There seems to be a rumour doing the rounds at the moment regarding how and where lashings can be attached to vehicles.
It seems to be coming from drivers who have recently been on DCPC courses, who say they are being told that, from later this year, it will be deemed illegal to attach straps etc to the side rail/ chine, and that they will require to go onto a cross member, (No, I don’t know how you do that either) or directly to the chassis.
When you read the HSE guidance, (and I’m sorry, I don’t know how to post a link) there is some reference to it, but when you read it carefully, it in no way prohibits the use of the side rail, but it does suggest that it has to be in good order ie free of cracks and excessive corrosion.
As I have never been in an RDC in my life, and I was driving a Commer tipper in a remote part of Scotland when the H.O.F.E. tragically sank, I’m not normally exposed to industry experts on a regular basis, so just wondered if any of you fine people had heard this same story.
Carryfast, wherefore art thou??
I haven’t seen anything from DVSA on that topic, and I’m subscribed to all kinds of government email updates so I’d expect to see it there first.
You know how drivers are with rumours, 95% of them are just that and never come to pass.
EDIT: perhaps this stems from DCPC trainers telling drivers not to use rope hooks to attach their straps, now that is something I could see being made properly illegal, you can definitely get fined for it even now.
Don’t ask Curryfart as he is stuck in 1974.
Plus you won’t get a correct answer but instead you will get 7 pages of why he cant get premium work.
EDIT: perhaps this stems from DCPC trainers telling drivers not to use rope hooks to attach their straps, now that is something I could see being made properly illegal, you can definitely get fined for it even now.
[/quote]
Yes, I wondered about that too. It’s amazing how many people still use the hooks to fix the straps to.
I heard the same rumours John ,all I can say is mag drills will sell out fast 
and those with riveted on side rails may want to invest in some heavy angle or a welder 
Old John:
EDIT: perhaps this stems from DCPC trainers telling drivers not to use rope hooks to attach their straps, now that is something I could see being made properly illegal, you can definitely get fined for it even now.
Yes, I wondered about that too. It’s amazing how many people still use the hooks to fix the straps to.
[/quote]
Silly question time…
Why can’t you attach the ratchets to a rope hook? They are after all designed to secure the load (obviously with ropes ), so it can’t be a strength issue.
Same as H&S, these ■■■■ s who know the far end of ■■■■ all about the job surely must be running out of ideas solely designed to ■■■■ us off soon, whatever tf next eh? 
Well we secure straps to our side rails and we’re carrying 27 tonnes of chipboard arranged in three stacks, two high of packs weighing 4.5 tonnes each so each stack is 9 tonnes and secured by one strap over the bottom pack and three over the top. The Scottish guys who load them that we swap over with on a night use metal bars on the ratchets to tighten them. Even when we’ve had one go on its side the packs haven’t moved and the side rails haven’t failed.
If you attached the straps to the chassis that would actually allow them to move and they most definitely would if they went on their side.
The cross members under the floor are there to keep the floor in place on most trailers nowadays, each individual one certainly isn’t capable of having a couple of tonnes of lateral force being applied to them.
msgyorkie:
Don’t ask Curryfart as he is stuck in 1974.
Plus you won’t get a correct answer but instead you will get 7 pages of why he cant get ANY work.
Just made a little correction to your post regarding Carryfast. 