Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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EQUIPMENT: WIDE LOADS few nontypical ones – and ing to do and try to prepare we made them available to for any eventuality. There the drivers on a moment's will always be surprises, but notice no matter where the bottom line is that lack they are," he says. Drivers of planning will cost you a simply use their in-cab fleet lot of money." management devices to call Newell says the strangest up the appropriate video for cargo Maverick ever hauled the situation they're facing were full-sized "Thomas and find company-approved The Tank Engine" locomoAt Little Rock, Ark.-based Maverick Transportation, driver training recommendations on how tives based on the children's occurs in stages, with load securement being one of the main to proceed. television show. "Our engicurriculum subjects. neering team had to create railroad track ramps that we could place on the rear of the IN THE SPOTLIGHT For flatbed haulers, high-visibility loads are another fact of flatbeds to get the engines on and off," he says. life. In the best-case scenario, hauling flatbed means getting But in Newell's opinion, there's really no such thing as a an intensive lookover from every law enforcement officer "weird" load. "To me, it just boils down to how we're going the driver encounters. Add an extra large or unusual load to to deal with it," he says. the equation, and the number of eyeballs checking out your Maverick's glass-hauling operations are a case in point. truck increases exponentially. Newell concedes that many fleets would consider hauling "When you're hauling a flatbed, you're a target," Sampey large glass panes on flatbeds an unacceptable risk. says. "That's just the way it is." "If it's secured correctly and everything is done right, it's Holmes says a good way to cut down on law enforcement not a big issue," he says. "Our engineering team has created troubles is to get to know the officials you'll see frequently. an outstanding system of A-frame racks and padding that "With CSA, once you become a target, it's hard to shake that lets us be safe and efficient. And finding the right kind of off," he says. "We've found that reaching out to the state podriver is a key, too. Our guys that haul glass like the challice and DOT is a good way to avoid that. The more you can lenge. They enjoy doing it because not just anybody can." get those agencies to visit you and see what you're doing and Making use of modern technology also has made a big conduct audits, the easier it is to improve your scores and difference for Maverick, which filmed a series of brief keep them up there. They'll give you good pointers on how instructional videos for its drivers. "We sat down and came to do things better and safer." up with every hauling configuration we see – as well as a A vehicle that exceeds the legal dimensions usually requires a special permit, which requires extra fees. The permit also usually specifies a route the load must follow, as well as the dates and times during which the load may travel. 66 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2013