Question:
No matter who tells you; DO NOT do the following:
1. Do NOT never ever never throw the METAL J HOOK end of the strap over the flatbed load no matter who tell you, or how windy it is
WHY?????
My FIRST day back to trucking on my first load I got
27 stitches, an ambulance ride, an MRI, and a severe concussion, thats why
AND another 2 weeks or more off until the Doctor says it's OK to drive again..

Thanks Boyd Brothers truck 7417, (I think) Boyd Brothers driver training, and that guy everyone, you know that guy
"But EVERYONE does it like that."
Please list what other things that a Driver should NOT do???????????

Answer:
I'm thinking a driver should be aware of his surroundings. While the driver that threw the strap was wrong it would have been in your best interest to give him the 5 minutes he needed to toss the straps over the load or to stand back when he needed to throw each strap. I totally disagree with your thought process that you don't throw the hook end.
Sorry to hear you got your melon wacked also!

Answer:
I throw the hook end all the time... I tell the driver next to me that I am ready to throw straps, and I always look before throwing them. I check and make sure another driver isn't over there, then I double check by looking under the trailer for tell tale feet on the other side before chucking it over. I hate doing that though... I usually look for a place where I can park that no one can be over there so I don't have to worry about it.
There are a lot of flatbedders out there that think they own the world though. Thursday I was setting up to back into an assigned space to wait to be loaded. As I was backing up, with my flashers ON, the a-hole Prime driver next to me pulls his tarp off into my space, then starts waving his arms for me to stop. Ignorant sunuva... I wish I was nasty enough to have just backed up right onto his tarp, but I let his ignorant behavior slide. I figure he has enough financial hardship in his future with that lease purchase he is tied down to, let alone having a good $500 worth of tarp driven over.

Answer:
NEVER EVER THROW THE HOOK END OF A STRAP!!
Its stupid and senseless and most of all its unsafe....No matter how well you look you can't see the other side of the load where you are throwing the hook to.
Even tossing the soft strap end to the other side of the load has risk but the chance of fataly injuring someone is much less.
Not to mention it makes more work for you! Throwing the hook end means that you have to walk around the trailer more often than you need to. If you store your straps on the Passenger side of your truck you only need to walk around the trailer one (1) time to secure your load. If you store your straps on the driver side and throw the hook end of the strap you must walk around the trailer to hook the end on the other side then walk back to the driver side to tighten the winch....more steps = more time to do the same job!!!
Plus less risk of hurting someone, then being sued cause you were stupid!
(its called negligence..Just ask your favorite attorney)
Answer:
Uh ... I've never thrown the hook end
Yep, sometimes the wind can be a pain.
I think the trick is: how the strap has been rolled up, then, how it's thrown over the load. It took me a while to learn this, btw
Rolling up at the unload
The trick is, double the strap over backwards about a metre (3 feet or so) from the non-hook end prior to rolling the strap up.
If you have a strapwinder it's easy, just hang a metre through the forks before having at the winder crank !
If you're hand rolling your straps, my condolensces...flip the metre of strap over one finger or the other, then roll the strap by hand...
...in the same direction that you had flipped the slack end (probably away from you)
And if you just hand rolled 30 belts in freezing rain, have a couple Motrin, you've earned them.
Throwing over the load.
This is for right handers. Lefties think vice versa when I say left / right ...
Stand on hook side of deck, hook in left hand, roll in right hand.
Have about two feet of slack between the hook and the roll...AND...
Make sure the belt is going OVER from the hook to roll, not under.
Stand perpendicular to the deck, both shoulders lined up to the hook you want to strap to, and nearest shoulder about 3 feet from the deck.
When you throw the roll, think a Kareem Abdul Jabbar skyhook...you'll be launching the roll over both your head and the near edge of the load.
Hang on to the hook with your left, giving the flick of wrist in the same direction as the strap went over, at the time the roll passes over your left shoulder.
Now remember the 3 feet of slack that you rolled into the belt ?
It's rolled in the opposite direction to the part of the belt now going over the freight.
That will give the soft end of the belt some weight / heft as it rolls across and clears the top of the freight.
And unlike a ring flying over, this weight won't ring someone's bell or take chunks out of such freight as thin alum forms or drywall...won't crack side markers either
Answer:
i never have needed to throw with the hook frist if the strap is rolled up tight you can get it across just about anything. when i got wacked in the head the driver that did it said he did not see my feet that is way he threw it then he would not get out of the truck until i left i was not to happy with his reason. alot of the places i loaded at had 10 to 20 trucks getting loaded so you have to park next to someone so be kind chock up on the starp and hold the hook it is very easy and you have less chance of getting a but whiping from a driver that has had his head opened up by your strap

Answer:
A) So, it would be a good idea to bring/keep a hard-hat and safety goggles with you.

Answer:
never throw your load bars over the top of the trl.,
as it could land on the top and be stuck up there
never (edited) off a member of hells angels
never park between two reefer trailers unless you like the sound of those things running ALL night

Answer:
I have a side kit... I am not breaking it all the way down. I don't care how stupid you think it is. The chances are pretty slim that I am going to miss hitting the other side of the kit and have the hook go over. Even if I do it is pretty unlikely that I have spooled out enough strap for it to reach down far enough to hit someone on the head.
If I do and they want to sue me, then we can go that route. I am not real worried about a butt whipping though.

Answer:
someone might have already said this but...
23 (random number)) Don't argue with the DOT guy at the scale/weight station.

Answer:

If he caught me on the right day I would have. Acted like I didn't even see it or him waving his arms like a chicken. Your right there are a lot of flatbedders out there that think they own the world. There is also alot of Van, Reefer, Tanker etc.....drivers that think they own the world. you're in the wrong lane!

Answer:
NEVER TAKE A 13'6 TRAILER UNDER A 13'5 BRIDGE!!!!!!
This was capped for a reason,sometimes the obvious is too obvious

Answer:
Geez ! - thinks i'll stick to vans !