Many people use their Ford F150 to carry a pallet of sod. Here are 6 easy steps to load and transport pallets of sod on your Ford trucks.
Can a Ford F150 Carry a Pallet of Sod? Yes, the latest model of the Ford F-150 truck can carry a pallet of sod. The hauling and towing capacity of this new model truck is 3270lb and 13000lb, respectively. The weight of the pallet of sod is 800 to1200 pounds that is within the hauling capacity of the truck and its size is also according to the bed size of the Ford F150.
Can a Ford F150 Carry a Pallet of Sod?
Ford F150 is the most famous weigh carrying truck all over time. Various reasons consider while selecting the car, like its hauling capacity, which indicates the heavy load’s ability.
When you buy the ford f-150 truck, you need to choose according to the best towing capacity and according to your requirements like this type of truck has the 5000-13000lb towing capacity. If the payload is increasing, the towing capacity decreased.
Hauling capacity of Ford F150 truck
According to the need, this truck’s maximum payload capacity should approximately 1600-1640lb for the 2018 model. The truck bed is available in such a manner to carry the limited range of heavy payloads, which makes things easy for you.
You can also put the truck bed with various features such as the LED box light, deployable box steps, and many other suitable tools.
Older models of F150 belongs to the category of half-ton trucks and can easily manage one 50 yard pallet.
The latest model 2020 of F150 has a maximum payload capacity of 3270 lbs, equal to 1- ½ ton. Its towing capacity is 13000 lbs. Furthermore, they have a body made of high strength steel and high strength aluminum alloy to bear heavy loads without deformation in the body or tires.
Weight of Pallet of Sod
Suppose you have a desire to enhance the appearance of your landscape or grass amount. Sod is beneficial for you to like it save time, suitable to prevent the land erosion but it is expensive and easy to install.
Sod is a combination of the different grass varieties like the Fescues, ryegrass, and many others. It is beautiful, like a carpet and dark green color which is durable easily.
It is planted form which also known as turfgrass. It is available in sections in which grass and its roots are forming together.
You can measure the pallet of sod according to the width and length in feet. Pellet contains the 50- square yard sod, which is available in the form of slabs. One slab of sod has approximately 25 square yards of sod.
Pallet of sod commonly covers 400-450 square feet, containing almost 160-165 grass pieces. It has nearly 50-yard of grass pallet. The approximate weight of the pallet of sod is about 2500-3000lb.
When you want to carry the full bundles of sod, then it comes with the equipped truck, which holds the weight with ease. If you have a half portion of the complete sod pallet, you need a half-ton weight carrying truck.
When you have a Ford f-150 truck that cannot have the full hauling capacity to carry the complete grass pellet, it can take almost half of the pallet, approximately 800-1200 or 1500.
Why pallet of sod becomes heavy?
The bundle of sod becomes heavy due to the moist soil presence in the sod or grassroots.
Based on the moisture content, the weight increase of the regular sod approximately 15-30lb per section, and if the full sod pellet available, it goes to 1500-3000lb per 100 pieces.
How to load a Pellet of Sod on the Ford Truck?
For transporting your pallet, you need a suitable vehicle with adequate carrying capacity. The weight carries according to the suspension equipment and the model.
You have to optimize the temperature for sod pellets. The freezing weather of land is suitable for the shells and maintains its normal state for one month.
Another precaution is that you put the sod pellets in the shady area and do not need to cover it. Tarp or cover cause problems like heat stress produces.
Ford f-150 carries the sod pellet because it has that much capacity, so you make the two trips to pick up the whole pallet of sod without any hurdles.
Half-ton trucks carry almost one 50 yard pallet, and the one-ton truck pickup the two pallets approximately with the flat-bed.
If you equipped the bed like pickup style, it carries almost the two pallets, and space is run out after the loading either manually or with other suitable assistance.
Suppose you want to load the sod pellet on the Ford f-150 truck ten. In that case, you have the responsibility to follow the rules and regulations for transportation purposes and use safe and effective equipment for carrying the load.
The condition includes tracking like the suitable fully equipped vehicle and the best skills to work correctly.
Things to consider for carrying the Pallet of Sod on Ford F150
● You ensure that the load-carrying vehicle has an excellent hauling capacity.
● You have to check the tire air pressure of your truck.
● With the truck, make sure all the tools tightly fix.
● Tie-down your sod pellets so that any disruption does not occur.
● With the heavy load, keep the safety checks after a mile or distance you cover.
● Make sure that vehicle tires carry the load easily without causing any disturbance.
● Use appropriate tie-down tools to hold the pallets in place.
● Check all the truck lights, including the front, tail, turning indicators.
● Secure all lug nuts and coupling parts of the truck.
● Ensure the availability of spare tires and a safety chain to tow the truck.
● Try to transport the pallet of sod within 48 hours for maximum growth. That depends on the vehicle’s availability and speed. An overloaded vehicle cannot be able to reach in time.
Warehouse Forklift: It can load sod pellets in the F150 truck by opening the rear drop-down gate. Then install a ramp on which the forklift can safely move.
All the equipment to be used in the process should be of acceptable quality, carrying capacity compatible with a load of the pallet of sod.
Telehandler Forklift: It is useful in carrying heavy weights up to the height of 20 ft. It will pick the sod pallet, transport it to the truck, raise its size above the truck height and place it on the truck’s floor.
It is a safe method as it requires no ramp to climb on the truck.
Ratchet Tie Down Straps: Tie-down equipment is used to secure the load in its place during its transportation and withstand the road jerks.
Amongst different tie-down tools, ratchet-type straps are optimal for the sod pallets, as they keep them in their place and maintain their original shape.
Other tie-down methods can put extra force during their tightening process on the grass and can damage it.
Overloading problems
Overloading problems occur when you carry a heavy load without any suitable equipment like the attached trailer. When the pallet of sod is heavy, the Ford f-150 causes the bumper to hit the ground, which is not fit for your truck’s efficiency.
If the sod load is high compared to its hauling capacity, it may cause the squatting in which the front side of your truck lifts and the rear part is toward the ground.
The high load of the sod bundles makes the axle crackdown, or tires lose their air pressure. Sometimes steering and overstrain also occur through carrying the bag than its carrying capacity.
These problems are not a big deal that stops you from carrying the pallets load. You have to fill up the sufficient air in truck tires and push the sod pellets into the truck bed near the cab so that weight distribute all over the truck body front and the backside.
Unloading is an easy process with the help of a short trailer than climbing on the truck. The most common way which avoids all the problems like you can put the half-ton of Pallets of Sod on the Ford F150 and make it two times a ride or according to your choice.
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