Flat, padded, and not on edge
A granite or quartz remnant stood on edge in a pickup will chip the moment it taps another remnant or the bed wall, and the chip is a blade in the bed. Lay remnants flat on a pad of cardboard or a moving blanket, polished face protected, and put a pad between any two pieces. The pad is doing structural work. It keeps faces from grinding and keeps a strap from being sliced where it turns a sharp nose. Strap over the pad to rated anchors. A strap on a bare edge will cut and then release the slab in a stop. Two people lift. A remnant that looks like a cutting board can be a back injury, and a dropped corner will crack the slab and the concrete it lands on.
The edge that faces the cab
Slide the remnant so a broken or knife-like edge is not aimed at the cab glass and not sticking past the side of the bed. If the piece is longer than the bed, you do not have a legal creative solution in a bungee. You have an overhang problem, and the better fix is a different vehicle or a shop that will cut it before the haul. Mesh on the back of a granite piece can snag the pad and pull it out. Tuck the pad so the mesh grabs blanket, not the strap. Quartz edges are just as sharp. Do not treat a thinner quartz splash as safe to stand up because it is lighter. Light means it bounces, and the edge still cuts.
Unload without prying
At the bay, loosen the strap while a second person holds the slab. Do not pry two remnants apart with a screwdriver if the pads stuck. Lift the top piece straight up with two people. A pry bar on a polished edge will pop a chip into someone's eye. Wear eye protection. Sweep chips into a bag or into the inert bay you were assigned, not onto the driving lane. If a strap was cut, retire it. The next load should not inherit a half-cut ratchet. Leave the blankets in the truck only if they are not full of stone chips. Shake them into the bay before you reuse them, or the chips ride home in the blanket and into the cab.
Before you go
- Lay remnants flat on a pad, with another pad between any two pieces.
- Strap over the pad so the webbing never turns a bare stone edge.
- Keep sharp edges inside the bed and away from the cab glass.
- Lift the top piece off with two people instead of prying the edges apart.
Two remnants face to face with a ratchet strap hooked over a bare polished edge.
Questions people ask
Can I use cardboard alone?
A thick pad of cardboard works for a short trip if it actually covers the edge the strap touches. A single thin sheet will cut through. Add a blanket if you have one.
Should slabs stand against a rack?
Only on a rack built for stone, with the edges padded and the piece strapped. A pickup bed is not that rack. Lay them flat.
Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city, then call the site before you load the truck. Hours and accepted materials change.