one of our lads got £100.00 fine the other day at fort william by Mr.vosa for not having any internals securing his parcels and some knee high pallets …if the job aint hard enough… be warned people
I would guess this must have been a curtain sided vehicle?
Unless it was an ‘XL’ type vehicle constructed so that the curtains are load bearing (to some degree) then ANY load within is not CONTAINED and must therefore be RESTRAINED.
VOSA have declared that pallets or items below 400kg can be adequately secured with internal straps.
So you are quite right - be warned this is how VOSA are dealing with loads that are not secured to the vehicle.
If the load is contained (i.e. a box van) then do what you want as long as it doesn’t make the vehicle unstable/dangerous.
gadge:
one of our lads got £100.00 fine the other day at fort william by Mr.vosa for not having any internals securing his parcels and some knee high pallets …if the job aint hard enough… be warned people
This has been covered on here a fair bit lately so most should be aware of it, i suppose most of us are all over 21 so it’s up to the individual.
Always do mine up…
Got this down to an art now:
First locate trailer its dark and peeing it down so will need some extra care to protect load.
-
Open back doors just in case someones put the internal straps on.
-
Realise they havent so loosen curtains
-
Jump in back to untangle internal straps making note of any broken/squashed buckles, adjust any that are to slack.
-
Stand between curtain and trailer dragging straps to required position and fit and tighten, torch helps a lot here or even better a head torch.
-
Tightain curtain and reattach and secure external curtains straps
-
Repeat for other side
-
Peak through back doors and realise most internals are now loose with the weight of curtain security then swear like a trooper.
-
Close doors remove coat/hi-viz (which is now filthy)
-
Proceed to destination and reverse procedure before backing onto bay, or if theres room whilst on bay.
-
Realise I’ve missed out point 8.
Any better tips on doing this most welcome.
Or ignore all above and think bollox I would rather pay £100.
This is complete ball locks.
Even the Germans don’t require light loads to be strapped.
Our lot have only just cottoned on to the fact that everything needs strapped inside the trailers, about a year after its come into effect.
I’m not bothered by spending an extra few mins putting the internals over the my pallets before closing the curtains.
But my problem is that I’m out in a decker every day and if the pallets on the top deck are quite close to the roof, then its impossible to slide the straps along the rail and get them in the right position. So its either break the law by not strapping the pallets or risking my life climbing on the trailer to move the straps. I’ll just take my chance upsetting VOSA I think.
okay
an example i do.
24 pallets spirits or booze. all shrink-wrapped and touching each other when loaded
load bearing curtains.
I just strap the rear pallets from roof to chassis deck using 2 straps per pallet, going through the pallet to chassis at back and to stop going back
Company now say we must strap every pallet where possible .
And 99% deliveries are rear tip
Dipper_Dave:
Always do mine up…Got this down to an art now:
First locate trailer its dark and peeing it down so will need some extra care to protect load.
Open back doors just in case someones put the internal straps on.
Realise they havent so loosen curtains
Jump in back to untangle internal straps making note of any broken/squashed buckles, adjust any that are to slack.
Stand between curtain and trailer dragging straps to required position and fit and tighten, torch helps a lot here or even better a head torch.
Tightain curtain and reattach and secure external curtains straps
Repeat for other side
Peak through back doors and realise most internals are now loose with the weight of curtain security then swear like a trooper.
Close doors remove coat/hi-viz (which is now filthy)
Proceed to destination and reverse procedure before backing onto bay, or if theres room whilst on bay.
Realise I’ve missed out point 8.
Any better tips on doing this most welcome.
Or ignore all above and think bollox I would rather pay £100.
Sounds like a normal night to me - except that the stand trailer has a gap of about 2 feet either side from other trailers, so be aware of others pulling offwhile you are between them (it’s dark so they may well not see you). H&S? It’s a joke.
It’s a joke, they’re only pushing it now as it’s easy money for them, fine the poor muggins driver.
I’ve said it before that if I don’t think it needs strapping, I won’t strap it & I’ll just take the fine if I’m caught.
gardun:
, so be aware of others pulling offwhile you are between them
‘Childish Chuckle’
During the day, as you know, the Hub is H&S City, but at night I’ve heard that ‘Anything Goes’
That makes H&S a load of Bull ■■■ !
Put in place to keep the Insurance Companies & the Authorities happy ! & make out that it’s all the Driver’s Fault !
They need to allow us to work with the Forkies & not make us stand behind the line, like Naughty Children, while they load the trailer up to the roof, trapping the straps (knobs!)
What if the trailer is preloaded?
Just 2 straps at the rear and the rest are
if trapped unusable or if stowed away
things like the height or nature off the
load prevent you from using them.
This happens at a lot of the places I work for and a lot
of the time the only people on site are security,so no
asking a forkie for a lift.
martinviking:
gardun:
, so be aware of others pulling offwhile you are between them‘Childish Chuckle’
Phew glad I’m not the only one that giggled.
I will now always think of this situation as a ‘Bukake’ risk and pull trailer away to a safer location for attaching my internal straps.
N.B. For those on work PC’s ‘Bukake’ is not safe to Google especially on Google images, wait till you get home.
oatcake1967:
What if the trailer is preloaded?
Just 2 straps at the rear and the rest are
if trapped unusable or if stowed away
things like the height or nature off the
load prevent you from using them.This happens at a lot of the places I work for and a lot
of the time the only people on site are security,so no
asking a forkie for a lift.
All you can do, is wait for the Forkies to turn up, then they can take it all off again to allow you to get at the straps. I’m waiting for one of ours to get done (co’s it’s gonna happen soon, some of our drivers Never strap their loads !) then, management will have to instruct then night loaders to ‘at least’ lay the straps on the pallets/if not tension them.
Dipper_Dave:
martinviking:
gardun:
, so be aware of others pulling offwhile you are between them‘Childish Chuckle’
Phew glad I’m not the only one that giggled.
I will now always think of this situation as a ‘Bukake’ risk and pull trailer away to a safer location for attaching my internal straps.N.B. For those on work PC’s ‘Bukake’ is not safe to Google especially on Google images, wait till you get home.
LOL !
andy187:
okay
an example i do.
24 pallets spirits or booze. all shrink-wrapped and touching each other when loaded
load bearing curtains.I just strap the rear pallets from roof to chassis deck using 2 straps per pallet, going through the pallet to chassis at back and to stop going back
As long as they are ‘load bearing’ curtains and labelled as such they will support at least 40% of the vehicles payload which is equivalent to a box van - so the load is technically contained and therefore acceptable to Mr VOSA.
The only issue may be that the most ‘XL’ load bearing curtains are only good for 40% of the total payload when spread evenly along their length so at 24 pallets of booze they won’t necessarily provide sufficient containment and further strapping may be required.
I have heard on quite a few occasions that VOSA are not accepting ‘XL’ type trailers as containment and consider them the same as a plain old curtainsider. They are however happy with a ‘tilt’ trailer as long as all the boards are in place. There appears to be inconstancy in enforcement.
Most days we hear of a road closed due to a shed load on traffic reports. How many driversthought its ok the curtains will hold it.
martinviking:
gardun:
, so be aware of others pulling offwhile you are between them‘Childish Chuckle’
And there’s me trying to make a sensible comment for a change 
kr79:
Most days we hear of a road closed due to a shed load on traffic reports. How many driversthought its ok the curtains will hold it.
I bet theres a few, although pallets of light groceries/ambient foodstuffs should be fine in your average curtainsider the internal straps are only as good the roof they are attached to, which has a much bigger surface area with the curtain.
Seen a few of these sheet systems on bungie cords which have promise, if it was ambient pallets on a flatbed I would rope and sheet it anyway (albeit with ropes between the pallets not over them).
No excuse for curtainsiders carrying heavy goods that require strapping or chaining but strapping 24 pallets of loo roll/nappys is a bit excessive when the wooden pallet is heavier than the product sitting on it.
But if VOSA say it must be done then 30 minutes doing it is no hardship even if the straps are as floppy as my todger after a bottle of vodka.
I do it to spite them knowing they won’t get a penny off me, well unless one of the pallets is over 400kg then i’m stuffed.
gardun:
martinviking:
gardun:
, so be aware of others pulling offwhile you are between them‘Childish Chuckle’
And there’s me trying to make a sensible comment for a change
Sorry Mate, couldn’t resist that one !
ok peeps,if you can strap all the pallets then do so,or otherwise carry platic numbered seals which can be bought on ebay cheap and if using a curtainsider seal rear/front and middle off curtains and the back doors with a total off 7 seals.if you get stopped by the vostapo tell them you can not open the curtains or rear doors as it is a high value load and if the seals have been tampered with the load gets refused costing my company and insurer 250k plus…if that doesn’t work tell em to fkc off! 