Need some advice on curtain sided trailers, Currently on a bit of a cushy number with a company using box trailers, i.e. from one location to another…no unloading required, just simply a case of arrive at the yard and uncouple then get told which trailers the next one to go…couple up, check the tension bar is secure then off we go…
Was down the pub with the boss the other day and he wants to move over on to curtain siders which where using on a new contract the company has got…now I have no issue with this and understand the basic concept on opening and closing curtains, moving the roof supports about when loading.
What I need help with is these roof straps, can someone point me in the right direction and do they really work or is it a case of just using separated ratchet strap per row of pallets…ie so if you got 16 pallets …2 wide you’d general use 8 straps or is this over kill on securing the load…
my other question is about loading… from what I’ve been told by the boss, generally the work will be pick up an average of about 16 to 20ish pallets,deliver it
Then he went on to say BUT there could be a possibility on occasions where I might have an additional collect and we will advise whilst your on the road… so do I have the trailer loaded …ie 2 wide and double stack or do I opt for 2 rows and single stack…
Just don’t want to opt for the latter and look a complete ■■■ when I get a call to collect an additional…
Think its bulk food products…ie canned goods and bottled stuff… but then what the guys in the yard have told me, everyone’s going to do a day on this contract & other days doing other stuff like DIY products, car parts…or what ever else need moving…so nothing specific…
Oh well happy days
The whole load security issue in curtain siders has been done to death. And despite the difinitive or undifinitive guidance, it’s all down to the individuals interpretation. Whether that’s driver/employer/dvsa determines what side of the law you fall on. My advice, stick with the boxes
I’m not touting for business but I offer a very comprehensive load securing course that goes into the recognised standards (BS EN 12195 nod EN 12164) etc and legalities. So maybe find such a course.
Be very careful of advice on here. Some is great and some is just based on that persons experience. The problem with experience is that it tends to be something you gain just after you needed it. Sometimes our experience is that a certain set of factors haven’t as yet all converged to cause the disaster/damage etc
The best document I have seen is the European Commission Best Practice Guidelines On Cargo Securing For Road Transport. It isn’t too technical.
Curtain spiders are a major problem so be careful. 22,000 road closures last year due to road impact situations. Many will have been curtains. Then there’s damage to stock or injury through load shift. Food products in tins you’re looking at 750kg + per pallet.
Internal straps hanging from trailer? Mostly a waste of space.
shep532:
I’m not touting for business but I offer a very comprehensive load securing course that goes into the recognised standards (BS EN 12195 nod EN 12164) etc and legalities. So maybe find such a course.
Be very careful of advice on here. Some is great and some is just based on that persons experience. The problem with experience is that it tends to be something you gain just after you needed it. Sometimes our experience is that a certain set of factors haven’t as yet all converged to cause the disaster/damage etc
The best document I have seen is the European Commission Best Practice Guidelines On Cargo Securing For Road Transport. It isn’t too technical.
Curtain spiders are a major problem so be careful. 22,000 road closures last year due to road impact situations. Many will have been curtains. Then there’s damage to stock or injury through load shift. Food products in tins you’re looking at 750kg + per pallet.
Internal straps hanging from trailer? Mostly a waste of space.
I just hope your boss has gone into this new contract with his eyes wide open, and not taken on a job that another firm has decided not to do any longer because of the difficulty of securing the pallets properly without damaging the load. If the 16 to 20 pallets are heavy you could end up overloading the tractor unit axles.
I agree with shep532 that in many instances internal straps are about as effective as a lacky band.
its strange how I ran for years colleting from Heinz, p&g loaded reels of paper on ends (not so they could roll) all in a curtainsider and never had any issues (I did when they were loaded to roll mind).
yet now someone in an office states you must strap each one and still people say don’t use this type etc.
even steel coils from the docks to Nissan were only strapped front and back on a coil trailer and I never heard of a driver having issues.
war1974:
its strange how I ran for years colleting from Heinz, p&g loaded reels of paper on ends (not so they could roll) all in a curtainsider and never had any issues (I did when they were loaded to roll mind).
yet now someone in an office states you must strap each one and still people say don’t use this type etc.
even steel coils from the docks to Nissan were only strapped front and back on a coil trailer and I never heard of a driver having issues.
Exactly why I turned my back on curtainside work and went back onto containers. I won’t go back to it out of choice, that’s for sure
It’s easy. The big boys like maritime, goldstar and Wincanton are always recruiting. Not the best firms in the game, medium sized regional hauliers are the best in the game imo, but they’ll give you a start, and all the training you need to break into the game, then find a decent firm to move onto
When we go into crown crest in Leicester for pallets of tinned foods we go in with curtainsides nowt gets strapped or when we take a curtain into napier brown for sugar in Normanton 24 pallets don’t get strapped never had a problem so far.
Daytrunker:
When we go into crown crest in Leicester for pallets of tinned foods we go in with curtainsides nowt gets strapped or when we take a curtain into napier brown for sugar in Normanton 24 pallets don’t get strapped never had a problem so far.
That’s 'cos your friendly local DVSA bod hasn’t tugged you yet.
You must have a 12 inch ■■■■■ 