BOOM:
Welcome news indeed; but too late for a lot of companies who have shelled out unnecessarily on extra load restraint systems.
I can see a few claims pending for refund of fines too.
Downtons have cracked down on “not securing loads”…
Here’s what can happen…
Can anyone explain what that means, or give me an example of a load we do not have to strap down.
How do you know if your trailer qualifies? Is it written anywhere?
If they were taken to court by anyone they had ‘done’ for not restraining a load but with a trailer with load bearing curtains they wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.
Note how they didn’t ‘accept’ the reality themselves until they were told by a higher body that they are in the wrong !
It usually says on the curtains. All Jack Richardson trailers have ‘load bearing curtains’. They are not just to the potential 27 tonne of payload that you can carry. The wording is to the GVW, so in fact the curtains will hold 44 tonne.
Kerbdog:
If they were taken to court by anyone they had ‘done’ for not restraining a load but with a trailer with load bearing curtains they wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.Note how they didn’t ‘accept’ the reality themselves until they were told by a higher body that they are in the wrong !
It usually says on the curtains. All Jack Richardson trailers have ‘load bearing curtains’. They are not just to the potential 27 tonne of payload that you can carry. The wording is to the GVW, so in fact the curtains will hold 44 tonne.
Oh please…
“New European guidance [still in draft] states that vehicles built to the XL standard will meet the 50% of load securing to the side, as per the DfT code of practice. We now accept XL-rated vehicles as providing 50% of the total maximum vehicle load to the side. So you would not need to use additional lashing or other load security solutions, as long as you have loaded the goods with a positive fit,” the DVSA said in a statement.
Positive fit is defined as loading right up to the headboard, with no more than 80mm between the load and each curtain, and secured at the rear if the load does not reach the doors or rear of the body. In regards to multidrop work, the DVSA said: “As the load diminishes, the driver must either fill any gaps to maintain the positive fit, or use additional securing measures.”
Curtainsiders without EN 12642-XL must still use internal restraint to comply with Safety of Loads on Vehicles.
its the red bit you need to take notice of
Winseer:
Downtons have cracked down on “not securing loads”…Here’s what can happen…
Yes have a “policy” of all loads to be strapped but then you get a trailer that’s preloaded and sealed and then it doesn’t matter or a trailer preloaded that you can’t get straps out and it’s ok then,but if the jobsworth driver trainers catch you they will grass you to manegment.
The rules that firm bring in are a joke because in my experience you need to get the basics right before bringing in other policy’s.
fdm:
Kerbdog:
If they were taken to court by anyone they had ‘done’ for not restraining a load but with a trailer with load bearing curtains they wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.Note how they didn’t ‘accept’ the reality themselves until they were told by a higher body that they are in the wrong !
It usually says on the curtains. All Jack Richardson trailers have ‘load bearing curtains’. They are not just to the potential 27 tonne of payload that you can carry. The wording is to the GVW, so in fact the curtains will hold 44 tonne.
Oh please…
I’d like to see what curtain can take 44t across an area of about 1sq foot of curtain!
We’re talking around 45bar here, or the equivalent to being 1440ft deep in the sea - almost deep enough to crush a submarine…
You really don’t want a pointy, bulging-out-the-side-curtains load here do you? 
Winseer:
fdm:
Kerbdog:
If they were taken to court by anyone they had ‘done’ for not restraining a load but with a trailer with load bearing curtains they wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.Note how they didn’t ‘accept’ the reality themselves until they were told by a higher body that they are in the wrong !
It usually says on the curtains. All Jack Richardson trailers have ‘load bearing curtains’. They are not just to the potential 27 tonne of payload that you can carry. The wording is to the GVW, so in fact the curtains will hold 44 tonne.
Oh please…
I’d like to see what curtain can take 44t across an area of about 1sq foot of curtain!
We’re talking around 45bar here, or the equivalent to being 1440ft deep in the sea - almost deep enough to crush a submarine…
You really don’t want a pointy, bulging-out-the-side-curtains load here do you?
Indeed.
But then again, how do you seriously strap down a pallet of bottles? ratchet over the top? Yeah right.
Internal strap down the side? Yeah right.
Some times you can’t win, unless your trailer is designed for the job.
I’d argue that good stacking is worth 100 ‘good straps’… 
fdm:
Winseer:
fdm:
Kerbdog:
If they were taken to court by anyone they had ‘done’ for not restraining a load but with a trailer with load bearing curtains they wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.Note how they didn’t ‘accept’ the reality themselves until they were told by a higher body that they are in the wrong !
It usually says on the curtains. All Jack Richardson trailers have ‘load bearing curtains’. They are not just to the potential 27 tonne of payload that you can carry. The wording is to the GVW, so in fact the curtains will hold 44 tonne.
Oh please…
I’d like to see what curtain can take 44t across an area of about 1sq foot of curtain!
We’re talking around 45bar here, or the equivalent to being 1440ft deep in the sea - almost deep enough to crush a submarine…
You really don’t want a pointy, bulging-out-the-side-curtains load here do you?
Indeed.
But then again, how do you seriously strap down a pallet of bottles? ratchet over the top? Yeah right.
Internal strap down the side? Yeah right.
Some times you can’t win, unless your trailer is designed for the job.
fdm it’s nothing to do with the trailer … it’s the equipment your supplied with that makes the difference…
nick2008:
it’s nothing to do with the trailer … it’s the equipment your supplied with that makes the difference…
I would say it’s more to do with the driver to be honest! If the driver can’t make a load secure when he picks it up he obviously hasn’t done the dcpc…sorry mis type…he obviously isn’t a driver 
All very good.
Real drivers have managed to move all those loads for all those years, without those loads falling off at every corner.
Discuss.
Not many replies from truck drivers as of yet what a XL trailer is?
It only works if your load is loaded front to rear 
ie bulkhead to rear doors.
if Your on multi drop then you will need dunnage to accomadate the loads you have delivered.
If your not delivering full loads all of the time then a XL rated curtain means naff all.
Don’t let you TM fool you otherwise.
A load bearing curtain is a constraint not a restraint.
A internal strap will be accepted by DVSA (VOSA) per strap to restrain 400kg.
If Iam wrong please quote me!
So not so much BOOM but common sense 
fdm:
All very good.Real drivers have managed to move all those loads for all those years, without those loads falling off at every corner.
Discuss.
Agreed,
Iam 39 years old and I’ve never heard Sally Traffic mention a shed load involving a motorway closure ever!
chester:
Not many replies from truck drivers as of yet what a XL trailer is?
It only works if your load is loaded front to rear
ie bulkhead to rear doors.
if Your on multi drop then you will need dunnage to accomadate the loads you have delivered.If your not delivering full loads all of the time then a XL rated curtain means naff all.
Don’t let you TM fool you otherwise.A load bearing curtain is a constraint not a restraint.
A internal strap will be accepted by DVSA (VOSA) per strap to restrain 400kg.If Iam wrong please quote me!
You are wrong.
DVSA draft:
Positive fit is defined as loading right up to the headboard, with no more than 80mm between the load and each curtain, and secured at the rear if the load does not reach the doors or rear of the body. In regards to multidrop work, the DVSA said: “As the load diminishes, the driver must either fill any gaps to maintain the positive fit, or use additional securing measures.”
Left hand down!:
chester:
Not many replies from truck drivers as of yet what a XL trailer is?
It only works if your load is loaded front to rear
ie bulkhead to rear doors.
if Your on multi drop then you will need dunnage to accomadate the loads you have delivered.If your not delivering full loads all of the time then a XL rated curtain means naff all.
Don’t let you TM fool you otherwise.A load bearing curtain is a constraint not a restraint.
A internal strap will be accepted by DVSA (VOSA) per strap to restrain 400kg.If Iam wrong please quote me!
You are wrong.
DVSA draft:
Positive fit is defined as loading right up to the headboard, with no more than 80mm between the load and each curtain, and secured at the rear if the load does not reach the doors or rear of the body. In regards to multidrop work, the DVSA said: “As the load diminishes, the driver must either fill any gaps to maintain the positive fit, or use additional securing measures.”
So if on multi drop and your using a XL trailer you have to replenish any gaps for a positive fit. It clearly states that in the quote you’ve posted
Or use additional securing measures. (Meaning a XL trailer means naff all as you might as well just be using a normal curtain sider)
Drivers are still thinking just because the trailer has load bearing curtains the load doesn’t have to be restrained.
If you have a part load,the load has to been restrained, or gaps filled to make it a full load again.
If you have a full load, the load doesn’t need restraining.