Rob K:
I will openly admit to rarely strapping stuff down in curtain-sider trailers unless it looks like it will move under normal driving from being badly shrink wrapped/tall/unstable/expensive equipment etc.
There’s the key words in that sentence -“under normal driving”. It’s usually under abnormal driving conditions that the load is going to move, for example sudden braking or swerving to avoid some other idiot. It’s for these conditions we should be considering whether to strap or not to strap.
Don’t forget international freight needs to be strapped to withstand the sea journey aswell as the road journey. (unless going via the tunnel obviously).
I understand the BAG have a computer programme to decide if a load is secure or not.
Considering how crap most German ‘Motorways’ are I can understand why they want to be able to recover crashed trucks quickly. Not to mention the considerable income from fines from errant drivers.I read that in '08 the BAG had collected more cash (in fines) than the MAUT system.
In the UK we are still innocent until proved guilty. I have still to meet or read about the driver who got done for an insecure load if it didn’t fall off or come adrift and hit something.
I am happy for anyone who has followed the full process of the Law in the UK to come on TNUK to prove me wrong.
AlexWignall:
I understand the BAG have a computer programme to decide if a load is secure or not.
Considering how crap most German ‘Motorways’ are I can understand why they want to be able to recover crashed trucks quickly. Not to mention the considerable income from fines from errant drivers.I read that in '08 the BAG had collected more cash (in fines) than the MAUT system.
Careful, you’ll have britpete here in a moment with his bold fonts.
In the UK we are still innocent until proved guilty. I have still to meet or read about the driver who got done for an insecure load if it didn’t fall off or come adrift and hit something.
I am happy for anyone who has followed the full process of the Law in the UK to come on TNUK to prove me wrong.
You don’t think VOSA are dishing out FPNs for it at spot checks then Alex?
the odd curtainsiders i use have those curtains with like a crisscross webbing running through them that are supposed to be load bearing, so how do i stand there if my load wasnt strapped and i got a pull?
I don’t really think a FPN is the full process of the Law either. My point is the BAG have an ‘accepted/official’ system to test if a load is secure. I really have yet to hear of a UK driver to be done on the ‘Opinion’ of a VOSA man.
chaversdad:
the odd curtainsiders i use have those curtains with like a crisscross webbing running through them that are supposed to be load bearing, so how do i stand there if my load wasnt strapped and i got a pull?
far as i am aware all curtains which are classed as load bearing must have a manufacturers tag attached showing the load bearing capabilities of such curtain and load carried must be within this capabilitie
I strap pretty much everything…company insists that we strap food and drink loads,sometimes that means every pallet,sometimes just crossing the back…also carry a lot of glass jars etc,double stacked and they have to be strapped a certain way.
pretty much all our trailers have 26 straps (12 down each side) and if they haven’t we report it and it usually gets sorted.
Wheel Nut:
The difference with the BAG is that they have got some big teeth and the consignor is at risk as is the driver
Perhaps with H&S and high insurance costs in the UK we are taking a different route to consigner responsibility?
I think by the end of my career every load will be in Containers. Even stuff like timber and smaller JCBs
W
I think the route being taken in the UK and some other european nations is that to absurdity. There is an increasing aversion to risk of any sort which is resulting in evermore largely pointless legislation and certainly in the UK, jobsworths to enforce it.
A large part of the problem lies in those who “manage” large companies - particularly in road transport management used to be by those who had years of experience, those who knew and understood the job in hand. Now companies are employing young graduates who have very little experience of anything, yet a head full of “bright” ideas and the desire to be noticed and get on. The results are clear for all to see.
Wheel Nut:
The difference with the BAG is that they have got some big teeth and the consignor is at risk as is the driver
Perhaps with H&S and high insurance costs in the UK we are taking a different route to consigner responsibility?
I think by the end of my career every load will be in Containers. Even stuff like timber and smaller JCBs
W
I think the route being taken in the UK and some other european nations is that to absurdity. There is an increasing aversion to risk of any sort which is resulting in evermore largely pointless legislation and certainly in the UK, jobsworths to enforce it.
A large part of the problem lies in those who “manage” large companies - particularly in road transport management used to be by those who had years of experience, those who knew and understood the job in hand. Now companies are employing young graduates who have very little experience of anything, yet a head full of “bright” ideas and the desire to be noticed and get on. The results are clear for all to see.
I quite agree, I’m also glad that you mentioned Europe as well as the UK.
I have noticed that one of the UKs major exports to Europe is our box ticking H&S culture.
I have lost count of the loading gantries that made my job harder and more dangerous when I was a tanker driver, all in the intrests of H&S.
Just because I think the future is Containerisation it doesn’t mean I agree with it.
Wheel Nut:
The difference with the BAG is that they have got some big teeth and the consignor is at risk as is the driver
Perhaps with H&S and high insurance costs in the UK we are taking a different route to consigner responsibility?
I think by the end of my career every load will be in Containers. Even stuff like timber and smaller JCBs
W
I think the route being taken in the UK and some other european nations is that to absurdity. There is an increasing aversion to risk of any sort which is resulting in evermore largely pointless legislation and certainly in the UK, jobsworths to enforce it.
A large part of the problem lies in those who “manage” large companies - particularly in road transport management used to be by those who had years of experience, those who knew and understood the job in hand. Now companies are employing young graduates who have very little experience of anything, yet a head full of “bright” ideas and the desire to be noticed and get on. The results are clear for all to see.
I quite agree, I’m also glad that you mentioned Europe as well as the UK.
I have noticed that one of the UKs major exports to Europe is our box ticking H&S culture.
I have lost count of the loading gantries that made my job harder and more dangerous when I was a tanker driver, all in the intrests of H&S.
Just because I think the future is Containerisation it doesn’t mean I agree with it.
W
I quite agree that many of the Health and Safety measures are certainly not for the Health and Safety of the driver, but for the health and safety of the customers and their insurance claims. I too have had the pleasure of badly designed loading gantries and ridiculous safety netting which is more likely to trip you up, then catch a falling driver. Safety harness that jam or do not retract, clambering over safety rails in a green suit to open a lid etc.
Your vision of containerisation may be wishful thinking, how many times have you loaded 26 pallets through the back doors to then arrive at B&Q or somewhere to be told, you cant use the loading ramp, you must open both sides, “it’s health and safety mate.”
It is also great fun if they load you through the doors with 2 way pallets
Wheel Nut:
The difference with the BAG is that they have got some big teeth and the consignor is at risk as is the driver
Perhaps with H&S and high insurance costs in the UK we are taking a different route to consigner responsibility?
I think by the end of my career every load will be in Containers. Even stuff like timber and smaller JCBs
W
I think the route being taken in the UK and some other european nations is that to absurdity. There is an increasing aversion to risk of any sort which is resulting in evermore largely pointless legislation and certainly in the UK, jobsworths to enforce it.
A large part of the problem lies in those who “manage” large companies - particularly in road transport management used to be by those who had years of experience, those who knew and understood the job in hand. Now companies are employing young graduates who have very little experience of anything, yet a head full of “bright” ideas and the desire to be noticed and get on. The results are clear for all to see.
I quite agree, I’m also glad that you mentioned Europe as well as the UK.
I have noticed that one of the UKs major exports to Europe is our box ticking H&S culture.
I have lost count of the loading gantries that made my job harder and more dangerous when I was a tanker driver, all in the intrests of H&S.
Just because I think the future is Containerisation it doesn’t mean I agree with it.
W
I quite agree that many of the Health and Safety measures are certainly not for the Health and Safety of the driver, but for the health and safety of the customers and their insurance claims. I too have had the pleasure of badly designed loading gantries and ridiculous safety netting which is more likely to trip you up, then catch a falling driver. Safety harness that jam or do not retract, clambering over safety rails in a green suit to open a lid etc.
Your vision of containerisation may be wishful thinking, how many times have you loaded 26 pallets through the back doors to then arrive at B&Q or somewhere to be told, you cant use the loading ramp, you must open both sides, “it’s health and safety mate.”
It is also great fun if they load you through the doors with 2 way pallets
Haha, it’s not wishful thinking Wheel Nut. Just the logical conclusion of H&S nightmare we are all working in.
We will probably need a special module on our DCPC cards to allow us to use Curtainsiders or Spansets.
For the last six months I’ve had a new trailer which doesn’t require palletized loads to be strapped, providing they are from wall to wall and they have no space to move. The curtain has wires in it and the sideboards are aluminum. Sometimes you still better strap them though.
One of the places I work at carries empty plastic bottles. Even double stacked they’re quite easy to move by hand and even with 52 pallets on the load is barely more than a ton. The loaders cross strap them at the back of each drop but that’s more to stop them falling back on acceleration (one of the few loads that will). I can’t see them busting out through the sides under any circumstances, or that them shifting would cause instability.
I strap most loads but don’t buy this “treat a curtainsider the same as a flat bed” line. Anybody who says that should be shut in the back of one and asked to bust out by taking a running jump at the sides. I was looking at a torn curtain of one the other day and it had steel wire in it, and the internal straps must have some load bearing capability.
And whilst we’re at it; roof straps, the rail they’re attached to doesn’t look up to much. For things like paper reels I’ll cross strap them as instructed, but I’m sure if they got moving they’d just rip the rails or the roof off. My main strategy to deal with load shift, straps or not, is to not drive like a knobber.
