Edge Protectors, Blankets, and Coil Mats: The Small Stuff That Saves Big Money

After more than 20 years hauling flatbed all over this country, I've learned something that surprises a lot of new drivers. Sometimes the cheapest equipment on your trailer ends up protecting the most expensive freight.

I'm talking about edge protectors, moving blankets, and coil mats.

None of them cost a fortune. None of them look very impressive. But I wouldn't leave the yard without them. In fact, if you ask me, you can never have too many.

Two jobs at onceThey Do More Than One Job

One thing I really like about edge protectors and blankets is that they serve two purposes at the same time.

First, they protect the customer's freight. Nobody wants to receive a load of painted steel with chain scratches across it. Nobody wants strap marks on finished aluminum. Nobody wants damaged coils because a chain rubbed through the protective coating.

The second job is just as important. They protect your equipment. A sharp edge doesn't care if it's cutting into expensive steel strapping or a brand-new cargo strap. Steel will win that battle every time. Anything you can do to keep your chains and straps from rubbing directly against sharp edges is money well spent.

Cheap insuranceBlankets Are Cheap Insurance

I'll never understand drivers who spend hundreds of dollars on good tarps but refuse to spend a few dollars on moving blankets.

A blanket under your tarp can make all the difference. Steel has some of the sharpest edges you'll ever haul. Even lumber can wear a hole through a tarp if it has rough corners. I've seen perfectly good tarps ruined because someone figured they didn't need a blanket. That little piece of fabric would have saved them a few hundred dollars.

Whether you're using steel tarps or lumber tarps, I always recommend protecting them anywhere they touch a sharp edge. It's a whole lot cheaper than buying another tarp.

Part of the systemCoil Mats Matter Too

If you're hauling steel coils, don't overlook your coil mats. They help protect the bottom of the coil. They help increase friction between the coil and the trailer. And they help keep the load from shifting.

Like everything else in cargo securement, they're part of the system. No single piece does all the work. Everything works together.

Come preparedSteel Edge Protectors

If you haul steel coils with chains very often, you're going to want a good supply of steel edge protectors.

Many steel mills and manufacturing facilities expect drivers to use them, and in some locations they won't even finish loading your truck if you don't have the proper protection.

I always liked having plenty on hand. If one gets bent or damaged, I don't want to be searching for another one when I'm trying to get loaded. Being prepared keeps the day moving.

The gearWhat I Carried — and What I'd Buy Today

Let me be honest with you about how this actually goes. Over the years, I used all kinds of things for edge protection. Old work gloves folded over a sharp corner. Blankets from home when I was short. Whatever I had that would keep a chain off finished steel. There's no shame in that — a folded glove that saves a strap is doing its job.

But I also bought the real stuff, plenty of it, and here's the truth: purpose-made protectors are cheap enough that there's no reason not to have a proper supply on the trailer. The improvised stuff gets you through a jam. The bought stuff is what you actually build your kit around.

Here's what I'd stock today.

My numbersHere's What I Like to Carry

Over the years, I've settled on a number that works well for me. Everyone has their own system, but this is what I recommend if you're hauling steel on a regular basis:

• 16 to 20 steel edge protectors
• Around 100 plastic edge protectors
• 10 moving blankets
• Several coil mats

Will every load use all of them? Probably not. But sooner or later you'll get that one load where you're glad you packed extras. I've learned it's always better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.

Protect your own gearProtect Your Equipment

Drivers sometimes focus so much on protecting the customer's freight that they forget to protect their own equipment.

Every time a chain rubs directly against a sharp edge. Every time a strap gets dragged across unfinished steel. Every time a tarp lies against a sharp corner. You're shortening the life of that equipment.

I've always looked at edge protection as an investment. The longer my straps, chains, and tarps last, the less money comes out of my pocket.

For the new driverMy Advice to New Drivers

If you're just starting in flatbed, don't spend all your money on chains and binders and forget about the smaller pieces of equipment.

Build your collection over time. Every chance you get, pick up another blanket. Buy more edge protectors. Keep extra coil mats on the trailer. Before long you'll have everything you need for almost any load that comes your way.

After twenty years, one thing I've learned is this: the drivers who seem to have the fewest problems are usually the ones who are the best prepared.