Why Do We Often See Steel Coils Positioned This Way When Transported on Trucks?

While traveling on the road, you may have noticed trucks carrying large steel coils positioned upright (with the circular openings facing outward). If you're a curious person, you might wonder why they are placed in such an unstable manner. Wouldn't it be safer to lay them flat instead?

Why Is It Done This Way?

Your question is entirely logical. Firstly, when steel coils are placed upright, their contact area with the truck bed is minimized, increasing the pressure exerted on the surface. This can be hazardous if the weight exceeds the maximum load capacity of the container floor.

Secondly, positioning the coils upright makes them prone to rolling forward due to inertia or centrifugal force when the truck stops suddenly or takes a sharp turn. This poses a danger to the driver and other road users, as has happened in multiple incidents.

Based on common reasoning, laying the steel coils flat would solve both of these issues. A larger contact area would reduce the pressure on the truck bed, and the coils wouldn't be able to roll if a problem occurred during transport.

However, transporting steel coils horizontally introduces another challenge—difficulty in handling and movement.

Why Is Upright Positioning Preferred?

The main reason is that steel coils are originally manufactured and stored in an upright position. At production facilities, mechanical lifting systems are designed to handle and load the coils onto transport vehicles while keeping them upright. These systems are optimized for vertical positioning, making transportation and unloading more efficient.

Thus, placing steel coils upright (with circular holes facing outward) not only facilitates transport from manufacturing plants and cargo ships to trucks but also simplifies the unloading process.

Recommendations from the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

Transporting heavy steel coils, sometimes weighing tens of tons, has been carefully regulated by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Both upright and horizontal transport methods are recognized as safe, as long as proper safety measures are followed.

Each method has its own advantages and drawbacks, and the choice depends on the carrier, provided that all safety regulations are strictly adhered to, including securing the coils and properly distributing weight.

Many accidents related to steel coil transportation are not due to whether the coils were positioned upright or flat but rather due to failure to follow safety protocols—such as careless handling, drivers exceeding safe speeds, or improper securing of the cargo.

Key Safety Considerations Include:

• Properly securing the coils with steel chains and pallets to prevent movement.
• Ensuring coils are placed evenly on the truck to avoid weight imbalance.
• Using a flat, reinforced truck bed capable of supporting the coil weight.
• Using wooden beams for lightweight coils and steel reinforcements for heavy ones.
• When transporting multiple steel coils in a container, distributing the weight evenly across the floor to keep the center of gravity balanced and prevent excessive pressure on the container walls.

By following these guidelines, steel coil transportation can be both efficient and safe, minimizing risks for both drivers and other road users.