Can I carry 16 foot or 12 foot lumber in an 8 foot truck bed? Please explain method.?

Question

Carrying deck planking (1 x 6s) and wondering if I should go with 8s, 12s, or 16s? The longer would look better for my deck.

Answer 1

If the wood extends further than your truck bed. What you do it bundle all the wood together and put a red flag on the end of it. The place you purchase it should help load it and get it ready for you.

Answer 2

I've done the 16 footers. you need allot of weight on the ends of the boards inside the bed. This will help with the wood bouncing.

It all depends on the distance you have to travel, is it safe enough for the cars behind you. As long as you tie the wood down tights don't drive like a maniac and have that weight on the end you should be OK.

Don't speed off from a light or stop sign.  All too often I end up helping the jack rabbit reload all the wood back in the truck in the middle of an intersection.

Answer 3

With your tail gate down you have a 10 foot bed.  I carry 16s all the time.  It's good to have a few bricks on the front of the load and tie the end in with rope.  You may not need the rope but it's a good idea because one time I hit the gas to hard and left the entire load in the road. LOL

Answer 4

Bundle it together, strap it into your truck and put at least one red flag on the tail of the load to warn other drivers.

Or, put something, like a heavy tarp, on the edge of your cab roof and strap the load hanging over the cab of your truck.  Of course, this can damage the edge of the cab.

Answer 5

with a truck with an 8 ft bed you put down the tailgate and that adds about 18 inches so you now have a bit over 9&1/2 ft of "floor" space!!! so you can SAFTLY haul boards up to 12 foot long! But 14 footers can be hauled as well!! So depending on your deck design and such... if you have more to "LOAD" on to keep the 16 footers from teater-toddering on the bed of the truck, you can load them first then the other stuff for a counter balance weight......

OR IF- you have a 2" reciever they sell those extenda arm bar that you insert into the reciever hitch and it holds up items that hang over the end of the bed of the truck so they can haul up to , I do belive, 18 or 20 footers!!!! but it cost about 200 bucks and you need to have a 2inch reciever on your truck .

Answer 6

For 12' planks, you can close the tailgate and lay the boards over the top on an angle.  For 16' planks, have the lumber yard band them together with a steel band, then load them with the tailgate down.  This will give you some extra bed length to extend past the center point of the lumber.  Secure the load with a rope attached to the anchor hooks in the bed and/or the bumper, and you are good to go.  A red flag will be required if you are driving in daylight, and a red light will be needed after dark.  Good luck.

Answer 7

16 '  they going to drag the ground-12' add some boards at end of bed to raise wood up not to drag-have  to add weight  to front to hold boards down-best to find trailer and haul them or let them deliver then for a few dollars