hauling 20ft boards or rebar?

[1999 White C5 Coupe]

I am embarrassed to say I do not know what is legal on carrying long rebar on short trucks, even though I drove a rig for a decade, shhh. I have a landscape trailer so from the back of the landscape trailer to my window is 21-22 feet. Now, I'm not sure this is legal, when I make a turn the load I'm sure is pointed many feet past the side of the trailer and truck. So I carry this length load fairly often, I prefer 16 ft long boards for strength, especially pressure treated. But how do you all haul long loads if you don't have a trailer? If I had to guess none of this is legal, not even the way I do it which seams to be the safest of the three. How do you carry 16-20ft long stuff?

Under the truck points for ingenuity.

How to Carry 20’ poles on a Little Truck

This is how you carry 20 foot poles with a little Toyota pick up with a short bed.

youtu.be

Carrying 20feet rebar in my Tundra

Disclaimer, I don’t recommend this.. just throwing the idea out there. I had a total of 18 pieces of 20’ rebar.

youtu.be

Here is an option: https://gmauthority.com/blog/2025/01/gmc-sierra-driver-tempts-fate-with-vertical-lumber-stack-video/

 

[KansasArt]

People have been using these for decades. You can also use the trailer plugin to attach the lights to the end of the load, same lights a tow truck uses. Red Flag is hard to see in bad weather or at night, these give you full signal, stop and running lamps.

View attachment 558747


I have one of those. Have hauled 18’ several times, not 20’. Fits in the receiver hitch. A tie down strap at the front & rear of the bed. Plus one on the extender so the material isn’t flopping up & down. Have been passed by highway patrol several times using this method, never been stopped. Passed because doing closer to the minimum speed limit while hauling with this setup.

 

[Marshall]

I made the same thing Dean2 showed as I had lots of iron when still farming.
A length of 2x2 square tubing, its 1/4" wall, as that's what I had, 3/16" would be lots heavy enough, I think its 6 ft long and the upright clamps on with a couple u shaped irons and 2 bolts, I also installed some red lights on the angle iron top piece that is level with the truck bed.
Wire just runs inside the tubing and a connector at back end so I can take it apart for storage, and plugs into trailer connector.

Also tie red flag on end of whatever you are hauling. required for overhanging loads here.
I have hauled quite of bit of house siding, 2x6x16" with it.

Slides in the trailer hitch receiver. It is perfect for 16 ft material. 20ft would work if not too heavy. I have the 6'3' box and it will fit inside the box when not in use. My cost was the red lights. Iron price was cheap 30 -40 yrs ago, these days ,I just shake my head.

 

[LouM]

Many years ago when I was doing alot of tubing work I made something similar to these. I two that would fit in the stake pockets of the bed and a third that slid in under hood so that I had three points of support for 20 ft long lengths of SS tubing.

 

[GTyankee]

I watched that video with the upright lumber

I noticed that the lumber at the upper end was separating
sort of like a teepee built upside down

It would not have made it much further, tied as it was

To tell the truth, he was optimistic, ( crazy ) , but i don't believe that he was breaking any height rules of law, unless it was a rule of law about , a load not properly secured

 

[Green_Manalishi]

Whomever loaded that should be fired for exposing the company to massive risk. If you knew it was dangerous and you loaded it anyways you are liable.

Wait... aren't you the same one who said, "If you've got the requisite red flags on the end and some moron drives into it that's on them."
If you are over length, you're liable. Flags or no flags.

 

[Dean2]

Wait... aren't you the same one who said, "If you've got the requisite red flags on the end and some moron drives into it that's on them."
If you are over length, you're liable. Flags or no flags.

I don't know about down there, but here, if you are flagged and someone runs into the back of you, he is at fault, always. If it is after sunset it needs to be flagged and a red light.

 

[GTyankee]

California OverHang Law

Overhang | Caltrans

State of California

dot.ca.gov

Lamp or Flag on Projections:
Per CVC Section 24604, whenever the load upon any vehicle extends, or whenever any integral part of any vehicle projects, to the rear four feet or more beyond the rear of the vehicle, as measured from the taillamps, there shall be displayed at the extreme end of the load or projecting part of the vehicle:

Each State in the USA sets its own Over Hang Rules

 

[NCRaineman]

Wait... aren't you the same one who said, "If you've got the requisite red flags on the end and some moron drives into it that's on them."
If you are over length, you're liable. Flags or no flags.

Around here if someone runs into the back of you it is their fault period... failure to maintain a safe following distance.

 

[DILLIGAF]

I just pay the 50$ delivery fee the yard charges. I hate moving rebar

 

[Sandevino]

People are stupid and unobservant around me. I can hang a huge red flag with blinking lights off anything sticking outside the bed and someone will run into it. Hasn’t happened to me (knock on wood) but I’ve witnessed it too many times. If I have to pick up something long I hook up a 20’ trailer.

 

[mdc1990zr1]

People are stupid and unobservant around me. I can hang a huge red flag with blinking lights off anything sticking outside the bed and someone will run into it. Hasn’t happened to me (knock on wood) but I’ve witnessed it too many times. If I have to pick up something long I hook up a 20’ trailer.

I have a boat and take it in the Atlantic Ocean, don’t talk to me about stupid an unobservant. Just when you think you’ve seen it all…., someone else will take the first place stupid trophy from the last guy

 

[BWL]

When I did plumbing and electrical work I had a pipe rack so it went over the cab and hood. Truck is roughly 20' long so no overhang required. Didn't have front supports on the bumper, but rebar is pretty heavy so might be needed in that case

 

[weldguy]

If you haul that long of a load regularly in your business, buy a trailer long enough.

 

[NCRaineman]

If you haul that long of a load regularly in your business, buy a trailer long enough.

That really is the correct answer.

However, as drivers from "south of the border" become increasingly common I see more and more really sketchy things on the road, especially overloaded vehicles and improperly secured loads. People coming in, legally or otherwise, have the mentality that whatever worked in their old country will work here... and that's just not the case. Many states are essentially rubber stamping licenses for these folks, including CDLs, and it really shows where road safety is concerned.

 

[BWL]

If you haul that long of a load regularly in your business, buy a trailer long enough.

Depends where you're working with it. I went with the pipe rack because hauling a trailer around the city is a pain. Towing the trailer around is fine, but trying to find parking in a residential area for a 45' long vehicle is the real hassle. Big jobs I'd pay for delivery or use a trailer, but doing smaller jobs around town I found the rack a better option.

 

[2019RamInSC]

People have been using these for decades. You can also use the trailer plugin to attach the lights to the end of the load, same lights a tow truck uses. Red Flag is hard to see in bad weather or at night, these give you full signal, stop and running lamps.

View attachment 558747


View attachment 558748

I used one of these I bought at Harbor Freight. It would not handle a big load. But it worked fine for a Home Owner on a temporary mission! FLAGS AND FLASHERS AND GO EASY!

 

[Dean2]

I used one of these I bought at Harbor Freight. It would not handle a big load. But it worked fine for a Home Owner on a temporary mission! FLAGS AND FLASHERS AND GO EASY!

Well, buying it at harbour freight you have to know it is light duty and China made. If I wanted to pack heavier weight I would get a better made unit.

 

[Blue Truck]

WA state does it a little differently. Max overhang at front is 3'. Max overhang at rear is 15' FROM CENTERLINE OF LAST AXLE. I've done 16' material in the 6.5' bed with the bed extender hitch thingy, which is legal. 20' would not be legal here.

Flag is required for anything 4' beyond rear of vehicle, defined as bed or body. I generally flag anything that hangs any distance beyond the back of a lowered tailgate, because...humans.

I'll occasionally haul a couple of sea kayaks which are 16-17' long, but the front of them is up over the cab, and they overhang the back of the truck by about 4' +/-. They're always flagged, again because...humans.

 

[Hardracer]

For some reason I wanna say 4ft or more requires some kind of flag here...
Another said not sure if it's from the bed with tailgate up or down...I wouldn't think that matters really(i mean you can kinda see someone is gonna be messed up if they hit it cause they didnt realize how far out it was sticking out)but requires a flag at 4ft or more(i believe)period....not to hard to worry about 2ft or so tailgate down whether u put a flag on it or not..I put a flag on anything past tailgate down more than a foot.wacko drivers out there..I don't need being run into and someone claim I was in the wrong cause of a flag not displayed.
For myself on these long items I would use my 10ft trailer with the ramp up with a flag....everyday use I would get a longer trailer like another stated.
My .02 on the chat.