Loading Rocks onto a Truck or Trailer (Part 3)

Weve already looked at Moving Rocks with a Stone Bar (Part 1) and Hauling Rocks on a Stone Boat, Sled, or Dolly (Part 2). In this posting, we'll consider some methods for loading large rocks onto a truck or trailer.

Trailers

Any truck or trailer that is intended for hauling rocks needs to be able to handle heavy loads. In addition, a truck or trailer used for that purpose will take somewhat of a beating. My Ford pickup had lots of dents and the springs were shot when I finally retired it after many years of use. Now I just have a couple trailers.


Here is my small trailer, which has been reinforced to handle a lot of weight. I purchased it from Harbor Freight for $299 (similar to this one). I hauled a 4000# boulder on it from Connecticut to Michigan!

In the catalog, this little trailer is called a "heavy hauler". But IÂve made it even more heavy duty, and still kept it lightweight (to pull behind my car). First of all, I installed a lot of crossribs to reinforce the bed (they're one foot apart). You can see the ribs in the photo below.



Next, I used 1" thick plywood for the trailer bed, which is suited for handling the weight of a large boulder. (3/4" plywood will sag and eventually allow the frame to bend and sag.) The 2 X 6Âs (on edge) are bolted to the bed as well.



Finally, I took off the smaller tires and installed 13" tires. The tires and wheel bearings are some of the most crucial components. YouÂve probably seen your share of trailers broke down and parked on the shoulder of the freeway. I repack the wheel bearings annually. This is a nice little trailer, but heavy duty enough to haul a whopping load.




Ramps


Hardwood planks (ash, hickory, and white oak are best) are great for trailer ramps. The ones I have for this little trailer are pine. IÂve rolled a lot of big rocks on 'em and they havenÂt broken yet!



The ramps will slide forward when youÂre loading a big rock, so youÂll have to fasten them in place. I drilled a couple holes in the end of each plank, and insert some big spikes when I use the ramps. The spikes keep the ramps from sliding forward.

Here are some cheap ramps I made for my larger trailer. For each ramp, there are five 2 x 4Âs bolted together with 1/2" threaded rod. They're strong enough to support the weight of my pickup truck with a load of rocks (about 3500# for each ramp).

I had to nail on some expanded metal mesh in order to drive up them with a tractor. Otherwise, they're too slippery.



The key thing is that your ramps have to be strong enough to support the weight. If not, it will be necessary to place a large block under the center of each ramp.



Chains and Winches


NOT ALL CHAINS ARE CREATED EQUAL! By that, I mean that some chains are a lot stronger than others, and size has little to do with it! A honkin' big "logging chain" can be stretched and broken like a piece of thread, in comparison to a smaller diameter chain thatÂs made of high quality tool steel. Besides, a big chain is too heavy and awkward to be practical for moving rocks. A smaller (but strong) chain is much more useful. All of my chains are 3/8" diameter, but much stronger than a big "logging chain".


(Notice the pile of rocks to the left of the chains.)



Seriously, I canÂt emphasize the importance of getting a high quality chain. DonÂt go out and buy a "tow chain" if youÂre going to use it to move and lift boulders.


The best chains are rated for overhead lifting. I use only Herc-Alloy 1000 chain with Clevlok grab hooks on both ends. A 20 ft. Herc-Alloy chain with a grab hook on each end is going to run you about $150-200.


HereÂs one of my Herc-Alloy lift chains with heavy duty Herc-Alloy grab hooks. (DonÂt buy a good chain and then put cheap "Made in China" grab hooks on it!)



A hand cable winch (aka "Come Along", "Mini-Mule") can be useful too. Hand winches can be purchased at any hardware, or from sources such as Harbor Freight and Northern Tool.




Using a Chain to Cradle and Lift a Rock


I suppose some folks would have no idea of how to fasten a chain to a rock, so I'll tell you how I do. I call it the X-pattern. It involves going around the rock twice with your chain.


First, make a loop with the chain and slide it over one end of the rock. The loop should be slightly smaller than the biggest diameter of the rock.



Next, turn the chain and go around the rock again (at the other end). Then loop the chain underneath the junction point where the first loop was made. Now youÂre ready to pull or lift the rock. You can lift a 6,000# boulder with a 3/8" Herc-Alloy chain using this method. (The tensile strength of a lift chain is 4X the rated working load.)






Techniques for Loading a Boulder


A tractor, Bobcat, or front end loader (aka bucket loader, pay loader) is really handy if you have one. But most folks donÂt. And even if you have a loader, you canÂt always take it with you when you go to get rocks. (IÂve hauled boulders back from other States and Canada, over 1500 miles away.) Sometimes, there isnÂt even enough room to get a bucket loader into the quarry or wilderness area where you want to load up a rock. Here are some techniques that have allowed me to load boulders on my truck or trailer.


If a boulder is on a hillside, you can often roll it onto your trailer with the help of an extra hand and/or a pry bar.



If the boulder is at ground level, the task is more difficult, but still possible.



You can wrap a chain around the boulder and winch it onto the trailer. The winch is anchored to the trailer tongue, using a short chain. This method works quite well, once you have the system down. IÂve loaded 2000# boulders onto my trailer, simply by using a hand winch.





Another technique involves digging holes for the truck or trailer tires in order to bring the bed of the truck/trailer down to ground level. Of course, this is fairly easy to do in sand, but hard ground takes more work. (Sometimes, I first pull the boulder onto a mound of dirt to get it higher in the air.) Once you get the trailer down at ground level, you can roll (or actually, spin) the boulder right on, using the technique previously discussed, Moving Rocks with a Stone Bar).