Collected 34 bags of sand from a quarry, weighing about 800kg each. So nearly full weight.
17 bags per side. All our trailers and I’m guessing this is standard, has 14 internals per side of course for strapping a 26 pallet load one strap per pallet and a cross at the rear. So with that option I’m 3 straps per side short without even strapping the back.
Ratchets? First of all I don’t carry 17, but more of a reason why it’s a no go is that I tried ratchet strapping th first row and all it did was make the sand pour out of the bags as the pressure of the strap a/ just sunk into the sand and never actually got tight, and b/ it pushed the sides of the bags down so the sand spilled over.
2 other drivers in before me with same load. First on a flat, he put netting over it and one ratchet round the back. Next driver was curtainsider like me and he put ZERO straps anywhere on his load.
I put the internals on as many as I could then put a ratchet round the back but far enough round so it caught all the ones along the side that didn’t have an internal.
I know the internals won’t do anything, and ratchets bouncing round as the sand moves would do even less. But if you were pulled DVSA aren’t going to see it like that with a nearly 28 ton load and zero straps like the last driver. So what would you do? Not a load I’d imagine I’ll get any time soon, and never done it before…hence why we don’t carry a net or anything.
What would you do with that load on a curtainsider?
haven’t you got any protectors for the straps ? mine are about 3 inch wide so spread the load ( though never took sand but are finde on bagged cement , if you’ve not got enough straps , can’t you double them up I.e throw them over , put them round hook on chassis then throw them back over next pall ( assuming straps are long enough ( I’ve long / short .
I rachets strap everything though I know a lot don’t , but then one fine of £776 was enough for me
You’ll have to go some to get tonne bags falling of the sides - most loads I see the bags are nicely squashed together on loading then a pair of cross straps on the back.
Stuck with only what you had I would have hoped that the straps were not just on one central pole but tworails near each edge. In which case I would lead the n/s straps across to secure fairly loosely the bags on the o/s. Then I would loop the o/s straps over and around the n/s ones as low as posssible and secure to the n/s rave and tighten up both sides alternately. Once you have got the hang of it it becomes easier to set the traps to the right length. I would cross the back with the last but one row of straps so that they are stopped from sliding rearwards by the last row. The lack of sufficient straps would remind me of the old rule that a rigid sways the load the most at the rear and an artic the most at the front. So having sorted the rear I would arrange the straps so that more of them were towards the front and front middle.
They will all come loose anyway, but you would have done all that was possible.
DickyNick:
Collected 34 bags of sand from a quarry, weighing about 800kg each. So nearly full weight.
17 bags per side. All our trailers and I’m guessing this is standard, has 14 internals per side of course for strapping a 26 pallet load one strap per pallet and a cross at the rear. So with that option I’m 3 straps per side short without even strapping the back.
Ratchets? First of all I don’t carry 17, but more of a reason why it’s a no go is that I tried ratchet strapping th first row and all it did was make the sand pour out of the bags as the pressure of the strap a/ just sunk into the sand and never actually got tight, and b/ it pushed the sides of the bags down so the sand spilled over.
2 other drivers in before me with same load. First on a flat, he put netting over it and one ratchet round the back. Next driver was curtainsider like me and he put ZERO straps anywhere on his load.
I put the internals on as many as I could then put a ratchet round the back but far enough round so it caught all the ones along the side that didn’t have an internal.
I know the internals won’t do anything, and ratchets bouncing round as the sand moves would do even less. But if you were pulled DVSA aren’t going to see it like that with a nearly 28 ton load and zero straps like the last driver. So what would you do? Not a load I’d imagine I’ll get any time soon, and never done it before…hence why we don’t carry a net or anything.
What would you do with that load on a curtainsider?
I usually throw a strap over every row then find them all slack when I get to my drop!
That’s the world we live in today but at least everyone happy law wise and in a curtain any loose that falls out of bag is contained. I just sweep floor after.
Gravel is worse than sand for settling.
Years ago I’d have just shut curtain too.
You’d turn the thing over before they slid out the curtain.
Exactly. I’m sure the driver in front who just shut his curtain and went is absolutely right. No point doing anymore. But like I said, not a chance vosa are going to see it like that if you get a pull.
On a flat, I’d rope the lot. Straps won’t really do a lot but if I didn’t have rope I would strap them as best I could do keep the VOSA man happy. Other option is to sheet them and strap/rope.
In a curtain, internals would do the trick. Like I said, straps won’t do a lot and as long as they’re loaded properly they won’t go anywhere, and the bags are more likely to spill contents than fall off. If there aren’t any internals, I’d probably throw a few straps over gently, again to keep the VOSA man happy but they be doing bugger all.
Rope is the only real way of securing them properly but curtains don’t tend to have rope hooks. Or a dropside body of course.
toonsy:
Are they agg bags with the loops in the corner so they can be lifted?
I do these full of chewed up plastic recycling bits which is the extent of our commercial departments ambition
They’re a pain but I feed the strap through all four corners of the bag effevtively sealing it then tighten the strap.
Probably a stupid question but if they didn’t have the loops, how the freck would you load them in the first place ?
There are alternative types of bag which have 2 opposite sides extended and folded back upon themselves to form a sleeve. These are used to lift the bags with a forklift or a pair of bars/tubes and chains. I’ll see if i can get some pictures tomorrow as i’m sure a picture will be clearer than my description.
Short of just shutting the curtains and just cracking on I would use the 14 internals from back to front leaving the front 3 and hoping if the worst happens and you get stopped VOSA don’t open the curtains all the way, or even at the front.
No doubt internals won’t be enough anyway but at least you’d shown willing.
If we where honest most of us would just say bollox to it and drive accordingly if a little puckered up.
don’t worry about getting the straps tight,
is there any written instruction anywhere from VOSA as to how tight your straps should be ■■
NO
so just tighten them enough to not be dangling about.
I used to carry full loads of crisps.
what was the point in strapping those ? I ask you …
