I’m not a container driver and never have been, but by the looks of it the only thing holding them in place is gravity? Is this frowned upon in box jockey circles?
merc0447:
I’m not a container driver and never have been, but by the looks of it the only thing holding them in place is gravity? Is this frowned upon in box jockey circles?
Twistlocks
HTH 
The flatbeds have twist locks built in to them.
Hmmm did not know this i thought a flatbed was just an ordinary trailer without the curtains 
merc0447:
Hmmm did not know this i thought a flatbed was just an ordinary trailer without the curtains
No it is just a skelly with floorboards 
Colingl:
The flatbeds have twist locks built in to them.
Ive seen some with straps thrown over them to hold the thing down 
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Colingl:
The flatbeds have twist locks built in to them.
Some flats do have twistlocks.Not all by any means,although I would hope that all the ones with containers do!
some are just held on with straps, some flats only have 4 twistlocks 2 front and 2 back so they strap the middles if 2 x 20 ft boxes, some have none,not a good idea as they have little effect if the container slides side ways. but it does happen.
had empty container move in wind. criss crossed straps from side to side and at each end after that! straps where just over top of container. should have known better really. hard lesson learned. glad it only moved about 2 inches over side of trailer. felt a right idiot that day.
daf430:
felt a right idiot that day.
left idiots never get felt, shame for them, missing out.
I move empties and use straps as I’ve got no twisties. I’ve never had one move but the straps often seem to loosen off.
When I was on the spanners for John Dickinson, our flats had twistlocks. Some were ordered with them from new, others didn’t and we fitted them. Our rigid flats had twisties too, pull outs on the back, we fitted them. The bugger with the rigids was, when putting a box on there was no where for the sheets to go, either roll them out along the bed or hoy them on top of the box .
I wouldn’t be happy using straps straight over the top with no twistlocks, they won’t stop a box sliding
Most of the stepframes had twistlocks, but the low loaders didn’t.
So when we put boxes on low loaders, we just cross-chain them on (top left corner of box to bottom right bed, and vice-versa).
Used to be that docks would not load a box onto a vehicle with no twistlocks, doubt whether thats changed much as the thought of a box with the potential gross of 28 tonnes held onto a flat with a couple of straps thrown over doesn’t bear thinking about.
Just chain them through the bottom corner castings. Simple and perfectly safe. Much better than straps and looks more professional.
Years ago we had Courtain Siders with 80cm high Planked around and 100’s Wooden Planked and heavy Roof Construction
There it was not one to disamble the Trailer,load a 40’ Container,put Courtain,all wooden Plankets and Roof Construction anywhere and go. Mostly between Le Havre or Rotterdam to Swiss/Austrian Border
^What he said^ Going corner to corner is fine, but you have to release one end when you go to load, going through the bottom corners eliminates that, you can also use one chain at each end, but obviously you’ll still need to use a binder for each corner, in reality this is a much more secure method than a simple twistock
Also, if you are using straps, to stop them coming loose, put a twist in them, this also stops them flapping against the side of the box and fraying, and stops them sounding like a pushbike with a lollystick in the spokes
Big Joe:
Used to be that docks would not load a box onto a vehicle with no twistlocks, doubt whether thats changed much as the thought of a box with the potential gross of 28 tonnes held onto a flat with a couple of straps thrown over doesn’t bear thinking about.
Comes down to common sense in the container parks Big Joe.
I’ve been in a queue and saw 3 flats with no twistlocks turned away, drivers kicking off.
Then they got to me and loaded me (low loader with no twist locks). Other drivers kicking off even more 
I’ve loaded boxes, chained them on, and seen them refuse the lads behind me in the queue for having no twisties.
Big Joe:
Used to be that docks would not load a box onto a vehicle with no twistlocks, doubt whether thats changed much as the thought of a box with the potential gross of 28 tonnes held onto a flat with a couple of straps thrown over doesn’t bear thinking about.
How is that any different than 28 tonnes of timber held onto a flat with a couple of straps per stack or any other load on a flatbed come to think of it?
I stand to be corrected but…
afaik theres no law against having no twist locks, just an insecure load.
The port’s have there own out look on this (generally) and won’t load you without T/L’s.
Nothing to stop you taking a loaded export to the port in this manner though!
cieranc:
Comes down to common sense in the container parks Big Joe.
yep quite, I remember it was a policy at Felixstowe, and all common sense there is over-ruled by H&S 
. I’ve moved the occasional box on a low loader, and like you have always gone diagonaly from top corner to opposite bottom lashing point, load straps just don’t get my vote of confidence for anything over 5 tonnes.