Can A Pickup Truck Carry a Pallet of Sod?
The average weight of a pallet of sod can be 3,000 to 4,000 pounds. The weight also depends on the moist in the pallet of sod. If it is wet with recent rain, it will weigh more. So, it is important to think about how can a pickup truck carry a pallet of sod.
Can a pickup truck carry a pallet of sod? It depends on the payload capacity of a pickup truck that how much weight it can carry. It also depends on the weight of a pallet of sod that how much it is moistened with irrigation or rain.
There are different grass varieties in a sod such as ryegrass, fescues, and many more. It is in the slab form like a carpet and has dark green color. We can also call it turf grass. One pallet of sod is between 400 to 500 square feet in which there are approximately 160 to 165 grass pieces.
To carry the bundle of sod, you need an equipped truck that can carry the weight easily. For example, if you want to load a half portion of the bundle of sod, you require a truck that can carry at least a half-ton weight. First, you should check out the payload rating of the pickup up truck. It will tell you that how much the capacity of the vehicle is to carry a load.
Can a Pickup Truck Carry a Pallet of Sod?
Not all pickup trucks can carry the pallet of sod. However, if we talk about the Ford F-150, it has the highest capacity of payload, it can pull a maximum of 2238 pounds. Ford F-150 is well-known among the weight-carrying trucks. It has the best towing capacity.
To load even one pallet on such a vehicle can be a risk of severe damage to the suspension system, transmission, and motor. So, it is better to load a half portion of the pallet of sod.
Why bundle of sod become heavy?
The pallet of sod becomes heavy because of the moist soil that is present in the grassroots or sod. It also depends on the irrigation and the rain. Based on the moisture, the weight of the sod is increased. For example, if it has rained recently, it will be heavier than before.
Things to consider while carrying a bundle of sod in pickup truck
Following are the tips you should consider while carrying the bundle of sod. Also you can read a dedicated article about storing things in a truck bed.
- Make sure the loading capacity of the truck.
- Check the tire air pressure of the vehicle.
- Make sure the tires of the truck can carry the heavy load without any disturbance.
- You must have a safety chain to tow the vehicle and tires.
- Tie down the sod pallets tightly so that no disruption can occur.
- Tie-down tools must be appropriate and strong enough to hold the bundles in place.
- Fix all the tools of the truck tightly.
- After a distance, keep the safety checks.
- Check all the vehicle lights including the tail, front, and turning indicators.
- Secure all coupling parts and lug nuts of the truck.
- Try to shift the pallet of sod in 48 hours for the best growth. It depends on the truck’s availability and speed. If the truck is overloaded, it can’t reach the destination in time.
Warehouse forklift
You can load the sod in the truck by opening the back drop-down gate. After that, install a ramp to move the forklift safely. All the equipment used in the process must be high quality because you are loading a heavy item on the truck.
Telehandler forklift
Telehandler forklift is used to carry heavyweights with a height of 20 ft. It picks the sod and shifts it to the vehicle. It is a safe procedure in which no ramp is required to climb on the vehicle.
Ratchet tie-down straps
Tie-down tools or equipment are used to keep the load in its place and withstand the road jerks during transportation. Amongst tie-down equipment, ratchet straps are most favorable to maintain the shape of sod pallets and keep them in the right place. Try to avoid tie-down methods that use extra force while tightening the sod because they can damage it.
Overloading problems
You can face overloading problems if the load you are carrying is heavy and you are not using any suitable equipment such as the attached trailer. If the load is heavy, the bumper of the truck can hit the ground, and it will have a bad impact on your truck.
The high load can also bring the truck into a squatting position. In this position, the front side of the truck will lift and the rear part will be towards the ground.
The axle of the truck can be crackdown and tires lose the air pressure.
You can face the above mentioned problems. However, these are not the big problems you can’t deal with. To avoid these problems, you can fill up the truck tires with sufficient air. You can also push the sod into the bed near the cab. In this way, the weight will distribute all over the vehicle’s body back and the front side.
Conclusion
To conclude, we can say that all pickup trucks can’t carry a pallet of sod. It depends on the weight of a pallet and the capacity of the vehicle. However, the latest model of the Ford F150 can carry the half pallet.
Moreover, you should be careful while loading the pallet. Also, check the condition of the truck so that it can carry the load and transport it to the destination.
