question lads on Enforcement of load security
this morning down Milton Keynes I was on a bay with my curtainsider, I got off the bay pulled to one side
some pallets were heavy packages of sause some light were crisps , I reckon the sause were well over 400 kilos . as all 16 pallets were double stacked to take to st Helens. problems was I opened curtains to strap then heavens opened torrential rain I thought the heavy ones as far as I know anything over 400 kilos should be ratchet strapped which I did but you could only just nip it as if you tighten it will buckle the boxes which was worse as they got wet . so I decided to take the 2 ratchet straps off closed curtain over as torrential rain. I got back up on body and lent over to undo internal straps as I tie them up. BECAUSE last time I lay them down and all they done was load truck and jammed all my straps so I could nt use them .
so anyway I used internal straps on all, but it did bend and rip a few boxes especially with being wet .
so the company I delivered to said 5 pallets are wet damaged only the top of each pallet by the way. I think they are putting a claim in for them against me with my company. so probally get a bollocking or disaplinery for doing my job in torrential rain. I think if its packaging you should be allowed to use internal straps as impossible to use rathet straps as they will be slack as you cannot tighten them against boxes. anything else 400 kilos or over no problem strapping with ratchet straps but packaging yes. any ideas on this. by the way its getting hard. you are,nt allowed inside when loading on a bay , you can,t open curtains and strap while there loading. a few weeks ago I had some heavy pallets double stacked they were that high nearly impossible to throw straps over. best one in flint you have to open your back doors climb up your ladder undo all your internal straps close doors opens curtains and stand by your cab, so he comes with first double stacked pallets puts them on headboard , I walked forward to put internal strap round 1st double stacked pallet he said get back to your cab or I refuse to load you, I explained I have to strap all of them its the law he said I only have to strap every 3 like all other drivers do. im barred from there and glad everyone has their own rules on heath and safety ect.
Its your call as the driver who is responsible for the safety of the load. Just tell the boss you were trying to secure the load in torrential rain, and although the goods were not affected, the cartons were, and the receivers cannot claim for damaged goods, only for damaged packaging. Another excuse is the fact the forkie said if you dont get off the trailer, we wont load you, so tell him you dont care about what other drivers do, you have a responsibility to secure your load as you see fit.
OP 
you strap everything, 
or no load on truck! 
simples! 
Tell the customer to put a claim in to their nearest vosa office, as they’re the ones who stipulate a load of cornflakes needs 50 ratchet straps. What can you do, wait for the rain to stop? The roads will be quiet until August
The customer might moan about crushed packaging but if you took the load unrestrained as to protect the customers packaging then would that same customer pay your Graduated Fixed Penalty off DVSA (VOSA) if you were to be pulled.
A solied bodied trailer/body sounds like would be a much greater use here.
Loading/unloading procedure dependent of course. Although that’s the hauliers and customers problem, they can’t rely on drivers taking unsecured loads out just because it’s the cheapest way of doing things.
The only reason loads aren’t adequately restrained is either the cost to the haulier, or the laziness of the driver.
Load security is your responsibility, a fork lift driver is just that, he moves pallets about, tell him he is doing it wrong and see what he says, you have to stand your ground because you will be done by VOSA if its not secure and then your boss will be kicking your arse for not securing it, when signing for your load you should have signed - loaded in the rain, some items wet. Cover your back at all times.
Beware the police are enforcing the load above headboard height regs with a £100 fine for the driver and another lorry needed to remove excess load
Dan Punchard:
Beware the police are enforcing the load above headboard height regs with a £100 fine for the driver and another lorry needed to remove excess load
Really? I must av been lucky then with the load of cut timber that was above the headboard height wen vosa had me at jct 20 of the m62 today, nowt was said
Discretion has a lot to do with it going what I’ve heard .
anyone know how to strap bottles of beer…or pallets from gkn 
i asked about the former during a recent cpc course,he showed me how to do it…but it still was`nt secured to the trailer bed.
and i can just imagine diageo being well chuffed as i quadruple their loading time whilst cross strapping through every row…and then the same in reverse at tesco as they tip it.
what about pallets from gkn then…driver not allowed out of cab,and loaded upto the roof,4 stacks at a time,then go around to the strapping area and use the only method available to you.ie internals…not secured to trailer bed.
sure its up to the driver to secure his load,but its also up to the driver to provide for his family…which he will find increasingly hard to do as he gets banned from site after site.
hows about the department of transport,health and saftey exec or whoever,actually doing something useful for a change,and going into companies and making sure there are safe systems of work in place,so that drivers can do the job right.
boils my ■■■■…does this subject
youll probably get some ■■■■ on here from vosa now,trying to convince us its not all about collecting their wages.■■■■■ 
I loaded 24 pallets of garden compost weighing in at 25 tonnes today didn’t use one ratchet or strap!!! or even a rope happy days
gothika:
question lads on Enforcement of load security
this morning down Milton Keynes I was on a bay with my curtainsider, I got off the bay pulled to one side
some pallets were heavy packages of sause some light were crisps , I reckon the sause were well over 400 kilos . as all 16 pallets were double stacked to take to st Helens. problems was I opened curtains to strap then heavens opened torrential rain I thought the heavy ones as far as I know anything over 400 kilos should be ratchet strapped which I did but you could only just nip it as if you tighten it will buckle the boxes which was worse as they got wet . so I decided to take the 2 ratchet straps off closed curtain over as torrential rain. I got back up on body and lent over to undo internal straps as I tie them up. BECAUSE last time I lay them down and all they done was load truck and jammed all my straps so I could nt use them .
so anyway I used internal straps on all, but it did bend and rip a few boxes especially with being wet .
Get your company to provide you with some angle aluminum/wood pieces pallet length to put on top of the boxes, that will prevent them from getting damaged, alternatively, put an empty pallet on top. You really have little choice here. Your company may want to start a dialogue with where you are loading to see if they can change how they load their pallets, it is in their best interest that a load is secured.
gothika:
so he comes with first double stacked pallets puts them on headboard , I walked forward to put internal strap round 1st double stacked pallet he said get back to your cab or I refuse to load you, I explained I have to strap all of them its the law he said I only have to strap every 3 like all other drivers do. im barred from there and glad everyone has their own rules on heath and safety ect.
Next time a forkie prevents you from strapping your load, as you can only strap them as each row is put in, have him sign a waiver that he takes full responsibility, including financial and jail time if you end up killing someone when your load comes off.
On lghter loads, see if your company can fit dual top rails, one on each side right inside the curtain for your internal straps, all of our trailers have them, that way you can double up on your load retention and you can fasten them as fast as your curtain and can do it after the whole load is loaded.
Securing a load has always been our responsibility and every company I have been with has always secured their loads, I didn’t just start because DVSA is focusing on it.
Have a sit down with your TM/boss and see what you guys can come up with to make your life easier, to secure the load and to make sure that your company does not lose a contract when a load leaves your trailer, or worse you end up killing someone when you have to swerve to get around a numpty and your load takes out the guy in the next lane or the pedestrian walking on the pavement.
commonrail:
anyone know how to strap bottles of beer…or pallets from gkn
See my post above, I deliver beer, and each pallet is strapped.
commonrail:
and i can just imagine diageo being well chuffed as i quadruple their loading time whilst cross strapping through every row…and then the same in reverse at tesco as they tip it.
They will be a lot more ■■■■■■ of when you lose a load, or worse, hurt or kill someone, imagine the headlines in the Daily Mail then.
commonrail:
what about pallets from gkn then…driver not allowed out of cab,and loaded upto the roof,4 stacks at a time,then go around to the strapping area and use the only method available to you.ie internals…not secured to trailer bed.
Internals, within the load limits of the rail and straps is secured.
commonrail:
sure its up to the driver to secure his load,but its also up to the driver to provide for his family…which he will find increasingly hard to do as he gets banned from site after site.
:
You won’t be able to support your family when you spend 8 years in jail for vehicular homicide, or get laid of because your failure to secure a load led to your company losing its contract.
Securing a load is nothing new, not sure why you are only now making an issue out of it unless you are a newly qualified driver. It has always been your responsibility to secure any load you are carrying.
scotstrucker:
Really? I must av been lucky then with the load of cut timber that was above the headboard height wen vosa had me at jct 20 of the m62 today, nowt was said
Why in the world would you even set of with a load like that? Madness, utter madness.
You won’t get out the gate with pallets on top of the product.
Where do I store my aluminium/wooden rails,when not in use.
(close coupled trailers,on low 5th wheels)so catwalk not an option.
commonrail:
You won’t get out the gate with pallets on top of the product.Where do I store my aluminium/wooden rails,when not in use.
(close coupled trailers,on low 5th wheels)so catwalk not an option.
There is always room on a standard trailer with 26 pallets in, have your gaffer make some storage facility on the inside of the doors, alternatively look at different (load bearing) curtains, different internal straps horizontal bars on the vertical support bars, or get a walking floor. If the equipment you now have does not allow you to secure your load, sell it and buy the right equipment.
I know it sounds drastic, but you have to find a way to secure your load, if your owner does not want or can’t give you the right tools for the job so you can meet your legal and moral obligation, it may be time to start looking for employment elsewhere. Do you really want to drive around with a load that even if not caused by you can injure or kill someone? How do you know nobody is going to cut you of and make you swerve, how do you know some idiot is not going to throw out the anchor 3 feet in front of you?
Supposedly your load hurts a pedestrian and breaks his spine and he ends up in a wheelchair, his lawyers will figure out pretty quickly that you did not secure your load and they will come after every penny you and your family have, the CPS will look at making a case against you for vehicular negligence or worse, the TC will take your entitlements away, you will lose your job and your income. Is all that worth it?
Work with the other drivers, your owner, the loading depot and the delivery depot and try to find a solution, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Don’t get banned, don’t throw your toys out of the pram, work with all the parties involved, none of them will want to blatantly flaunt the law and if they do, you know where you stand.
If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem…
Its up to the client to package the goods, ie: put on a pallet and wrap it or band it to the pallet.
So why not make it law for them to use some form of pallet on the top? it would make it easier for drivers to secure, make the whole package stronger against movement so reducing for claims against damages.
They’ll say its a cost issue, but if its law, they’ll come up with a solution that’s cheap but effective, even if its only used once then recycled.
wheelnutt:
scotstrucker:
Really? I must av been lucky then with the load of cut timber that was above the headboard height wen vosa had me at jct 20 of the m62 today, nowt was saidWhy in the world would you even set of with a load like that? Madness, utter madness.
Why not? The load was secured corretly by using 14 straps and ratchets, the front was crossed straps as was the rear with straps.
And it couldnt have been illegal or the vosa lads would hav been havin words with me aswell as handin me a fine which neither happend.
And today i have 2 lorries on a step frame trailer with no headboard or kicker bar and the load is secured by 2 chains and 8 straps and ratchets.
commonrail:
anyone know how to strap bottles of beer…or pallets from gkni asked about the former during a recent cpc course,he showed me how to do it…but it still was`nt secured to the trailer bed.
and i can just imagine diageo being well chuffed as i quadruple their loading time whilst cross strapping through every row…and then the same in reverse at tesco as they tip it.what about pallets from gkn then…driver not allowed out of cab,and loaded upto the roof,4 stacks at a time,then go around to the strapping area and use the only method available to you.ie internals…not secured to trailer bed.
sure it
s up to the driver to secure his load,but its also up to the driver to provide for his family…which he will find increasingly hard to do as he gets banned from site after site.hows about the department of transport,health and saftey exec or whoever,actually doing something useful for a change,and going into companies and making sure there are safe systems of work in place,so that drivers can do the job right.
boils my ■■■■…does this subject
you
ll probably get some ■■■■ on here from vosa now,trying to convince us its not all about collecting their wages.[zb]
Corner plates and straps and ratchets for the beer or as tradeteam use nets to secure there loads of beer.
The pallets i would use 17 straps n ratchets crossing the front and rear and straps over the centre blocks of pallets
What’s the deal with car transporters and straw on top of the cab regarding the lack of a headboard