cav551:
Looking at the picture of the internal straps in use then IMO they are about as much use as a bungee cord the way they are being used, if there is any weight in the boxes. They are doing next to nothing to prevent forward movement ie anchoring the load to the floor and not a lot to prevent sideways movement either. If the straps from the opposite side of the trailer were used instead then they would be far more effective for sideways restraint. As shown one wrapping of cooking film around the boxes is doing virtually SFA, so all that any roof or ratchet strap is doing is preventing one box falling off. Proper heat-shrink wrap is what should have been used encasing plastic edge protectors of the type often used around tall pallets of fruit, but hey-ho that might add 0.0001 of a penny to the cost of the individual product inside the boxes.
Edit add: There are enough pictures on t’internet of headboards that have burst open in a collision to concentrate the mind on what can happen.
+1
The pallet loads should at least be wrapped and banded to start with.
While the straps attached to the trailer roof idea make no sense because they don’t provide any clamping force between the load and the floor of the trailer nor sufficient anchorage strength.Which then leaves the minefield of how heavy is each package and thereby each pallet load and depending on the answer is the packaging strong enough to support the required restraint forces.Realistically air cargo type webbing nets that can be thrown over each pallet load and anchored to the trailer in usual way as straps would probably be ideal in that situation because they wouldn’t put any concentrated clamping force at any single point on the packages.IE something along these lines.
cav551:
Looking at the picture of the internal straps in use then IMO they are about as much use as a bungee cord the way they are being used, if there is any weight in the boxes. They are doing next to nothing to prevent forward movement ie anchoring the load to the floor and not a lot to prevent sideways movement either. If the straps from the opposite side of the trailer were used instead then they would be far more effective for sideways restraint. As shown one wrapping of cooking film around the boxes is doing virtually SFA, so all that any roof or ratchet strap is doing is preventing one box falling off. Proper heat-shrink wrap is what should have been used encasing plastic edge protectors of the type often used around tall pallets of fruit, but hey-ho that might add 0.0001 of a penny to the cost of the individual product inside the boxes.
Edit add: There are enough pictures on t’internet of headboards that have burst open in a collision to concentrate the mind on what can happen.
+1
The pallet loads should at least be wrapped and banded to start with.
While the straps attached to the trailer roof idea make no sense because they don’t provide any clamping force between the load and the floor of the trailer nor sufficient anchorage strength.Which then leaves the minefield of how heavy is each package and thereby each pallet load and depending on the answer is the packaging strong enough to support the required restraint forces.Realistically air cargo type webbing nets that can be thrown over each pallet load and anchored to the trailer in usual way as straps would probably be ideal in that situation because they wouldn’t put any concentrated clamping force at any single point on the packages.IE something along these lines.
Yeah, I maybe jumping the gun a bit but I’m guessing he doesn’t have aeroplane cargo nets on his lorry. Did you even read what he asked?
Yes I did read what he asked and then replied to cav’s observations.When if the packages aren’t strong enough to support the required restraint then use of aircraft type securing nets ‘would’ be a great idea.Having said that the second example suggests that the packages in question aren’t exactly made up of paper mache.So proper wrapping and banding to the pallets and use of more straps to provide a wider spread of restraint loading to the trailer would probably work ok enough just as roping it all probably would have done in times past.
dieseldog999:
load up…possibly strap the rear two depending on how close to the back doors they are…close curtans,and light er up…job done
Depending on the weight of this lot exactly how does strapping just the rear pallets stop the rest from going out sideways through the curtains or through the headboard. On that note the second example seems better than nothing or the first example.
Because 9 out of 10 times there is usually a gab between the load and the back doors, the only place a load is relying on gravity.
It’s common sense. If it’s heavy and high strap it. If it’s light or low then pointless. Strapping loads in a curtain was practically unheard of till the VOSA years began and loads were not breaking through curtains or coming through the headboard…
Carryfast:
Depending on the weight of this lot exactly how does strapping just the rear pallets stop the rest from going out sideways through the curtains or through the headboard. On that note the second example seems better than nothing or the first example.
Because 9 out of 10 times there is usually a gab between the load and the back doors, the only place a load is relying on gravity.
It’s common sense. If it’s heavy and high strap it. If it’s light or low then pointless. Strapping loads in a curtain was practically unheard of till the VOSA years began and loads were not breaking through curtains or coming through the headboard…
As I said the weight of the load will determine the amount of restraint required.In this case it’s reasonable to assume that it might be heavy enough.
As for the explanation as to how just strapping the rear pallet loads will supposedly stop any or all of the rest of an unrestrained load going flying off sideways through the curtains for example.What has the gap between the rear doors and load got to do with that.Here’s a clue the curtains or the distance between the doors and load are totally irrelevant regards load security.IE it’s just a flat trailer with a roof some curtains and rear doors for weather protection so you don’t have to sheet it.
The law doesn’t say every load needs to be secured to be safe on a moving vehicle, it says…
‘The load carried by a motor vehicle or trailer shall at all times
be so secured, if necessary by physical restraint other
than its own weight , and be in such a position, that neither
danger nor nuisance is likely to be caused to any person
or property by reason of the load or any part thereof falling
or being blown from the vehicle or by reason of any other
movement of the load or any part thereof in relation to the
vehicle.’
VOSA/DVSA the police are not in a position to decide that a load is secure or insecure on a curtainsider with out physical evidence that that particular load is unsafe in that particular curtainsider just because their guidelines say it is, without actually testing the trailer and load no one can say if it is safe or not.
There has already been at least one court case that shows VOSA guidelines are totally incorrect.
nicsawalker:
I have a question. … I’m working with a trailer that has internal trailer straps and I also have ratchets and straps on hand if needed.
I’m happy to use the internal straps but some of my colleagues are not.
Is there a right time to use them or not? ■■
Is there a weight limit on the internal straps, and should you use ratchets and straps on heavier items. … or its it just a common sense thing?
You might want to get the hook on more securely on the side of the trailer esp ratchet side . We have two drivers who just about had the hook on like that both now have missing front teeth .or if the load bounces they will just come un hooked
Radar19:
I’d use the internals for that stuff. Only use ratchets when the stuff your strapping is strong enough not to get crushed.
Or use edge protectors
Just crushes a wider area really. It does reduce the damage but if you were to tighten the ratchet properly, you’d still mangle a box like that.
A.
You will have to pull the ratchet a lot tighter to crush a wider area . If you used the same force as before will offer more protection . im prob the same as most on here boxes packed tightly like that against the curtain ain’t going nowhere and prob will only get rear two strapped .
weeto:
The law doesn’t say every load needs to be secured to be safe on a moving vehicle, it says…
‘The load carried by a motor vehicle or trailer shall at all times
be so secured, if necessary by physical restraint other
than its own weight , and be in such a position, that neither
danger nor nuisance is likely to be caused to any person
or property by reason of the load or any part thereof falling
or being blown from the vehicle or by reason of any other
movement of the load or any part thereof in relation to the
vehicle.’
VOSA/DVSA the police are not in a position to decide that a load is secure or insecure on a curtainsider with out physical evidence that that particular load is unsafe in that particular curtainsider just because their guidelines say it is, without actually testing the trailer and load no one can say if it is safe or not.
There has already been at least one court case that shows VOSA guidelines are totally incorrect.
It depends on your definition of ‘if necessary’.Which in this case would probably mean anything that was much heavier than empty or very light packages the individual and combined weight of which could be ‘contained’ by the curtains ( as opposed to a ‘restraining’ heavy pallet loads ).Other than that the curtains,roof and doors are an irrelevance regards load security in just effectively being a flat trailer which doesn’t need to be sheeted for weather protection.On that note even the pallets alone would probably take it over that threshold.All that being a fact not a guideline.Feel free to take on the law if/when they decide that I’m right and you’re wrong bearing in mind up to a charge of dangerous driving for that offence.
Here’s another fine example of overnight loading, I left my trailer in Framptons, Shepton Mallet on Tuesday night this week for them to load it, opened it up Wednesday morning & was confronted with this-
thatch:
I do, because I pull a flat…lol
Iam just saying what we were told after one of our drivers was fined £100 for not strapping a load in a curtain sider.
Fair enough
It is true that over 400kg the internals are supposedly useless but back in the real world I don’t know anyone who does more than cross strap the back with ratchets.
Talking pallets here, not packs of chipboard or concrete blocks obviously.
thatch:
I do, because I pull a flat…lol
Iam just saying what we were told after one of our drivers was fined £100 for not strapping a load in a curtain sider.
Fair enough[emoji38]
It is true that over 400kg the internals are supposedly useless but back in the real world I don’t know anyone who does more than cross strap the back with ratchets.
Talking pallets here, not packs of chipboard or concrete blocks obviously.
A.
Totally agree, bloody nonsense having to strap pallets in a curtain.
On that note the second example seems better than nothing or the first example.
