Every flatbed load is your safety, your reputation, and your CDL on the line. Securement is not optional and it's not something you learn on YouTube. Flatbed dispatch depends on a driver who owns the tie-down — brokers pay premium rates for that discipline.
The 50% and 80% rules
Working load limit of all tie-downs combined must equal at least 50% of the cargo weight. Cargo more than 10 feet long needs a minimum of 4 tie-downs. Learn these numbers cold.
Straps vs chains
Straps for lumber, coils in the eye, and light steel. Chains for heavy machinery, coils sideways, and anything with sharp edges.
Edge protection is not optional
A single missing corner protector fails a DOT inspection and often destroys the strap. Buy 20 of them and never leave the yard without a full set.
The bottom line
Take a proper securement class before your first flatbed load. The class costs less than one violation, and one violation costs less than one accident. Once the driving side is dialed in, a specialist flatbed dispatch team can keep steel, lumber, and machinery loads rolling weekly — that's /flatbed-dispatch.