My Dad showed me how to rope and sheet, he also used to put me on a pallet and raised me on a fork lift up on top of the load to roll the sheets out, i then had to put the corner boards on, to stop the rope’s pulling through the load, he used to back load ,R wights ,lemonade crates out of slough, when you were up there they used to move about a bit. Happy days
I’ll be perfectly honest - I’ve never received training in roping and sheeting and none of the vehicles I’ve driven have required it.
If I had to rope and sheet a load - I’d probably die of heart-failure, in case I got it wrong and the load ended up all over the road or damaged in some way 
(I struggle folding bed sheets , but I’m quite good with ropes 
)
I’m very willing to learn and I like to do things properly, though, so I would have to hope that any employer who wanted me to r&s a load, would be patient enough to show me how he’d like it done.
And there’d be a post on this forum pretty sharpish, begging for a tuition session from the nearest Trucknet r&s expert 
You know, there might be a market for a one-day course in r&s - just a thought.
timmo:
I do like the feeling i get when i’ve got a well sheeted load on. I even take a bit of pride in folding the sheets back up again! Knowing that you’ve put that extra bit of effort in to do a good job increases the job satisfaction and makes you feel proud to do the job
I was just gonna comment on that I became border line OCD wrapping my sheets up tight so they were easier to lift and store.
In a way, although the work was harder, they were better times. Certainly more social, with drivers and even sometimes warehousemen helping to wrap sheets and sheet up.
Or is that nostalgia
berewic:
Driveroneuk:
berewic:
Incredible.Can’t rope, can’t sheet and can’t even tie a dolly. You sure your in the right job?
Neither can I, and only been driving a wide variety of trucks, including flat work, on a wide variety of work, mostly general haulage, for 17 years.
Used to rope stacks of empty pallets on flats, but some time ago & I’ve forgotten how to tie a dolly.
I’m 5’9" & over 14 stone, but would refuse a full tilt strip down on my own, simply because i’m not practised at it.
If you have forgotten how to tie a dolly after 17yrs on flatwork, it’s a good thing they sell slip on shoes.
Over 12 years since i used to rope pallets on flats. Done flat work much more recently, but not pallets + they have ratchet straps nowadays
it is definitely a dying skill, with new technology on trailers these days, eventually it wont be needed, but it would be a shame to see it go.
personally i CANNOT do it, i cant even tie a knot, im a bit ashamed about that, considering i come from a trucking family, but i just never go around to learning it, or needing to. my trailer has built in ratchet straps.
i will endeavour to learn it in the near future though
I see that my form has questioned one person but frankly i am not bothered coz I know the way to learn is ask. I have been practaicing knots and got the hang of it. YES I AM in the RIGHT JOB for I have done containers, fridges, tippers, curtains, ADR, Flt i have learnt if in doubt ask. I know the basics around sheeting I can folded them up just as good as any driver.
So the question on my lips now is berewic what do you and have you asked for any advise before?
I learnt from my old man and my grandad when I was at school during the holidays even though my regular wagon has a slider on, i still have to rope and sheet when I’m on the hiab wagon or the rare chance I get one of the artics and a flat trailer
I haven’t sheeted a load since about 1990 and that was baled paper so it was quite uniform in shape although the wires would snag on the sheets when you had to pull them off.
The Dutch company I subbed to use to send flat trailers over with a sliced tilt sheet and you had to try to make it fit over a load of gas and oil equipment 
Before that I carried polystyrene cylinders and blocks that required sheets and corners, the loads were all 15 feet high.
Health and Safety, Just in Time and insurance claims have all put paid to the black art. I am glad I did it, but do not miss it too much unless it is a dry day with a good clean yard.
i was taught to rope n sheet 2 years ago after driving for over 11 years.im cag handed so tieing a dolly knot was fun to begin with but once its mastered its a doddle its good to see a load well roped and sheeted.especially if youve done it yerself.it dont make you any less a driver if you cant rope n sheet but its an extra string to ya bow if ya can.i dont miss it but id never turn a job down that required it
Good job we’ve got the worlds best driver on here, even if he slags off those who don’t know how to dolly knot but doesn’t actually explain how he does it. I would like to know who he’s worked for in his donkeys years of general haulage, as he describes general involving specialist areas like car transporters and tanks. Did I miss Stobarts flit into tanks and transporters, didn’t think so. Grow up and show some support. You are the problem with this industry. There’s no togetherness anymore. An all for one and one for me attitude is surprising from someone who must have been doing the job 40 years. 
ive done it since i started driving 9 yrs ago some of my jobs are good other days they look like they have just been thrown on by a cowboy.it depends what u have on if its flat plate steel on pallets then is easy to do but when its machines or other things it can be tricky.u will get better as u go along.i have and my sheeting has got better with time.
My second attempt no help ok i cheated i used straps
Not to bad Mr Adams for a 2nd attempt but next time after you have rolled the sheet out fasten the 4 corners first keeping the sheet nice & straight then do your tyers along each side. To get round excess rope take your rope to the hook infront of the eye come along to the next hook behind the eye then take the end slip it behind the horizontal & bring it back to the rear hook & tie it off that way you are keeping the sheet nice & taut & using up the excess rope. Hope this Helps
OVLOV JAY:
Good job we’ve got the worlds best driver on here, even if he slags off those who don’t know how to dolly knot but doesn’t actually explain how he does it. I would like to know who he’s worked for in his donkeys years of general haulage, as he describes general involving specialist areas like car transporters and tanks. Did I miss Stobarts flit into tanks and transporters, didn’t think so. Grow up and show some support. You are the problem with this industry. There’s no togetherness anymore. An all for one and one for me attitude is surprising from someone who must have been doing the job 40 years.
Roping and sheeting isn’t a thing that can be explained, only shown, and I’m not moving to Tilbury just to show you how to do it. My initial comment on this post was ill thought out as many on here have pointed out, very few firms do flat work these days and the kids have nowhere to learn. The ability to tie a dolly though is still needed and those that can’t tie one should make a point of learning.
I haven’t been in the business for 40yrs though, only 37. I started as a drivers mate at 15yrs old when flat work was the norm regardless of what the load was.
Can anyone find a video of a driver roping & sheeting on the web - I tried but was not successful 
Ok Iam only 26years and havent had much experience on r+s and I wouldnt expect you to move from tilbury to show me but yes I am still in the right job and since writting this post Ive praticed on a few knots and not to bad on them now. When I started helping my dad it was fridges etc and never flats, the only flat his company had was for pallets. I started 12years ago and proud of what I have achieved and never to ashamed to ask.
Hmmmm, not a bad effort of sheeting ( no rope in sight) but straps shouldn’t go over the sheet, particularly a ‘dripper’ as they will damage it. Always strap under a drip sheet then keep the dripper tight by tying front, then use the back tyers to tighen the whole sheet ( even using a dolly if necessary). A rope cross, front & back and a couple of ‘throw overs’ should be suffiecient!
If only it was always that easy lmao 
Hope you don’t take this as a critisism, just a helpfull observation. If I was about, I’d gladly give you, or anyone else a hand to r&s
Had to sheet up a roll on/off bin yesterday easy sheet packed up that was bad enough. Wouldnt have a clue how to go about roping and sheeting a trailer but i suppouse its just how times change.
Someone did show me how to tie a dolly knot a few years ago but i cant rmember how to do it.
I don’t know if it has been mentioned but a tip I was given for r&s is, when you get a new rope (especially nylon) you need to “weather” it. Take the rope to a muddy puddle in your yard (just make sure that there’s no fuel or lubricants in it first), drop it in and dance on it. This roughs up the rope, making purchase easier. 
Anyone on here remember using the hemp ropes.They used to tighten like violin strings when it rained,and go slack when they dried out,so you had to retighten them again.They used to stretch so much when you were putting them on dry you sometimes had to double dolly them to get the tautness required.
Happy days,regards dave.