The firm I work for do a lot of imported trls and swap body containers. One of our drivers got pulled by the hitlers in there ford galaxy. They asked him to brake the seal and open it up. To cut a long story short they fined him £100 and the company got a fine and traffic light affected due to an insecure load (one level of pallets). This has put the ■■■■■ up our place they are now saying we have to open every trl or swap body and if every pallet is not strapped then we have to strap them. If any driver is now caught driving a load that is not strapped disaplinary action will follow. I can only think this is going to hit our rates even harder as if a driver has to spend an hour strapping a load then how can you make the rates that these trl importers pay actually pay. By enforcing these rules so harshly vosa are putting honest firms to a disadvantage over firms that will pull a double stacked trl with no restraint and take the risk of getting done just to get three jobs a day in.
How the hell can you secure pallets inside a box. They have very limited lashing points that would probably buckle with a ratchet. The idea of that load security is to keep the load on the bed and intact in a roll over. The load is the box. Nothing will come out of the box so as long as the locks keep it on the skell, it’s secure
Youngy:
The firm I work for do a lot of imported trls and swap body containers. One of our drivers got pulled by the hitlers in there ford galaxy. They asked him to brake the seal and open it up. To cut a long story short they fined him £100 and the company got a fine and traffic light affected due to an insecure load (one level of pallets). This has put the [zb] up our place they are now saying we have to open every trl or swap body and if every pallet is not strapped then we have to strap them. If any driver is now caught driving a load that is not strapped disaplinary action will follow. I can only think this is going to hit our rates even harder as if a driver has to spend an hour strapping a load then how can you make the rates that these trl importers pay actually pay. By enforcing these rules so harshly vosa are putting honest firms to a disadvantage over firms that will pull a double stacked trl with no restraint and take the risk of getting done just to get three jobs a day in.
Sadly, although strapping is sometimes a good idea and in some instances essential, they wish to take the common sense out of the equation now. Not because the roads are safer, but because there is money to be made through adopting such tactics.
Another reason why I’m doing less and less driving work these days. Too much aggro and not enough bunce.
OVLOV JAY:
How the hell can you secure pallets inside a box. They have very limited lashing points that would probably buckle with a ratchet. The idea of that load security is to keep the load on the bed and intact in a roll over. The load is the box. Nothing will come out of the box so as long as the locks keep it on the skell, it’s secure
A swap body is a container with a curtain. I totally agree that strapping a load is needed however it’s hard to strap a trl that is already loaded. Also it has been driven across Europe then put on a ship but then it’s the British driver that has to strap the load and the British firm pays for the time to do it. That is why the EU doesn’t work as everybody is not singing of the same song sheet.
I can just see it now on the News . Felixstowe closed .not due to high wind but drivers stopping at the vosa check point askin if their loads conform to vosa’s rules… 
I wonder though what vosa would do if every driver got vosa to check each load before leaving any port …
nick2008:
I can just see it now on the News . Felixstowe closed .not due to high wind but drivers stopping at the vosa check point askin if their loads conform to vosa’s rules…I wonder though what vosa would do if every driver got vosa to check each load before leaving any port …
I have an alternative headline for you… 
Driving a vehicle that is deemed dangerous carries a £5,000 and 6 months in prison under the 1988 RTA. Vehicular Manslaughter, where it’s determined that an unsecure load was a contributing factor to the accident gets you 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine. Note that the law doesn’t state the wagon has to be the original cause of the accident, just involved. So your putting licence, job and freedom on the line based on the average Audi driver
If it’s a sealed box from the docks the driver is not seen as responsible for the load, just the box on the back.
£100 gets you off lightly. I know of a driver running from Carlsburg in Warrington just got some for £60 for each roof strap not in use.
Meistre:
nick2008:
I can just see it now on the News . Felixstowe closed .not due to high wind but drivers stopping at the vosa check point askin if their loads conform to vosa’s rules…I wonder though what vosa would do if every driver got vosa to check each load before leaving any port …
I have an alternative headline for you…
Driving a vehicle that is deemed dangerous carries a £5,000 and 6 months in prison under the 1988 RTA. Vehicular Manslaughter, where it’s determined that an unsecure load was a contributing factor to the accident gets you 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine. Note that the law doesn’t state the wagon has to be the original cause of the accident, just involved. So your putting licence, job and freedom on the line based on the average Audi driver
If it’s a sealed box from the docks the driver is not seen as responsible for the load, just the box on the back.
£100 gets you off lightly. I know of a driver running from Carlsburg in Warrington just got some for £60 for each roof strap not in use.
I’m not disputing the fact that a load should be secured what I am saying is road haulage is supposed to be regulated EU wide however we strap loads going out but I would say 80% coming in is insecure.
Youngy:
Meistre:
nick2008:
I can just see it now on the News . Felixstowe closed .not due to high wind but drivers stopping at the vosa check point askin if their loads conform to vosa’s rules…I wonder though what vosa would do if every driver got vosa to check each load before leaving any port …
I have an alternative headline for you…
Driving a vehicle that is deemed dangerous carries a £5,000 and 6 months in prison under the 1988 RTA. Vehicular Manslaughter, where it’s determined that an unsecure load was a contributing factor to the accident gets you 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine. Note that the law doesn’t state the wagon has to be the original cause of the accident, just involved. So your putting licence, job and freedom on the line based on the average Audi driver
If it’s a sealed box from the docks the driver is not seen as responsible for the load, just the box on the back.
£100 gets you off lightly. I know of a driver running from Carlsburg in Warrington just got some for £60 for each roof strap not in use.
I’m not disputing the fact that a load should be secured what I am saying is road haulage is supposed to be regulated EU wide however we strap loads going out but I would say 80% coming in is insecure.
The trailer was sealed however Vosa have instructed that the seal should be broken to check the load then a remark written on paper work and a new seal put on.
Youngy:
Meistre:
nick2008:
I can just see it now on the News . Felixstowe closed .not due to high wind but drivers stopping at the vosa check point askin if their loads conform to vosa’s rules…I wonder though what vosa would do if every driver got vosa to check each load before leaving any port …
I have an alternative headline for you…
Driving a vehicle that is deemed dangerous carries a £5,000 and 6 months in prison under the 1988 RTA. Vehicular Manslaughter, where it’s determined that an unsecure load was a contributing factor to the accident gets you 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine. Note that the law doesn’t state the wagon has to be the original cause of the accident, just involved. So your putting licence, job and freedom on the line based on the average Audi driver
If it’s a sealed box from the docks the driver is not seen as responsible for the load, just the box on the back.
£100 gets you off lightly. I know of a driver running from Carlsburg in Warrington just got some for £60 for each roof strap not in use.
I’m not disputing the fact that a load should be secured what I am saying is road haulage is supposed to be regulated EU wide however we strap loads going out but I would say 80% coming in is insecure.
I sympathise…really do! I used to get lots of loads coming from other drivers who didn’t strap it. Fact still remains though that it’s MY responsibility as the driver to ensure the load is secured to the best of my ability.
Will your lot put pressure on the contractors over the pond to ensure loads are secured?
What do you do if the “tilt” trailer I think there called that or curtain sided for us not in the know has the cord through the buckles and seals up at the back? How do you check the load then?
Serious question just don’t have the lingo to describe it
Youngy:
The trailer was sealed however Vosa have instructed that the seal should be broken to check the load then a remark written on paper work and a new seal put on.
To both you and Young_Al … I suggest you get guidance from your TM with regard to this matter…it’s your licence and his. Don’t forget, it’s one of the 7 deadly sins on the GV79 form that he’s got to adhere to…
The sad fact here is, It took a tug from VOSA to state the obvious.
I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, Every load should be secured like it’s on a flatbed.
I’ve been to places that say you can’t stand on the trailer and standing on the trailer is the only way to secure the load. The simple answer is “It’s not going anywhere, unload it”. The boss needs his goods moving and he needs you and the haulier to do it. He dosn’t want his goods all over the M25 or falling all over the deck of a ferry.
They soon come round when they realise they are talking to someone that knows his job and not a steering wheel attendant.
limeyphil:
The sad fact here is, It took a tug from VOSA to state the obvious.
I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, Every load should be secured like it’s on a flatbed.I’ve been to places that say you can’t stand on the trailer and standing on the trailer is the only way to secure the load. The simple answer is “It’s not going anywhere, unload it”. The boss needs his goods moving and he needs you and the haulier to do it. He dosn’t want his goods all over the M25 or falling all over the deck of a ferry.
They soon come round when they realise they are talking to someone that knows his job and not a steering wheel attendant.
Totally agree but there a lot of drivers and TMs who turn blind eyes to this. Problem is VOSA and the courts are not, and in many respects quite rightly so as well.
This is going to become a real big issues with companies as the authorities are ramping up the pressure. You’ll notice a marked change in TMs attitudes to this when their OCRS starts getting knocked. I know of guys working for blue chip hauliers who do little to secure loads and all it’s going to take is the death of (God forbid) a small blond haired blue eyed Caucasian girl with an angelic face splashed across the front page of every paper to really bring the crap down on everybodies head.
Youngy:
I totally agree that strapping a load is needed however it’s hard to strap a trl that is already loaded.
Really? So how do you strap a load on a trailer you’ve just loaded then?
Conor:
Youngy:
I totally agree that strapping a load is needed however it’s hard to strap a trl that is already loaded.Really? So how do you strap a load on a trailer you’ve just loaded then?
Strap it as it is loaded. Plus have you see how some of these grouped loads are loaded the only way to strap them is at the time it’s loaded obviously there is not a fork lift to help you at the collection point on the docks. My opinion is if the load is not secure then secure it or don’t take it but I think there will be a lot of trailers left on the docks if everybody took this approach.
Conor:
Youngy:
I totally agree that strapping a load is needed however it’s hard to strap a trl that is already loaded.Really? So how do you strap a load on a trailer you’ve just loaded then?
I know…it’s a pain in the [zb]…I was pulling for a local firm who serviced a contract with a well known pallet distribution franchise and they “introduced” a new “no driver’s outside the cab during loading” safety procedure and there was NO way you could strap the load after they’d jammed everything upto the roof.
I refused to take the load…end of!
Youngy:
The firm I work for do a lot of imported trls and swap body containers. One of our drivers got pulled by the hitlers in there ford galaxy. They asked him to brake the seal and open it up. To cut a long story short they fined him £100 and the company got a fine and traffic light affected due to an insecure load (one level of pallets). This has put the [zb] up our place they are now saying we have to open every trl or swap body and if every pallet is not strapped then we have to strap them. If any driver is now caught driving a load that is not strapped disaplinary action will follow. I can only think this is going to hit our rates even harder as if a driver has to spend an hour strapping a load then how can you make the rates that these trl importers pay actually pay. By enforcing these rules so harshly vosa are putting honest firms to a disadvantage over firms that will pull a double stacked trl with no restraint and take the risk of getting done just to get three jobs a day in.
Does VOSA have the authority to break seals on trailers etc?
weeto:
Youngy:
The firm I work for do a lot of imported trls and swap body containers. One of our drivers got pulled by the hitlers in there ford galaxy. They asked him to brake the seal and open it up. To cut a long story short they fined him £100 and the company got a fine and traffic light affected due to an insecure load (one level of pallets). This has put the [zb] up our place they are now saying we have to open every trl or swap body and if every pallet is not strapped then we have to strap them. If any driver is now caught driving a load that is not strapped disaplinary action will follow. I can only think this is going to hit our rates even harder as if a driver has to spend an hour strapping a load then how can you make the rates that these trl importers pay actually pay. By enforcing these rules so harshly vosa are putting honest firms to a disadvantage over firms that will pull a double stacked trl with no restraint and take the risk of getting done just to get three jobs a day in.Does VOSA have the authority to break seals on trailers etc?
Yes as long as it’s not a custom’s bonded seal…hence if a container is sealed, then the driver is not responsible for the load inside it, only the box itself…
weeto:
Does VOSA have the authority to break seals on trailers etc?
Iam not quoting any legality here, this is knowledge off top of my head.
If they suspect that the load is a danger then of course they can break seals.
A seal is a company procedure. A driver is responsible for load and vehicle. If a driver can’t break a seal to check that the said load is in a fit state to take on the public highway then how can that driver know the state if the load■■?
Even TIR seals can be broken, just get customs to re-seal before you leave port etc.
To much of if the eye can’t see attitude in the haulage game nowadays. To many folks just closing curtains and cracking on.
Meistre:
Yes as long as it’s not a custom’s bonded seal…hence if a container is sealed, then the driver is not responsible for the load inside it, only the box itself…
(Yes I know it should be marked up as, but them markers can easily fall off) all loads must be checked before departure.
So if a box is carrying class 1 explosives, as long as it’s in a box anyone can carry it?
Iam pretty sure every driver has a duty to check what he/ she is carrying before they hit the road.
I once helped a guy on the A34 who had a JCB mini fork lift halfway hanging out his back doors of a container, he hadn’t checked the load because it was sealed.
If that mini JCB had fell out and a family had driven straight into it. Would that seal get that driver off in court I wonder?