rob22888:
I think a lot of firms have been taking the ■■■■ with ‘load bearing curtains’ and XL trailers, by basically treating them as box vans.
Even on these trailers, the load can’t be strapless unless it fills the entire floor space of the trailer with no more than 80mm gaps around the edge. With a 26 pallet load you can get away with just strapping the back two, but that’s it. Look up DVSAs definition of ‘positive fit’.
It’s all a load of ■■■■■■■■ though… leave Coca Cola with no straps and get fined for endangering the public, but put in place 26 flimsy roof straps and your good to go…
You’ll still get the fine, surely? The only difference you’ve gone to the effort of running internals.
Conor:
Instead of blaming them for expecting the load to be secure blame those who didn’t bother and inconvenienced thousands of people when they chucked their load all over whatever major road closing it for hours.
The clampdown is as a result of an increasing amount of lost and shot loads. Saw one the other week on the A66 Eastbound at 2am, wagon in first layby at start of first dual carriageway east of Temple Sowerby along with what looked like a manager from British Gypsum both scratching their heads wondering what they were going to do with the load of plasterboard bulging 4ft out the side of his curtainsider held in purely by the curtain but far from safe to drive any further. Bet the driver was like some of the pricks commenting in this thread and thought XL curtains, internal straps, good to go sod ratcheting it down. I was carrying 9 4.5 tonne packs of chipboard in three stacks of three strapped down with 5 ratchet straps per stack, perhaps if that clown had done the same he wouldn’t have ended up in the situation he did.
Forget the ratchet straps, it was lucky you weren’t put over a weighbridge… 9 x 4.5 is 40 odd tonne…
rob22888:
I think a lot of firms have been taking the ■■■■ with ‘load bearing curtains’ and XL trailers, by basically treating them as box vans.
Even on these trailers, the load can’t be strapless unless it fills the entire floor space of the trailer with no more than 80mm gaps around the edge. With a 26 pallet load you can get away with just strapping the back two, but that’s it. Look up DVSAs definition of ‘positive fit’.
It’s all a load of ■■■■■■■■ though… leave Coca Cola with no straps and get fined for endangering the public, but put in place 26 flimsy roof straps and your good to go…
You’ll still get the fine, surely? The only difference you’ve gone to the effort of running internals.
Given how large outfits like KNDL run perfectly legally by having drivers put internals/keg curtains on 27 tonne loads of palletised ale, it seems the roof straps are acceptable!
Do enough to make a pallet of canned drink shift & you have problems regardless.
Conor:
Instead of blaming them for expecting the load to be secure blame those who didn’t bother and inconvenienced thousands of people when they chucked their load all over whatever major road closing it for hours.
The clampdown is as a result of an increasing amount of lost and shot loads. Saw one the other week on the A66 Eastbound at 2am, wagon in first layby at start of first dual carriageway east of Temple Sowerby along with what looked like a manager from British Gypsum both scratching their heads wondering what they were going to do with the load of plasterboard bulging 4ft out the side of his curtainsider held in purely by the curtain but far from safe to drive any further. Bet the driver was like some of the pricks commenting in this thread and thought XL curtains, internal straps, good to go sod ratcheting it down. I was carrying 9 4.5 tonne packs of chipboard in three stacks of three strapped down with 5 ratchet straps per stack, perhaps if that clown had done the same he wouldn’t have ended up in the situation he did.
Forget the ratchet straps, it was lucky you weren’t put over a weighbridge… 9 x 4.5 is 40 odd tonne…
Crack on driver!
Don’t question Captain Agency, Knower of Everything About Nothing, for he has spoken and thusly the truth has been said.
Great replies on this post…i loved the 9 x 4.5 tons one. i admit some vosa can be ok, and to be fair, he was a good guy…checking my documents etc, a thorough check … but i am an english,man, driving a bulgarian registered right hand drive truck…surprised them somewhat…but at the last minute, he said Lets just have a quick look in the back that was it, but he did say amongst other things, that if a bulb wasnt working, he can issue a fine, unless the driver can change it…also said ( and i agree ) a taughtliner/euroliner is a flat trailer with curtains…and for many years i have chanced my arm, using my experience to carry my loads safely, withbn these new rules/laws, we get away with it unless we are caught…which i was. He explained he had been to germany to train their vosa ( b.a.g. ) so it looks like a europe wide thing. My boss supplies 26 ratchets and straps…corner boards, rubber antislip mats, everything one needs…so no excuse…btw, all of my boards were in place as well with this load…but if vosa say no…then its no…strap everything.
How does a company like Nissin get away with no strapping whatsoever then for Honda?
They showed me some sort of certificate and everything is carried in those heavy steel things (name gone out of head) but I still reckon you could get one to move if you wanted to
Genuine question for the real drivers please. Still new at this game
robroy:
I agree it’s a combination of ott H&S ■■■■■■■■ and a good way of screwing cash out of drivers.
As somebody said you once could get away without strapping many types of loads, but not now.
I just play their game nowadays and spend an extra 30 to 45 mins strapping everything, knowing they won’t have me over by doing me out of a few quid and safe in the knowledge I get paid by the hour, so I’m in no hurry.
Better to turn all this type of crap to your advantage rather than risk it all purely for the sake of impressing your boss by getting stuff there quicker, which I aint interested in.
This.
Most of us doing general work get paid by the hour so why not just spend 30 mins (usually takes half that) to throw on some straps then your covered. I was late leaving the other day. Had planner on the phone “why did it take you so long to leave this morning”. Me, “because the load wasn’t properly strapped so I wasn’t taking it out until I was satisfied with it”. No comes backs to that. They can’t tell me to not do it properly (I know some companies do but not mine).
If in doubt just strap the sodding thing so your covered.
Don’t get me wrong, if I’ve got an XL curtain and the load is light enough and touching the curtains I only strap the back then. But then I’d be happy to have the conversation with dvsa that it meets all the requirements and what’s the point in XL curtain if I can’t use it for what it’s designed for…
good_friend:
How does a company like Nissin get away with no strapping whatsoever then for Honda?
They showed me some sort of certificate and everything is carried in those heavy steel things (name gone out of head) but I still reckon you could get one to move if you wanted to
Genuine question for the real drivers please. Still new at this game
Because they only go for the "little man"who can’t afford to take them on.
Being self funded…no way will they risk taking on the financial clout of one of the big players
We don’t have as many bobby’s parked up at 2 am in a sleepy little village and a speed cam pointing out the window anymore. Tories did one thing right at least. So let’s hope they cut back on funding for these lovely people. Or should I say job’s worth’s. But in the meantime. just slow down when you’re not strapped up. And take it steady.
truckyboy:
He explained he had been to germany to train their vosa ( b.a.g. ) so it looks like a europe wide thing.
The Germans have been hot on load security for years, so I would have thought it would be the other way round VOSA going to Germany to learn from the BAG.
rob22888:
Given how large outfits like KNDL run perfectly legally by having drivers put internals/keg curtains on 27 tonne loads of palletised ale, it seems the roof straps are acceptable!
Do enough to make a pallet of canned drink shift & you have problems regardless.
Would really like to know if there is any technical information out there about koon and noodle type brewery drays simply because we run the same type of trailer, actually ex brewery , with a very light load, about 3000kg on a trailer with approx 12000kg capacity, that does fill the space from floor to roof to both curtains. Curtains are double layer pvc with tensioned nets behind. The load is very difficult to strap without damaging it. Can not find any XL markings or whatever on the original curtains.
truckyboy:
He explained he had been to germany to train their vosa ( b.a.g. ) so it looks like a europe wide thing.
The Germans have been hot on load security for years, so I would have thought it would be the other way round VOSA going to Germany to learn from the BAG.
The VOSA weasel could be talking out of his ringpiece, a bit of Walter Mitty “look at me I’m the most importantest playground supervisor” perhaps?
I’ve loaded in Germany and been required to put down anti-slip mats (provided) in case 33 pallets decided to evacuate a fridge. Not quite sure how they would do that but I believe the BAG have the power to prosecute the loaders as well as the drivers if anything is deemed unsafe so maybe they like the belt and braces approach.
Absolutely mate, anything to help fill their coffers…as i learned many many years ago, when the old ministry man said : if a vehicle has just left the factory…we could and would find something wrong…
truckyboy:
He explained he had been to germany to train their vosa ( b.a.g. ) so it looks like a europe wide thing.
The Germans have been hot on load security for years, so I would have thought it would be the other way round VOSA going to Germany to learn from the BAG.
The VOSA weasel could be talking out of his ringpiece, a bit of Walter Mitty “look at me I’m the most importantest playground supervisor” perhaps?
I’ve loaded in Germany and been required to put down anti-slip mats (provided) in case 33 pallets decided to evacuate a fridge. Not quite sure how they would do that but I believe the BAG have the power to prosecute the loaders as well as the drivers if anything is deemed unsafe so maybe they like the belt and braces approach.
A.
B.A.G will prosecute the driver, the person/company who loaded the truck and your boss.
Dont believe that vosa trained them, not in a million years.
truckyboy:
Absolutely mate, anything to help fill their coffers…as i learned many many years ago, when the old ministry man said : if a vehicle has just left the factory…we could and would find something wrong…
some years ago our company bought a new leyland tiger coach with a plaxton body converted to a mobile classroom with rear doors and ramps to drive a car in…like the italian job …to train mechanics worldwide.
it failed its first mot,tester said if its a psv then its failed on the seats,if its hgv then its failed because it has no long vehicle boards on the back.
The Scania didn’t actually hit anything, but jackknifing on black ice was enough to send two-ton paper rolls flying. The driver of the van died instantly.
The Scania didn’t actually hit anything, but jackknifing on black ice was enough to send two-ton paper rolls flying. The driver of the van died instantly.
Only by the curtains and all those ratchet straps you can clearly see.
The forces in a crash can easily exceed the driving forces that we have to secure loads against.
Those straps were nicely tucked behind the sideboards, for easy access in case you needed them.
Like I said, it wasn’t even a crash, there was no contact between the vehicles, only a sudden change of direction for the lorry and that was enough to eject the rolls.
i admit some vosa can be ok, and to be fair, he was a good guy…checking my documents etc, a thorough check … but i am an english,man, driving a bulgarian registered right hand drive truck…surprised them somewhat…but at the last minute, he said 
, with a very light load, about 3000kg on a trailer with approx 12000kg capacity, that does fill the space from floor to roof to both curtains. Curtains are double layer pvc with tensioned nets behind. The load is very difficult to strap without damaging it. Can not find any XL markings or whatever on the original curtains.