Sometimes when we leave the hardware store we find ourselves looking at the lumber or carpet we purchased, compare it to the size of our car and realize that what seemed like a great idea in the store now poses a potential transportation issue. How far is too far? Well, this is an easy enough question to answer. You can hang items over the front of your vehicle up to three feet, four feet past the rear of your car and four inches on each side of your car.
If you have items that overhang past four feet, it must be properly marked with a red flag on each side, the load needs to have some type of side marker as close to the front and rear, plus two reflectors. In reality, our cars and trucks won't really have a big issue with this, anything that much larger than your vehicle then a professional delivery will be a better option. If you need to use your personal vehicle to transport an item, then you will need to abide by the same laws that commercial trucks follow.
Secure your load, and save lives! Just the other day, on the side of the rural road was a family next to their truck with two parts of a three piece couch in the ditch on the side of the road. How lucky that this couch sectional didn’t end up harming the person behind them! Serious and dangerous issues arise when objects fly out of the back of the truck. Any number of things can happen with loose objects and items in the back of your vehicle or strapped to the top of your car, so be sure to secure you load and keep yourself, your possessions and those around you on the road safe!
There are a lot of ways to secure your load. Covering it up is one of the most simple ways to protect those around you. Loose debris such as branches, mulch or clippings is best to secure with an enclosure. You can use items such as plastic or canvas tarps, or netting. Remember to secure the tarp or netting to your vehicle so it doesn't become loose and fly out the back causing an accident itself!
The lighter the load, the higher the chance that the item will catch air. It is best to put these light weight items near the bottom of the load and make sure they are secure. To prevent damage, it is best to distribute the load to keep it from sliding around and coming loose. When you are faced with making a second trip, or overloading your vehicle, it is easy to choose a single trip, however the risk of overloading your vehicle or trailer, the higher the chance of losing your load, so be sure to check and double check your load before departure and make plenty of stops along the way to see if anything has come loose in transportation.
When we think about our load, we often overlook the condition of our vehicle. It is important that our car or truck is not going to leave us (and our load) stranded on the side of the road. If you feel concerned, come into CARSTAR Robert's Collision & Repair in Monterey, our team will always put you first. Our experts offer top-notch service and speedy turnaround times. Whether you need a full service, auto bodywork, or auto service or repair, or a complete detail, make your appointment with Robert's Collision & Repair today. See you soon!