Not sure how to read the new DVSA ruling… am I right in saying that regardless of CL curtains or not, every pallet should now be strapped down to the trailer bed regardless of what it is you are carrying? Whether it be Pallets of Coca Cola or Pallets of Loo roll? Especially Loo roll when it’s two pallets high and you can’t strap over it!!
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PhilMc:
Not sure how to read the new DVSA ruling… am I right in saying that regardless of CL curtains or not, every pallet should now be strapped down to the trailer bed regardless of what it is you are carrying? Whether it be Pallets of Coca Cola or Pallets of Loo roll? Especially Loo roll when it’s two pallets high and you can’t strap over it!!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You need to speak to your boss the old Stobart boy he’s in the DVSA’s pocket
I dunno mate…
It all seems so over complicated now.
If I was ever to pull a curtain-sider again (which is never because of this strapping stupidity), I’d be putting straps over everything I could see. If you can’t get them over bog roll and I know why that is then tell yer boss he’s gotta get new kit or, you’ll refuse to load it (then lose your job and become a homeless bum).
Are you saying that now internals are unacceptable over double palleted (normally shrink wrapped together) bog rolls? 
If it is actually true it is hardly anything new in this industry, that a rule has been made by some absolute f/wit, (on more money than you and me) who in essence.and reality knows the far end of f/all about actually ‘‘doing the job’’… and proving that point when that rule he comes up with, is totally unneccesaryand impractical…not to mention ■■■■ ridiculous.
It us up there with a back cross strap with internals not being enough for a load of single pallet cardboard…where tf are they EVER going to go exactly?
It is a bit like H&S guys and the non job types, ■■■■ compliance managers and the like (again on more money than us) …they have to be seen to be doing something (usually making up stupid ■■■■ rules) to justify their job/existence,.and we are just left to deal with it and pick up the pieces.
All this strapping palaver originated in Germany by the Bundesamt fur Logistik und Mobililtat or BALM for short formerly known as the Bundesamt fur Guterverkher or BAG as they get fed with cleaning up the mess and spilt cargo from foreign hauliers and the long delays for road closures, the fine goes to the driver, owner operator and the factory or business that loaded the trailer.
If the trailer is manufactured to BS EN 12642 XL (not just “load bearing curtains”) then you can still use a positive fit load without additional restraints. For positive fit the load should be no more than 8cm from the side and 30cm from the front/rear.
From the website
Positive fit is a way of securing a load inside a trailer or vehicle body that’s strong enough to withstand the forces likely to be exerted on it during the journey, for example a vehicle or trailer constructed to the BS EN 12642 XL standard.
The load itself should fill the load bed with minimal gaps wherever possible.
For effective positive fit, the load must be:
against or within 30cm of the headboard
loaded tightly along the length so the ■■■■■■■■■■ gap is no more than 30cm
within 30cm of the rear doors
within 8 cm of either side
If you cannot achieve this with the load alone, you can fill the gaps with:
packing material
dunnage
empty pallets
timbers
If you cannot fill the gaps, you must secure the load as in any non-XL rated vehicle or trailer.
You can achieve positive fit with cylindrical loads (such as paper reels) when the extremity of either one reel or two reels side by side is within 8cm of the side of the vehicle or trailer.
coiler:
If the trailer is manufactured to BS EN 12642 XL (not just “load bearing curtains”) then you can still use a positive fit load without additional restraints. For positive fit the load should be no more than 8cm from the side and 30cm from the front/rear.From the website
Positive fit is a way of securing a load inside a trailer or vehicle body that’s strong enough to withstand the forces likely to be exerted on it during the journey, for example a vehicle or trailer constructed to the BS EN 12642 XL standard.
The load itself should fill the load bed with minimal gaps wherever possible.
For effective positive fit, the load must be:
against or within 30cm of the headboard
loaded tightly along the length so the ■■■■■■■■■■ gap is no more than 30cm
within 30cm of the rear doors
within 8 cm of either side
If you cannot achieve this with the load alone, you can fill the gaps with:packing material
dunnage
empty pallets
timbers
If you cannot fill the gaps, you must secure the load as in any non-XL rated vehicle or trailer.You can achieve positive fit with cylindrical loads (such as paper reels) when the extremity of either one reel or two reels side by side is within 8cm of the side of the vehicle or trailer.
Thanks for that mate, our trailers are EN-12642-XL rated. We got memos last week from our office about it, but they’ve just copy/pasted from Gov website and I read the link last nite. I just wanted advice from people who are actually doing the job not some Plum in an office [emoji1787].
Thanks for the re-assurance buddy, appreciate it.
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I’m sure some here will know the company and others will guess it but I’ll not name them but a certain wood product manucfacturer is now demanding 20 ratchet straps and 40 corner protector pieces to carry around 24 tons of chipboard from Point A to Point B . Theres a girl in an office watching a camera and if you don’t have the 20 straps on you get one caution from a manager before being barred . 20 ratchets equals 100 tons of hold down force on a 24 ton load - overstrapped by 4 to 1 . Honestly I used to put about 14 on the load (70 ton of hold ) and never had a problem . I know chipboard can be a very "slidey"load but its a simple matter of well strapped and drive with care , some numpty will still spill one even with 20 straps on it .
Discuss
If it is that medium density fibreboard load, that is a real pain to strap.
beefy4605:
I’m sure some here will know the company and others will guess it but I’ll not name them but a certain wood product manucfacturer is now demanding 20 ratchet straps and 40 corner protector pieces to carry around 24 tons of chipboard from Point A to Point B . Theres a girl in an office watching a camera and if you don’t have the 20 straps on you get one caution from a manager before being barred . 20 ratchets equals 100 tons of hold down force on a 24 ton load - overstrapped by 4 to 1 . Honestly I used to put about 14 on the load (70 ton of hold ) and never had a problem . I know chipboard can be a very "slidey"load but its a simple matter of well strapped and drive with care , some numpty will still spill one even with 20 straps on it .
Discuss
Yep…Eggers Barony.
As you said ‘‘some girl in an office’’…just about sums the ■■■■ job up.
More than likely not yet born when I used to load same stuff out of Cowie in the 80s and just rope (every hook) it on, with a sheet…before straps were widespread
Or bring similar board from Holland to UK about 20+ years ago, with far fewer straps and zero problems,…
But hey!..apparentlly she knows more about the job than me,.and her word goes.
The guy told me to put 20 on, when I was in there a while back,.I just smiled and said '‘Yep no problem mate,.as that is not ridiculous in the slightest’…he just looked at me unsure, trying to suss me if I was being serious or not.
I just took my ■■■■ time…hourly paid.
They tried this a couple of years ago and when it was busy it was chaos with the queues because of extra strapping time taken with each truck.
Actually when I think back I had a problem once after a particularly dog rough crossing on a flat bottom ferry 
.
The board was resting in the curtains next morning
In mitigation I did not strap it myself it was picked up over there as a changeover…that’s my excuse anyhoo. 
That’s how you do it. 
beefy4605:
I’m sure some here will know the company and others will guess it but I’ll not name them…
EDIT: I see they’ve already been named.
Most experienced drivers in the NE area know about this in advance of being sent to their Hexham site, and know to adjust their driving style accordingly when collecting from there, it’s not until the trailer has lost its flexibility that you realise why it was designed to have it in the first place
Zac_A:
beefy4605:
I’m sure some here will know the company and others will guess it but I’ll not name them…Does the company you’re thinking of have a site in Hexham? If not, then there’s another company who have the same practices.
Most experienced drivers in the NE area know about it, and know to adjust their driving style accordingly when collecting from there, it’s not until the trailer has lost its flexibility that you realise why it was designed to have it in the first place
They “MAY” have . Who’s the other company? I can’t say Robroys right but I could say he’s not wrong
beefy4605:
I’m sure some here will know the company and others will guess it but I’ll not name them but a certain wood product manucfacturer is now demanding 20 ratchet straps and 40 corner protector pieces to carry around 24 tons of chipboard from Point A to Point B . Theres a girl in an office watching a camera and if you don’t have the 20 straps on you get one caution from a manager before being barred . 20 ratchets equals 100 tons of hold down force on a 24 ton load - overstrapped by 4 to 1 . Honestly I used to put about 14 on the load (70 ton of hold ) and never had a problem . I know chipboard can be a very "slidey"load but its a simple matter of well strapped and drive with care , some numpty will still spill one even with 20 straps on it .
Discuss
I know exactly the place you are referring to! The problem has come about from the lazy 8 strap idiots losing loads between the two factory’s , so now all of us who used to use 12-15 straps have to comply as well.
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rgt1973:
beefy4605:
I’m sure some here will know the company and others will guess it but I’ll not name them but a certain wood product manucfacturer is now demanding 20 ratchet straps and 40 corner protector pieces to carry around 24 tons of chipboard from Point A to Point B . Theres a girl in an office watching a camera and if you don’t have the 20 straps on you get one caution from a manager before being barred . 20 ratchets equals 100 tons of hold down force on a 24 ton load - overstrapped by 4 to 1 . Honestly I used to put about 14 on the load (70 ton of hold ) and never had a problem . I know chipboard can be a very "slidey"load but its a simple matter of well strapped and drive with care , some numpty will still spill one even with 20 straps on it .
DiscussI know exactly the place you are referring to! The problem has come about from the lazy 8 strap idiots losing loads between the two factory’s , so now all of us who used to use 12-15 straps have to comply as well.
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It’s all to do with whether you are a driver or not.
If you throw it around bends on that Glespin road, it us sure as hell going to slip. and to the amount of speed you are doing around those bends.
If you have the nous to understand the difference in the way you drive a truck to how you drive a car, the load does not move. 
…it ain’t rocket science.
You say 12 to 15 straps?
Condemn me now if you like I aint fussed…, but I used to just use 10 over two packs to Hexham, with zero drama nor problem.
Straps ratcheted up on protectors with a piece of timber,.and able to play a tune on them,.straight as a dye on arrival at Hexham.
But as ever in this industry we are legislated for d/heads and all treated in the same lowest common denominator one size way.
Done 2 trips/ 2 trailers to Egger Hexham today, took 40 straps off put 40 back on,.what a ■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■
You go into the yard now and it is lit up on the illuminated sign.,.first thing you see…‘All loads 20 straps’
You open the curtains and it just looks ■■■■ ridiculous…all because of one or two incompetent ####s who can not drive and have rolled their load,. 
But hey…, let’s just ignore on the other hand the thousands of loads out of there with zero drama.
Just makes the job unnecessarily longer, …I missed the football ffs. !
I hope the bellend who thought this stupid ■■■■ rule up has his arse hole infested with termites. 
Incidentally the spare truck I used which was grossed out ain’t the quickest, but Mr Stobart in his fancy Volvo thought it apt to sit right up my tube and flash his ■■■■ lights at me for me to hurry up…then eventually pull out to overtake me and cut right in on me…Not my fault the truck I was driving was a gutless heap of sh you prick.!
What are these strap things you lot talk about ?
robroy:
Done 2 trips/ 2 trailers to Egger Hexham today, took 40 straps off put 40 back on,.what a [zb] ■■■■■■■■■
You go into the yard now and it is lit up on the illuminated sign.,.first thing you see…‘All loads 20 straps’You open the curtains and it just looks [zb] ridiculous…all because of one or two incompetent ####s who can not drive and have rolled their load,.
But hey…, let’s just ignore on the other hand the thousands of loads out of there with zero drama.
Just makes the job unnecessarily longer, …I missed the football ffs. !I hope the bellend who thought this stupid [zb] rule up has his arse hole infested with termites.
Incidentally the spare truck I used which was grossed out ain’t the quickest, but Mr Stobart in his fancy Volvo thought it apt to sit right up my tube and flash his [zb] lights at me for me to hurry up…then eventually pull out to overtake me and cut right in on me…Not my fault the truck I was driving was a gutless heap of sh you prick.!
That’s why I’m now doing boxes as I’ve had enough of strapping loads in all weathers
blue estate:
That’s why I’m now doing boxes as I’ve had enough of strapping loads in all weathers
It’s all done inside a shed tbf, but still a pain in the ■■■■ whatever.
■■■■■■■■ to that. Fridges, boxes, tankers or tippers. Anything else can go whistle.