BIG AW:
How many times have you been stopped by vosa and had your load checked ■■ how many drivers have been fined ?
According to DVSA 2013 saw over 2000 fixed penalties issued to drivers and around 3000 Prohibitions to vehicles. They also reckon around 22,000 road impacts where roads had to be closed due to items falling onto the road (that’s about 60 a day). Of course it could all be propaganda bull ■■■■ 
BIG AW:
its always my mates mate mate if your load as been seen to be strapped to a decent standed where it looks to be secure no [zb] is going to do you for insecure loading !
Yep - if it looks right you’ll be fine. The problem is if you meet the enforcement officers who have attended ‘the’ training because that changes what ‘looks right’ to you and what ‘looks right’ to them.
BIG AW:
and who the [zb] says its the law or if they have the right to check anyway if you refuse to open the curtains or back doors then what ■■?
Unfortunately the load check is part of a vehicle check, so when checking for roadworthiness they can check the load. If a driver refuses to assist or open curtains/doors etc they will simply prohibit the vehicle - but of course they would ordinarily need to have a reason to be checking the load in the first place - i.e. bulging curtains, over loaded etc
BIG AW:
you cant put ratchet straps on everything if that’s the case then we might as well go back to ropes and sheets then we would see how everybody copes
Many loads can’t be strapped, in which case they need to be packed accordingly and contained in a vehicle structure of sufficient strength. Here’s a good example of a quality trailer that can be adapted to carry most things safely.
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I think the UK is quite a way behind mainland Europe when it comes to standards in load securing with Germany being the leaders. I don’t know why this is as the overall German way of doing things makes sense to me. Of course there are a number of European vehicles carrying unsafe loads and taking the risk of being stopped but on the whole most of the main European countries make it easier for the drivers by supplying the right equipment and training and time to secure the load. This is mainly due to the rather strict roadside enforcement and level of fines. It may also be because the consignor can be held responsible as well as the operator and driver meaning a lot of industries won’t allow the vehicle to leave unless the load is secured to a known standard (VDI 2700 in Germany - which is based on EN 12195).
We get a similar thing in the UK pulling out of sites such as Tata steel, you won’t get out if they don’t think the load is right. Unfortunately there are many more places couldn’t give a ■■■■ because under the Road Traffic Act or Construction and Use Regulations the consignor will not normally be held responsible if something happens out on the road. Usually the driver gets the brunt of the law with the operator possibly catching some flack.
I know many don’t agree with me and I know many have carried heavy loads with no load securing and got where they were going - but that is more luck than anything else. I have done it myself - but I have also had it go wrong due to another road users actions (or my lack of observation).
One aspect worrying me is the introduction of Autonomous Emergency Braking Systems meaning a truck may well, in certain circumstances, perform an emergency stop itself and it is possible it will brake far harder than the driver would. (Research shows most humans attain around 60 - 70% braking effort. Some AEB systems are achieving over 90% braking effort). Heavy loads that have not been secured correctly may well join the driver in the cab.
Check out this braking performance from about 12 seconds in. It is supposedly fully freighted - so I guess it was well secured or in an ‘XL’ body.
