We run DD curtain siders through a pallet network at night. Our old trailer has internal straps - which I, personally, don’t think secure the pallets much at all but that’s another matter.
We have bought a second DD, second hand from a large supermarket chain. This doesn’t have internal straps and never has.
Our MD spoke to the head man at VOSA in charge of vehicle security - his response was it was not illegal to run such a trailer without internal straps, and as always it is down to the driver as to whether he thinks the load is safe.
So how does that work? Our night driver is now (quite rightly some would say) refusing to use this trailer.
Obvioulsy who ever has told you this about the MD is lying (what people lie whatever next). Even a properly rated XL trailer has limitations think its 40% based on pallets with a certain friction co-efficient and other technical stuff that I know bugger all about. One thing I do know is that VOSA expect curtainsiders to be treated as flat beds, even XL’s with a light load may need a criss cross strap set up at the back to show willing.
In the end it the drivers responsibility…those who are unable to take responsibility will have responsibility or large fines forced upon them.
No he’s right you are wrong. Only courts can ultimately interpret if a law has been broken.
Load security is not an absolute offence and mitigating circumstances and risk to public safety would be considered. A coal merchants local to me never strapped sacks of coal, and still don’t to this day, on a flatbed, I believe the police twice pursued them to court over load security and lost both times. A similar thing occured with a firm hauling large quarry stones. You may also notice your local milkman will rarely unstrap milk crates before delivering your pint.
It would take no time in court to pull apart a lot of their weather protection only nonsense and show up their lack of knowledge of commercial vehicle body construction and own contradictions in enforcement.
Quackers:
All I can say is that some of you guys evidently have a lot more time on your hands than I do.
I just brought a load of pulp up from Sheerness to Manchester. I strapped the last lift with a ratchet strap - that’s it.
If that load gets to the point of moving then you’re in bigger trouble than shedding the load!
I don’t know of anyone that lost a load.
At other times we have carried 2 x 12 tonne coils of steel completely unstrapped on a curtain sider. You load them on slats of wood to take the metal pallets off the trailer’s steels and drive away (taking your time).
Chains would have been useful but we had none.
One / two tonne straps are completely useless on that load.
Still, I never heard of any being lost.
Probably because we’re professional drivers - maybe.
Ratchet strapping pallets of bottled bleach which are in cardboard boxes is nothing short of criminal damage.
I won’t be opening my curtains for VOSA. If they want to see my load they can open them themselves.
Any opportunity to throw their weight around and say ‘it’s my licence, I’m not driving that’ is like catnip to the ‘I take safety seriously’ brigade.
Really it’s a mutual ■■■■■■■■■■■■ game between them and VOSA where they can both feel a sense of self-importance. The fact driver safety and economic activity actually takes a hit for no actual improvent in road safety doesn’t enter into their heads as they’re too busy either peering round the outside of a drive tyre, with a million candle power torch doing their daily checks or, if they’re VOSA, smashing plastic wheel nut indicators to pieces with a little hammer desperately looking for a fresh opportunity to throw their weight around again to convince themselves they aren’t some no mark and doing something important.
Straps damaging loads would be no excuse. They would just turn round and say use bearers or boards etc to spread the tension.
The bottom line is heavy loads there is a valid point to strapping, lighter loads utterly pointless BUT at the end of the day its comply or run the risk of being fined.