SteveBarnsleytrucker:
How would you go on strapping a pallet full of cans of ale or a Euro with bottled water?? The strap ain’t securing all of the pallet is it as such, just the cans or bottles that the strap is attached to.
Corner boards?
How would you/could secure this load? This is the back of my trailer every night…mixed load/sizes/shapes etc, rarely have bulk pallets and most weigh less than hold ton… A strap would make no difference whatsoever…ill have to get an old trawler net from someone!! I’d like to hear VOSA’s take on it. And yeah, I know…it already looks like it’s been tipped & righted!!
Actrosman - that load is crying out for a dry-lined box trailer & pallet truck.
For at least four years VOSA & the HSE have been running a load safety campaign. Their take on curtain-siders is that the curtains are for weather protection ONLY - as has already been said. The loads behind the curtains should be restrained in the same way as if they were on a flat-bed. They frown on use of ropes/rope hooks - these are for securing tarps only. As has been said MOST ropes are not load rated. They frown on voids between load & headboard, they reckon 90% of haulage loads are ‘inadequately secured’.
The reasons they give that curtains are not part of a load restraint system (even if load-rated) are:
i) If the load should shift & come to rest against a curtain the dynamics of the vehicle may be affected (brakes, steering, axle weights).
ii) As above - someone has to release the curtains & there is a personal injury risk as well as the load becoming damaged during unloading.
They have been warning us for years about the impending clampdown on load security - especially on board curtain-siders. Get ready - FPN amounts also went up (almost double) as of July 2013.
Daz1970…told the gaffers a few years ago that a box would be better for us as all the depots we do at night comes out the back…their argument is that as the 3 curtainsiders are also used on days for deliveries and collections, they are more ‘user friendly’ as some del/col’s are side tip/load. And the day men do carry bulk pallets, bottled water (glass/plastic, 250ml-1litre) fizzy drinks (cans/500ml bottles) and various other ‘heavies’. The only side of the company that uses boxes are the depots that are multi-temp
Our pallets are upto 1t in weight and we only have the straps from the roof. I have any pallet of 1t machine-wrapped (that does make it secure).
Here’s a question; Do you strap empty pallets? I do but some of my colleagues don’t. I don’t build up a large stack, I tend to have 2 piles of equal height, strapped to the sides plus if they’re those awful plastic ones, I put one around the back too.
Lastly, what about pumptrucks? We used car tyres to hold them until last week, now got these rubber wheel chocks from Drapers. Really good things, but wondered on the legality?
Muckaway:
Our pallets are upto 1t in weight and we only have the straps from the roof. I have any pallet of 1t machine-wrapped (that does make it secure).
Here’s a question; Do you strap empty pallets? I do but some of my colleagues don’t. I don’t build up a large stack, I tend to have 2 piles of equal height, strapped to the sides plus if they’re those awful plastic ones, I put one around the back too.
Lastly, what about pumptrucks? We used car tyres to hold them until last week, now got these rubber wheel chocks from Drapers. Really good things, but wondered on the legality?
We had a driver pulled over at Tower Bridge in a class 2 curtainsider, and he was warned that unless he strapped his sack-barrow down he was going to receive a fine. Perhaps this answers your query.
Well the sunshine seems to be here so as my pallets weigh less than 400kg I will be securing them with internal straps only and removing the curtains completely as ‘they only provide weather protection’ so won’t be needed.
Except of course that statement is complete and utter nonsense to anyone but a DCPC trainer, with time on their hands, and a handful of earth is flat types.
The odd thing with health and safety obsessive types is they seem to have a complete blindspot to the fact their silly disruptive nonsense actually, in itself, puts driver’s safety at risk.
Muckaway:
Our pallets are upto 1t in weight and we only have the straps from the roof. I have any pallet of 1t machine-wrapped (that does make it secure).
Here’s a question; Do you strap empty pallets? I do but some of my colleagues don’t. I don’t build up a large stack, I tend to have 2 piles of equal height, strapped to the sides plus if they’re those awful plastic ones, I put one around the back too.
Lastly, what about pumptrucks? We used car tyres to hold them until last week, now got these rubber wheel chocks from Drapers. Really good things, but wondered on the legality?
We had a driver pulled over at Tower Bridge in a class 2 curtainsider, and he was warned that unless he strapped his sack-barrow down he was going to receive a fine. Perhaps this answers your query.
Anybody see Ice Road Truckers a few weeks back?? One driver got pulled I think in Canada by their VOSA (CRT I think they’re called).Anyway the CRT guy was asking the driver a few ‘discreet’ questions like when he last checked he had some safety gear on-board (was he after a warning sign or similar?). Reply: ‘Did my checks last week sometime’.
Also questioned on a wooden chock stowed (unsecured - but not going anywhere) on catwalk. CRT guy said ‘Make sure it’s secured before you leave’ - all casual like. Then he fined driver for insecure load (wooden block) & not doing mandatory ‘daily’ checks & something else - I forget what. CRT said they have a ‘zero tolerance’ policy to unsecured loads or objects on the Ice Road.
Wonder if or when that will come in here■■? I think the driver got fined a few hundred Canadian dollars - he left the check-point grumbling about the authorities■■?
Is there any credit given for straps that are knotted
The warehouse dudes seemingly don’t give a stuff with using them my place - whereupon drivers identify them only to see them reappear in use the next day, etc.
The supervisors are evidently not too bothered either
However, us getting caught ‘disposing’ of them independently will result in a major disciplinary action being taken.
They are struggling with the strap thing at work. The trunks less so. But our delivery vehicles make things awkward.
Problem is, we have a rack system to carry pipe, and by nature, they are loaded from the back to the front so the pipe can be removed from the back doors.
Typical load can look like this.
Clunk:
They are struggling with the strap thing at work. The trunks less so. But our delivery vehicles make things awkward.
Problem is, we have a rack system to carry pipe, and by nature, they are loaded from the back to the front so the pipe can be removed from the back doors.
Typical load can look like this.
so are you saying that load doesn’t need or cant be strapped /secured
Knotted straps do my head in. Why can’t people just adjust the straps? By the time you’ve faffed about tying them up you could’ve attached the strap and started doing up the curtain.
Muckaway:
Knotted straps do my head in. Why can’t people just adjust the straps? By the time you’ve faffed about tying them up you could’ve attached the strap and started doing up the curtain.
This is another reason I got out of driving trucks for a living.
This industry is going from bad to worse.
not only are drivers responsible for the load being securely strapped they are also held responsible for…
vehicle & trailer defects i.e. tyres,lights.
drivers hours and all tachograph rules and regs.
drivers working time directives.
Everything is down to the driver and all for a hourly rate of just over min hourly wage, you are all being taken for a ride !
TTX boy:
This is another reason I got out of driving trucks for a living.
This industry is going from bad to worse.
not only are drivers responsible for the load being securely strapped they are also held responsible for…
vehicle & trailer defects i.e. tyres,lights.
drivers hours and all tachograph rules and regs.
drivers working time directives.
Everything is down to the driver and all for a hourly rate of just over min hourly wage, you are all being taken for a ride !
100% agree!!! You couldn’t make it up if you tried!
And why I’m currently pulling tankers!
TTX boy:
This is another reason I got out of driving trucks for a living.
This industry is going from bad to worse.
not only are drivers responsible for the load being securely strapped they are also held responsible for…
vehicle & trailer defects i.e. tyres,lights.
drivers hours and all tachograph rules and regs.
Everything is down to the driver and all for a hourly rate of just over min hourly wage, you are all being taken for a ride !
Muckaway:
Knotted straps do my head in. Why can’t people just adjust the straps? By the time you’ve faffed about tying them up you could’ve attached the strap and started doing up the curtain.
