According to our boss (and he’s had it from our pallet network HQ - I’ve seen the niotice) as of September 1st VOSA will be checking loads which must now be secured with internal straps as curtains are not considered secure. Allegedly all pallets should be strapped. Has anyone else heard anything about this? They say that VOSA will be enforcing the new regulations. First I’ve seen or heard about new regulations. I thought load security was the driver’s responsibility.
I smell something fishy, but nothing would surprise me.
gardun:
According to our boss (and he’s had it from our pallet network HQ - I’ve seen the niotice) as of September 1st VOSA will be checking loads which must now be secured with internal straps as curtains are not considered secure. Allegedly all pallets should be strapped. Has anyone else heard anything about this? They say that VOSA will be enforcing the new regulations. First I’ve seen or heard about new regulations. I thought load security was the driver’s responsibility.
I smell something fishy, but nothing would surprise me.
never actually heard this but wouldnt surprise me, but most companys have policies were loads have to be strapped 100% of the time even if its just the back 2 palletts.
like my dad even if the load is less than a foot away from the door has to strap the back 2 pallets as its a company rule, but he says even if it wasnt a rule he would still cross strap the back 2 pallets, better safe than sorry ay
I stick a couple on the back two plallets. I hate that moment when you get to your drop and slowly take a peek inside expecting to see it all over the place
Is it April 1st why on earth would you not strap a load the curtains are not a load restraint instead of tankers why don’t we just cut a hole in the top of a curtain sider and pour the petrol in
The British Standard BS EN 12642:2006 covers the securing of cargo on road vehicles, the body structure of commercial vehicles and the minimum requirements recommended. Although British Standards are not mandatory, ideally any curtainsider you use will have been tested and certified compliant with these guidelines. This will mean the front bulkhead is rated to 13.5 tonnes, the side wall to 10.8 tonnes and the rear doors to 8.1 tonnes. The trailer is labelled as certified on its curtains and doors and is traceable back to its individual certificate via its chassis number.
Dafman:
Is it April 1st why on earth would you not strap a load the curtains are not a load restraint instead of tankers why don’t we just cut a hole in the top of a curtain sider and pour the petrol in
Could be a nice surprise if someone wants to ■■■■■ the curtain and has a ■■■ on
I think whether you strap a load inside a curtainsider can depend on what the load is, empty cans on pallets are not going to come through the side, coils will, loads with a low centre of gravity are reasonably safe, tall heavy loads, strap, common sense help’s.
How you drive might help, hard braking with loads with gaps between pallets, or going round roundabouts at 50 is bad news.
The little bit of curtainside work that I have done showed me that unless you have your own straps/rope etc there didn’t seem a great deal of point. The fixed straps for the most part were tatty and you certainly couldn’t get the securing force on that I would have liked, and the top securing point is basically a tube slung between the front and back bulkheads, I would put money that the strap/tube arrangement has no certified load securing capacity so the earlier post advocating 2 across the back and drive safely seems the best answer.
Um Curtains have NEVER been seen as a load restraint!!
I was always taught that the curtains serve two purposes - to make the trailer look pretty, and to keep the dirt off. The load should be secured as if it was on a flatbed. You’d have to be mad to rely on curtains to hold a load in if it started to shift.
I drag containers around all day long and I take no resposibility for how the container is loaded. I am responsible for how the container is loaded on the lorry but how can know how a container is loaded in China, south america or any where else that is too stupid for words. But seeing as i don’t know how it was loaded I drive accordingly.
To a degree some of you are right, ie a full load of empty plastic bottles are pretty much as safe as can be in curtains, just strps crossed at the back to stop any forward/rearwards movement…
To be honest its been a gripe of mine about curtainsiders for years that the int straps are usually only rated at apx a ton, in fact many are rated at .5 of a ton…
Pretty much the only time a curtain is used as a full restraint is on sawdust trailers, but these have been built especially for that purpose, and of course are type aproved for that purpose…
Reading some of these posts I am now thinking the driver CPC could be a good thing!!!
knight:
I drag containers around all day long and I take no resposibility for how the container is loaded. I am responsible for how the container is loaded on the lorry but how can know how a container is loaded in China, south america or any where else that is too stupid for words. But seeing as i don’t know how it was loaded I drive accordingly.
OK, so IF something went wrong one day, and VOSA say why didnt you break the seal and check the load, what would your answer be■■?
Cos I reckon I know what the Magistrates would be LOL…
