Hauling Long Lumber

Here’s an old carpenter’s trick for carrying long lumber in a pickup truck: Cut a 2×6 brace about 1/8 inch longer than the inside width of the truck bed. Wedge it crosswise under the upper lip of the bed about 1 foot behind the cab. Then leave the tailgate up and slide the long boards into the bed and under the 2×6 brace. The brace will hold them down while they rest on the tailgate. Be sure to tack a bright-red or bright-orange flag onto the trailing end of the lumber to alert other drivers.