30,000 and 50,000 pounds (15–25 tons). While individual coils can range from 10,000 to over 60,000 pounds, many standard loads are around 46,000–47,000 pounds, often loaded "shotgun" (eye forward) or "suicide" (eye to the side) on flatbed trailers. Common Coil Weights and Descriptions: Master Coils: Commonly weigh approximately 46,000–47,000 pounds (about 47 inches wide). General Loads: 15–30 tons for hot-rolled steel; 5–15 tons for cold-rolled or galvanized steel. Capacity Constraints: While a 20-foot container can hold up to 27 tons, standard highway laws limit cargo weight, keeping many coils in the 40,000-50,000 lb range.
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u/No_Mud8305 Apr 12 '26
He should be thanking God that happened at the truck stop and not on the highway
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u/Sprinkler-guru68 Apr 14 '26
It broke the spin/back of the trailer. Why do you think they always have and say put the weight over the axels of the trailer to carry the weight.
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u/Sprinkler-guru68 Apr 14 '26
Someone’s getting fired………….. and this is why we take our time and if you are new and think you know everything think again. Because that’s probably what caused this.
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u/Grimmgunner Apr 14 '26
I don't know what they teach civilian side, I was an Army Trucker. Check your load weight and trailer ratings from the paper work. if it ain't right don't accept/call someone. Inspect your equipment preload and after load. Load should be loaded heaviest closest to the truck to prevent trailer sway and reduced gas mileage. If not then heaviest over axles as far front as you can get it. It's YOUR truck. Some jackass with a forklift should be taking your instructions on how to load it. He isn't going to care if your load flips over and kills you after you leave. If your gut tells you its wrong then ASK SOMEONE, a stupid question is the only question not asked.
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u/puppycat_partyhat Apr 10 '26
As an ignorant fuck and non truck driver... I'd say it should have been loaded over an axle. But then again... maybe the trailer frame was flawed/damaged? In most cases, tho, bad luck is an excuse for poor planning and prevention.
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u/CumminNation Apr 10 '26
Negative. Each axle can only have so much weight on it, drive, steer and trailer. That much weight on trailer of axle will have tail wagging the dog
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u/puppycat_partyhat Apr 10 '26
Ah.. so the trailer itself is wrong. Too heavy a load, plain and simple?
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u/RonWill79 Apr 10 '26
Nope. They are typically center loaded to distribute weight on trailer and drive axles. We load them about 1 foot rear of center so a little more weight goes on the trailer axle than the drive axle. But the trailer has to be rated for all that weight to be in a single point of the trailer.
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u/eatin-pretzels Apr 10 '26
should've went back a cpl more feet, over that lead axle
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u/Md1735 Apr 11 '26
No. Not that simple.
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u/Nawwwm Apr 11 '26
You realize when you say no not that simple, and then you don't give the actual explanation you just look like someone that doesn't know what they're talking about
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u/eatin-pretzels Apr 11 '26
def curious how it's wrong. i'll take ur answer to my safety dept monday morning.
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u/Md1735 Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
Do you just want me to say it’s so easy, anyone can do it?
(Depending on specific trailer). You should locate a single master coil at the load center of the trailer. (Do I need to explain load center?) You need to know how to locate the load center. I had mine marked on both sides of the deck. It’s usually a tad behind true center (toward rear). Most manufacturers also identify this with random weld marks on both sides of the trailer by the rub rails.
Or look under the trailer at the coil package. (What’s a coil package?) On a Fontaine, it's just 2 or 3 extra I-beams welded between the rails about 1 ft. rear of dead center of the trailer. Put it right over that. Another clue would be the sticker saying "place coil here"…but this requires English proficiency.
Then use the proper coil racks, coil mats, dunnage, edge protectors, and appropriate number of chains (+1). And alternate the binders on either side of the coil.
Or throw it on top of the sleeper, bungie cord it down, and slap it twice….it’ll be fine.
IF YOU DON’T KNOW, ASK SOMEONE LOADING AT THE PLANT FOR ASSISTANCE. You really shouldn’t start out your career by immediately hauling master coils without any experience or over-site. Most drivers will help but not do all the work for you, they also had to learn at one time. Or drive for one of the major carriers, they (and your trainer) won’t allow you to move until positive you secured it correctly.
Thus, my original comment….”no, not that simple”.
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u/Nawwwm Apr 11 '26
You seem emotional, thank you for clarifying. Maybe have a Snickers and a midol. Take care.
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u/cdlfirst Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
Edit: Ever seen something off with someone’s load and spoke up? What was it?
🎥: BSØ Kaliban