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#179857 08/03/08 02:00 PM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 265
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How many of you guys have lost stuff off your pipe rack/pickup bed due to forgetting to secure or strap failure? What was it? I lost 60 feet of 2 inch pvc conduit in the middle of an intersection the other day. Had 100 on the truck took 40 off at job and forgot to restrap the rest when I left for lunch. Managed to gather it up no harm no foul, could have been alot worse.


Jimmy

Life is tough, Life is tougher when you are stupid
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,116
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I never lost anything, but a friend lost a 6' Ladder that way. He didn't even realize it was gone until he got home.

eek
Bill

Last edited by Bill Addiss; 08/03/08 02:43 PM. Reason: spelling
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
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Once I forgot to secure a 12' Wooden stepladder. In the fast lane of the 405 freeway (70 mph), I saw the shadow of my truck in the afternoon sun. The ladder was at about a 45° angle on the back of my truck rack.

I eased into the "breakdown lane" to my left and the ladder fell off. I hit the brakes. To my amazement it followed me....right up the lane...and stopped, perfectly centered about 3' away from my truck, only slightly damaged.

My other gross mistakes have not been so lucky, nor had such a happy ending. frown

electure #179860 08/03/08 04:30 PM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 680
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I lost my tool box the other day. I have a Reading body and my tools are drivers side front compartment. Sometimes the door doesn't latch even though it looks like it is. I left home, drove 25 miles into Brewer was going around a sharp right hand turn approaching a traffic light when out it came. I carry alot of hand tools as I do mechanical work on equipment also. Sucked, snap on tools spread across the road, busy intersection, 7.15 in the morning, I was livid. Ruined the tool box, bought a new one and bolted it in so it can't happen again smile

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,429
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LK Offline
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Originally Posted by wire_twister
How many of you guys have lost stuff off your pipe rack/pickup bed due to forgetting to secure or strap failure? What was it? I lost 60 feet of 2 inch pvc conduit in the middle of an intersection the other day. Had 100 on the truck took 40 off at job and forgot to restrap the rest when I left for lunch. Managed to gather it up no harm no foul, could have been alot worse.


Roofer neighbor, had a ladder fall off truck, it hit the police chiefs personal, just delivered new car, he is really good at checking his truck loads now, after an expensive lesson.

Last edited by LK; 08/03/08 04:42 PM.
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,335
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Years ago, before my sparky days, I worked for a construction company. I was driving a flatbed that had a bunch of construction material to include sheet metal siding from a prefab building I was hauling back to the warehouse. I jack rabbitted out in to a busy intersection but the siding decided to stay there, in the middle of the intersection. Not only was it embarrassing, my boss was not too happy about the damage siding either.

I also had a couple bundles of conduit do the same thing years later and under the same condition (jackrabbitting into busy traffic). Now I think about, both incidents happened just a few blocks away on the same highway.


"Live Awesome!" - Kevin Carosa
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 947
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twh Offline
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I thought I was alone. I lost a ground rod and 50 feet of emt off the front, plywood off the back, and wire nuts and breakers out of the side. That stuff is embarrassing, but it was a lot more work when a shelf fell over in the back of the van.

twh #179866 08/03/08 11:17 PM
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 193
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I lost a 20 ft aluminum extension ladder a couple of months back. I had it strapped with bungies coming home from church one Wednesday night. The bungies gave out and I lost it at night doing 75 mph down I26. All I could see was traffic swerving behind me. Went back to see the damage and the largest piece I could find after two eighteen wheelers hit it was one rung.

I had to help a guy with a flat tire from it. I guess it was the least I could do.

I have not used a bungie since. Went to the tie down straps that self close on the strap.


twh #179867 08/03/08 11:29 PM
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 745
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Oh boy is that a sore subject here. We used roof-top pipe storage troughs on service trucks. We kept about 5-10 sticks of various sizes of pipe in them. To save space, we kept ground rods stored inside the 3/4" EMT with the points facing toward the back. We could then slam a short piece of 1/2" EMT in there, it would "grab" the rod and allow us to pull it out. We also stored the 1/2" EMT inside the 1" and so on.

The troughs had a lift-up door to gain access to the materials. When closed, they had a hasp that allowed for a padlock to keep it secure, but we used just a piece of wire.

Well, it was late on a Friday and one of my co-workers pulled up beside me at was the first of about 20 lights on the way back to the shop. We would punch the gas when the light turned green and race to the next light.

My new helper didn't recognize the importance of closing and locking down the back door of the trough on our last job of the day. With the door left completely open, each time I punched the gas, a few ground rods slid out. After a while, I had about five of them hanging out about five feet.

The last time that I punched it as we neared the shop, two of them shot out and hit the car behind me. One hit the hood and the other fell on the road.

I just about lost my job over these antics, but my boss felt sympathetic since I got hit with a slew of citations and fines for my irresponsibility by the police.


---Ed---

"But the guy at Home Depot said it would work."
EV607797 #179871 08/04/08 01:35 AM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,335
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Then there was the time I had a rented Genie lift cart wheeled off its trailer and down in a ditch as I went around the corner. The good news was it wasn't my fault. It turned out that one of the chains that was permenatly attached was "repaired" with a bolt through two links. It busted the snot out of the lift.


"Live Awesome!" - Kevin Carosa
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