Am I right in saying that in Germany the consignor has as much responsibility to secure the load as the driver has? Surely that would vastly improve the amount of badly secured loads instead of handing out fines to the driver who is only armed with a few ratchet straps? Or would it just reinforce the belief that vosas only concern is to make as much money as possible?
royhebb2:
you cant beat the health & safety brigade it all depends on which side of the bed they got out of,we have all been carrying these types of loads for years with no problems, so now they say its got to stay on the trailer if it turns on its side, what a load of cobblers, some loads just cant ( what about tippers the sheet wont stop it will it ),vote ukip get back to normality
Roy, that is basically my thoughts on it all too.
I still want the VOSA Gods from this site to tell me how THEY would secure that load, as they like to dish out their FPNs but when challenged can never come up with any answers or solutions themselves, mainly because (imo) the vast majority of them have never done the job and wouldn’t know one end of a wagon from the other.
Unless your going to strap every row by turning each outer barrel so the strap can be put through the grab handle then I think john is right although I’d use a tipper net as they don’t get stuck on everything then rope over the voids .
Left hand down!:
royhebb2:
you cant beat the health & safety brigade it all depends on which side of the bed they got out of,we have all been carrying these types of loads for years with no problems, so now they say its got to stay on the trailer if it turns on its side, what a load of cobblers, some loads just cant ( what about tippers the sheet wont stop it will it ),vote ukip get back to normalityRoy, that is basically my thoughts on it all too.
I still want the VOSA Gods from this site to tell me how THEY would secure that load, as they like to dish out their FPNs but when challenged can never come up with any answers or solutions themselves, mainly because (imo) the vast majority of them have never done the job and wouldn’t know one end of a wagon from the other.
I am not a ‘VOSA god’ by any means but someone with a few years experience. I also object to a ‘book learning’ approach to load safety.
What you or anyone needs to ask yourself when faced with any load is can I secure this load the way it is loaded and with the equipment to hand.
If the answer is no, regardless of VOSA ‘H&S’, then reload or get the correct equipment to do the job or both. If those options are not available then the trailer stays where it is.
spot on dan , it worked for me for 40+ years , but then again i never put a lorry on it’s side or chucked the load off on a corner . if a lorry goes it’s mostly due to bad driving and no amount of straps can compensate for that . dave .
rigsby:
spot on dan , it worked for me for 40+ years , but then again i never put a lorry on it’s side or chucked the load off on a corner . if a lorry goes it’s mostly due to bad driving and no amount of straps can compensate for that . dave .
This is my problem with the idea that we should strap absolutely everything, regardless of what it is, onto a curtainsider. Most of our drivers now “secure” everything with a roof strap, even though for the most part, the straps are doing absolutely nothing and would be considered inadequate by the DVSA for anything over 400kg. The net result is that they assume that the load is secure and can drive how they like. Well, I exaggerate a bit, but I prefer my own approach, which is to use proper ratchet straps on stuff like IBCs or bundles of steel rods and drive according to the load. That’s how I’ve done it for years and nothing’s fallen off yet.
while drivers just pull the curtains and drive off nothing will be done. the only time the consignor will give the load the adequate equipment to secure it is when the government bring in consignor liability. something the RHA has been asking for since the year dot. drivers cannot magic up load restraints and as the picture shows with no internal straps or side cages or nets they are driving as they do in India with only the will of their god they survive.
hotel magnum:
while drivers just pull the curtains and drive off nothing will be done. the only time the consignor will give the load the adequate equipment to secure it is when the government bring in consignor liability. something the RHA has been asking for since the year dot. drivers cannot magic up load restraints and as the picture shows with no internal straps or side cages or nets they are driving as they do in India with only the will of their god they survive.
50 years ago my dads beer was delivered to his pub on a flat lorry using a rope cargo net, it seems it is not necessary any more.
Looks like a tipper delivery!
Dan Punchard:
Looks like a tipper delivery!
Looks like manna from heaven to me 
If your asking the question you shouldnt be doing the job.
mb14:
If your asking the question you shouldnt be doing the job.
Well, that’s helpful.
Rhythm Thief:
mb14:
If your asking the question you shouldnt be doing the job.Well, that’s helpful.
I think what he means is that the o.p should have refused the load because there is no realistic way for him to properly secure it.
I’d fine you for having the landing legs down 
Tricky load though and I would definately move the middle stack as its liable to fly foward during harsh breaking.
Treating the load as if its on a flat bed (which I’m sure VOSA do) I would definately be trying to sheet it or as mentioned move the handles (preferably before loading) so a strap could be threaded through one side over the top then back through the handle the other side to a ratchet.
Edit: Thinking about it the curtainsiders internal straps (depending on their roof location) should also be able to acclomplish this, not totally OK by VOSA as I’m sure they prefer more secure strapping but maybe enough to get you let off with an advisory.
Anyway what happened in the end did you just shut the curtains and hope for the best (I would have been tempted), but only if the custromer had invested a few quid in some cling film. ?
Forgot to secure the tailgate, Dan?
nick2008:
Latique:
some thing along the lines of this
everything shrinkwrapped to the pallets /locator trays ,roof straps across the center of each pallet then ratchet strap front to back crossed over at the back to stop movement rearwards VOSA happy with this form of strapping at least twice for me so will carry on the same
got to ask the OP on your pic why your highest pallets are in the middle and not against the bulkhead is this for weight distribution ?
some will scoff at you for that but I take my hat off to you Driver your showing how it can and should be done with min fuss.
If those barrels are loaded with liquid, I’m guessing you were not bothered about your weight?
NewLad:
nick2008:
Latique:
some thing along the lines of this
everything shrinkwrapped to the pallets /locator trays ,roof straps across the center of each pallet then ratchet strap front to back crossed over at the back to stop movement rearwards VOSA happy with this form of strapping at least twice for me so will carry on the same
got to ask the OP on your pic why your highest pallets are in the middle and not against the bulkhead is this for weight distribution ?
some will scoff at you for that but I take my hat off to you Driver your showing how it can and should be done with min fuss.
If those barrels are loaded with liquid, I’m guessing you were not bothered about your weight?
I wouldn’t of thought that lorry would be anywhere near top weight as jap crap generally has a good payload and a 45 gallon drum of liquid say diesel weighs about 200kg .(edit that just saw the ibc at the front )
I carried that type of load for about 15 years,I would have put a stack of empty pallets in-front and behind the triple stacks of kegs.As for the rest they’re not going anywhere! Just make sure there’s no bulges in the curtains before you open the sheets.When I was working in Magor brewery the trailers were fitted with internal nets,that ran the length of the trailer to prevent the kegs falling off when you opened the main curtains.But until someone invents a way of securing that type of load you drive sensibly!
Dan Punchard:
NewLad:
nick2008:
Latique:
some thing along the lines of this
everything shrinkwrapped to the pallets /locator trays ,roof straps across the center of each pallet then ratchet strap front to back crossed over at the back to stop movement rearwards VOSA happy with this form of strapping at least twice for me so will carry on the same
got to ask the OP on your pic why your highest pallets are in the middle and not against the bulkhead is this for weight distribution ?
some will scoff at you for that but I take my hat off to you Driver your showing how it can and should be done with min fuss.
If those barrels are loaded with liquid, I’m guessing you were not bothered about your weight?
I wouldn’t of thought that lorry would be anywhere near top weight as jap crap generally has a good payload and a 45 gallon drum of liquid say diesel weighs about 200kg .(edit that just saw the ibc at the front )
the cut top ibc ,s at the front weigh very little as they are full of bags of parrafin soaked rags thats why they are there to keep the weight off the front axle the four large drums were actualy eight on two pallets side bye side and filled with halogenated solvent (heavier than water ) so were the heavy-est items hence being over the rear axle again to spread the weight evenly . total all up weight with my self and a full tank of diesel was 7300kgs and this little piece of " jap crap " sat quiet happily at 54mph all the way along the M60/62 & M6 rochdale to winsford with no problems . we regularly run with this load and weight and its never had any trouble and having driven all sorts of 7.5t trucks on agency till last year ive had much worse particularly from mercedes