We don’t have internal straps in any of our trailers because they have sliding roofs. But all the trailers are boarded out so that gives piece of mind, and if needs be I will either use a load bar across the back or a couple of pallets stood up with a strap running through them and then secured.
merc0447:
What about the tyre companies that use curtainsiders, how do you strap a few hundred loose tyres
Tyres really should be in stillages or a box trailer, anything else is a risk…
As some has said the state of some of the straps that have pallets/coils/reels etc dropped on them is beyond a joke, I carry a couple in the car but not enough to strap an entire load, and as I do night’s getting hold of extra straps is difficult, as I said I use common sense and I wont kill myself or anybody else, not safe its stays where it is until it is.
IF you look on the useful links site and in the Euro sticky,s
there are links posted that show various sites which cover
lashing and securing loads, If you travel over the water
then they do check if your load is secured and in Germany
THEY GIVE large prizes of points and money fines which
will hit your pocket heavy its normal starts at 3POINTS
AND €75 and increases as and when the offence warrants it,
merc0447:
What about the tyre companies that use curtainsiders, how do you strap a few hundred loose tyres
We carried many millions of loose tyres and the curtains were strengthened and had aluminium stanchions attached to the straps. When the trailers fell apart we had them replaced with Schmitz, Krone or Trailor but if they were missing any boards, you would not normally get loaded. Minimum of 4 boards per bay then the tyre company intertwined 2 or 3 more boards vertically.
Still not ideal but the tyres were supported by the wooden or aluminium planks
ok here’s a bit of a twist on this subject then. Many of you are saying that curtains are not good enough to take the load, and logically I’d agree…but, and this is a big but, I’ve seen a lot of curtainsiders with a small notice saying “This is a load bearing curtain”…so, whats that about then? 
Adam_Mc:
I’ve seen a lot of curtainsiders with a small notice saying “This is a load bearing curtain”…so, whats that about then?
Well its great to know that the load won’t spill out of the side if it somehow moves during the journey (assuming its within the load bearing capacity of the curtain) but a curtain doesn’t hold your load in place, its just there at the sides. The big point is trying to stop your load moving about while you’re on the move, if the weight suddenly shifts left while you’re going round a roundabout its nice to think it won’t come out of the side and hit someone, but if you’re on your way toppling over because you didn’t strap it down thats another matter entirely.
Alex
Scarab:
Adam_Mc:
I’ve seen a lot of curtainsiders with a small notice saying “This is a load bearing curtain”…so, whats that about then?Well its great to know that the load won’t spill out of the side if it somehow moves during the journey (assuming its within the load bearing capacity of the curtain) but a curtain doesn’t hold your load in place, its just there at the sides. The big point is trying to stop your load moving about while you’re on the move, if the weight suddenly shifts left while you’re going round a roundabout its nice to think it won’t come out of the side and hit someone, but if you’re on your way toppling over because you didn’t strap it down thats another matter entirely.
Alex
I’m with you fully, I just wanted people to get their tin hats out 
I think way to much responsibility is placed on drivers and in my opinion if a forkie loaded it, then a forkie should be held responsible in a court of law if something goes wrong because of how its loaded
Adam_Mc:
in my opinion if a forkie loaded it, then a forkie should be held responsible in a court of law if something goes wrong because of how its loaded
I’m with you on some points Adam but not this one. In my opinion its ME who’s got to drive it, so I’m going to be out back watching them loading it, or at least check it when its done, if its not loaded to my satisfaction and in a safe manner then I will ask them to reload it. I’ve got no qualms with ringing the boss of wherever I’m working and saying I’ve been loaded but its not loaded safe so they will have to do it again.
The load, the vehicle and, most importantly, my safety are all down to me, as far as I’m concerned the forkie is just helping me out, I’ve never met a forkie who won’t talk to a driver and see how he wants it loaded if you ask politely. There have been occasions where I’ve questioned something and then had it explained to me why its loaded in that way. We’re both just trying to do our jobs to the best of our ability, lets not just blindly trust (on the most part) strangers to do something properly when its our safety, and jobs, on the line.
Alex
Scarab:
Adam_Mc:
in my opinion if a forkie loaded it, then a forkie should be held responsible in a court of law if something goes wrong because of how its loadedI’m with you on some points Adam but not this one. In my opinion its ME who’s got to drive it, so I’m going to be out back watching them loading it, or at least check it when its done, if its not loaded to my satisfaction and in a safe manner then I will ask them to reload it. I’ve got no qualms with ringing the boss of wherever I’m working and saying I’ve been loaded but its not loaded safe so they will have to do it again.
The load, the vehicle and, most importantly, my safety are all down to me, as far as I’m concerned the forkie is just helping me out, I’ve never met a forkie who won’t talk to a driver and see how he wants it loaded if you ask politely. There have been occasions where I’ve questioned something and then had it explained to me why its loaded in that way. We’re both just trying to do our jobs to the best of our ability, lets not just blindly trust (on the most part) strangers to do something properly when its our safety, and jobs, on the line.
Alex
The point is if this was the law, then you wouldn’t ever have to question the work the forkie has done, because its on their shoulders. Like you, I ALWAYS CHECK MY LOAD, but sometimes you have to get them to load it again to your satisfaction. I just think that if forkies were legally responsible then perhaps they’d just do it right all the time, that way all you’d do is check to make sure they havent forgotten a strap somewhere, instead of telling them “load it safely, not conveniently”.
As for curtains being load-bearing or not.
A similar argument could be used with a tarpaulin. But you wouldn’t drive off with just sheet ties securing the sheet.
Would You?
Over to you George3
I’d worry a law like that would start to take away what little power us drivers have.
What about handballed loads, or those put in on pallet trucks? or by crane, or whatever. If it was law that the person who loaded it was responsible, then you could have a situation where the office boy from the IT department was the one who had to sign off your load safety, potentially EVERYBODY would have to be trained in how to load a truck.
I’ve picked up a delivery of PC’s ones from an office block and it was the IT blokes who loaded it for me while I was doing the paperwork. In your example would you get all of those guys to sign off the load security?
I think it would only work if every load was put on by a trained, accountable, person, but the majority of the industry is people picking up little loads from non standardised places all over the country, not RDC’s with trained forkies.
Alex
Finally somebody official realized that and made it legal. Or “legal”?
Anyway, is strapping to the roof sufficient according to the new rules? If yes then the whole thing is pointless as the roof is just not strong enough.
I honestly do not want to be offensive but I’d wonder how you’ve been getting along with BAG with your unstrapped stuff in curtainsiders? Anybody else, German or an Easterner get stopped and checked rather often.
In Germany you can get books on load securing, maybe even a masters degree.
Some ferry companies in the Baltic are also mad about secured load. Particularly between EST and FIN, when do not like your strapping you are denied boarding. Bulges on curtains - no go automatically - unless you show them that the trailer is stuffed with pillows and weighs next to nothing 
I was allways told a Load should be secured by means other than it’s own weight and that Curtains were there to keep goods dry/clean.
this has been legislated (on paper) in australia, its called COR (Chain of Responsbility)
In theory, if I get pulled up at a checkpoint, and im either overweight, or load is unsecure, im responsible, my TM is responsible and the forkie who loaded me is responsible.
BUT, basically all that has to be done, by law, is the TM has to tell me to restrain the load, the forkie has to remind me to restrain the load, and i have to restrain the load, so ultimately whatever bloody law you want to pass, its down to the driver.
Just to make the point - one or two on here have suggested that I don’t want to strap pallets. I pull a double decker with a mixed load every night and have done for several years. I use straps where I think they are needed (far more often than most!) but just wondered if anyone else had heard this “new legislation”.
I think it should come down to the driver and common sense to decide , but think about this, you get to an RDC and reverse on the bay. who do you think is going to open up the curtain both sides and get all the straps to the headboard so numb nuts doesn’t bang his head on the straps or get his leccy barrow caught up in them.
And what about if your on multi drop you could waste lots of time having to open the curtain to undo the straps so that you can move a pallet or 2 out of the way if its a back door tip.
grousebeater
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.
Sadly:“Yes!”
Scarab:
I’d worry a law like that would start to take away what little power us drivers have.
What about handballed loads, or those put in on pallet trucks? or by crane, or whatever. If it was law that the person who loaded it was responsible, then you could have a situation where the office boy from the IT department was the one who had to sign off your load safety, potentially EVERYBODY would have to be trained in how to load a truck.I’ve picked up a delivery of PC’s ones from an office block and it was the IT blokes who loaded it for me while I was doing the paperwork. In your example would you get all of those guys to sign off the load security?
I think it would only work if every load was put on by a trained, accountable, person, but the majority of the industry is people picking up little loads from non standardised places all over the country, not RDC’s with trained forkies.
Alex
Thats for you get a CPC
Coddy:
Um Curtains have NEVER been seen as a load restraint!!
Chipliners??