Some drivers seem to ratchets on something yet 100 miles down the road they will all be loose and need tightening (if your lucky if your not and driving a flat they will be scattered down the motorway)
Then other drivers can strap the exact same load with the same ratchets and they stay tight as when the driver put them on.
Is there some trick for getting them to stay?
these help…
Rowley010:
Some drivers seem to ratchets on something yet 100 miles down the road they will all be loose and need tightening (if your lucky if your not and driving a flat they will be scattered down the motorway)Then other drivers can strap the exact same load with the same ratchets and they stay tight as when the driver put them on.
Is there some trick for getting them to stay?
If straps are falling off it’s either that they have cut/worn through or they’ve gone slack. They can easily go slack if a load “settles”.
Timber for instance can be loaded with gaps between packs, movement and pressure from the straps means the gaps close, and you get loose straps. So, straps drop off, or slack is left for the load to shift as a block.
I check straps a couple of miles after loading, and again if there has been need to pinch them up. Check again everytime shopping for coffee etc. Putting straps on the chassis of a tautliner makes checking easier and is as strong as any lashing point. Need to be the correct length of course. Straps come in two lengths:
Long Enough and Too Short.
So it is just that then, how much you tighten them.
But what about when it’s a load that’s not 100% solid like timber. For the sake of argument forget curtain siders and you’ve not got internals as an option. Your pulling a flat, and the load crushes slightly with the tension. How do you go about making sure they don’t come off as it bounces down the road?
Stop and adjust
Rowley010:
So it is just that then, how much you tighten them.But what about when it’s a load that’s not 100% solid like timber. For the sake of argument forget curtain siders and you’ve not got internals as an option. Your pulling a flat, and the load crushes slightly with the tension. How do you go about making sure they don’t come off as it bounces down the road?
Trying to imagine that? If the load is flimsy cardboard boxes, then don`t use straps to secure them. If on a flat use a sheet or net.
Franglais:
Rowley010:
So it is just that then, how much you tighten them.But what about when it’s a load that’s not 100% solid like timber. For the sake of argument forget curtain siders and you’ve not got internals as an option. Your pulling a flat, and the load crushes slightly with the tension. How do you go about making sure they don’t come off as it bounces down the road?
Trying to imagine that? If the load is flimsy cardboard boxes, then don`t use straps to secure them. If on a flat use a sheet or net.
Wouldn’t say flimsy cardboard is what I’m thinking. Say something like sacks of sand or gravel for an example where it’s going to crush as your tighten
Excuse my ignorance, but what are ‘internals’? Is it a difference in terminology?
We commonly use three types of strap, all rated at 2,500kg;
Hand straps: A hook and keeper at each end, can be placed almost anywhere along the length of the trailer, stored in a toolbox etc when not in use.
truckline.com.au/p/1-accessorie … 00-12.html
Clip on straps: A hook and keeper at one end adrum and ratchet on the other that can be placed almost anywhere along the coaming/tie rail, can be stored in this position or removed.
truckline.com.au/p/1-accessorie … c-12m.html
Slide straps: Similar to the above but the winch is permanently attached to a track mounted under the edge of the trailer, wound up and stored in this position.
truckline.com.au/p/1-accessorie … 03-11.html
Rowley010:
Franglais:
Rowley010:
So it is just that then, how much you tighten them.But what about when it’s a load that’s not 100% solid like timber. For the sake of argument forget curtain siders and you’ve not got internals as an option. Your pulling a flat, and the load crushes slightly with the tension. How do you go about making sure they don’t come off as it bounces down the road?
Trying to imagine that? If the load is flimsy cardboard boxes, then don`t use straps to secure them. If on a flat use a sheet or net.
Wouldn’t say flimsy cardboard is what I’m thinking. Say something like sacks of sand or gravel for an example where it’s going to crush as your tighten
Then as Commonrail says stop and retighten. Once the content of the bags settles the straps will stop slackening off. If lots of small sacks or bags, then a sheet or net will avoid using hundreds of straps. Most loads like that should be heat-shrink wrapped onto pallets, and one strap per plt will be enough. If bad wrapping, then sheet and rope/strap between the pallets to keep the bags from slipping.
There are plenty of illustrations of how to strap loads, but they are only a guide. There is no substitute for experience and a basic understanding of mechanics.
The first time I roped and sheeted a load, I was quite proud of myself; it looked good and wasn’t going anywhere that the truck-bed wasn’t. The only problem was that I put the front sheet on first and lapped the rear one over it - I felt a right idiot when another driver pointed it out. Obvious innit…
You need to think about the forces acting on the load as you drive, corner, accelerate and brake. You need to supervise the loading if you can to make sure that there are no voids. some loads need strapping twice: I once carried bales of rubber, stacked two high and another line in the middle at the top. Another driver warned me to strap each layer separately; if you just throw straps over the top, the rubber moves and you end up with some bales hanging over the side.
My point is that if you have never handled those goods before, try to ask someone who has. The forkie loading you may or may not be helpful, other divers loading at the same place, or you can phone a colleague.
As said above, stop after a few minutes and try to get another click on all the ratchets, and check every time you stop after that.
Star down under.:
Excuse my ignorance, but what are ‘internals’? Is it a difference in terminology?
We commonly use three types of strap, all rated at 2,500kg;
Hand straps: A hook and keeper at each end, can be placed almost anywhere along the length of the trailer, stored in a toolbox etc when not in use.
truckline.com.au/p/1-accessorie … 00-12.htmlClip on straps: A hook and keeper at one end adrum and ratchet on the other that can be placed almost anywhere along the coaming/tie rail, can be stored in this position or removed.
truckline.com.au/p/1-accessorie … c-12m.htmlSlide straps: Similar to the above but the winch is permanently attached to a track mounted under the edge of the trailer, wound up and stored in this position.
truckline.com.au/p/1-accessorie … 03-11.html
Can`t find a good visual link, sorry.
Internals are straps attached to roof rails in a tautliner. They can be in the centre or nearer the side. They should go from one side. over the load and attach to rave or floor. They pull the load into the centre of the trailer. Good for lighter loads to stop sideways movement. With a bit of thought they can be used to help stop fore and aft movement too. Not designed for heavy loads such as timber etc. Some variants have a webbing net device.
Thanks Franglais, we have nothing remotely like that here.
Do you have load restraint rated curtains?
Star down under.:
Thanks Franglais, we have nothing remotely like that here.
Do you have load restraint rated curtains?
We have 3 main types of curtain.
1/ just a standard curtain is the most flimsy
2/ called a load bearing curtain which is strong and is supposed to be to take the weight of a full load but DVSA don’t accept it as load restraint
3/ and XL rated curtain which is stronger still and DVSA accept this one for load restraint as long it’s secured at the front and rear and no more than 80cm gap to the sides.
In reality, many drivers use all 3 types as if they are an XL curtain, ie use a standard weather protection only curtain as full load restraint and hope they don’t get pulled. And if they do they will give it the whole I’ve been driving 30 years and nothing’s ever moved.
Rowley010:
Star down under.:
Thanks Franglais, we have nothing remotely like that here.
Do you have load restraint rated curtains?We have 3 main types of curtain.
1/ just a standard curtain is the most flimsy
2/ called a load bearing curtain which is strong and is supposed to be to take the weight of a full load but DVSA don’t accept it as load restraint
3/ and XL rated curtain which is stronger still and DVSA accept this one for load restraint as long it’s secured at the front and rear and no more than 80cm gap to the sides.In reality, many drivers use all 3 types as if they are an XL curtain, ie use a standard weather protection only curtain as full load restraint and hope they don’t get pulled. And if they do they will give it the whole I’ve been driving 30 years and nothing’s ever moved.
Cheers Rowley, pretty much the same here with the chancers. We have an advantage over you, in so far as most curtainsiders have gates, each gate being 8’ or two pallets long. As long as the gates are secured (only 5 straps on a 40-45 footer), short of tipping the show over, none of the freight can escape.
This IMHO is a better trailer for general use.
trucksnl.com/used-pacton-eu … 4464557-vd
Heavy and expensive when new? Takes longer to open and close sides? But will do almost anything. Folding roof susceptible to damage from trees (and clandestines) and expensive to repair.
If you`re doing one pick-up and drop a week, fine. Shunting, and opening curtains half a dozen times a day would be a pain.
Rowley010:
Some drivers seem to ratchets on something yet 100 miles down the road they will all be loose and need tightening (if your lucky if your not and driving a flat they will be scattered down the motorway)Then other drivers can strap the exact same load with the same ratchets and they stay tight as when the driver put them on.
Is there some trick for getting them to stay?
Putting them in the right place can make a difference on some loads.
Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk
mat79:
Rowley010:
Some drivers seem to ratchets on something yet 100 miles down the road they will all be loose and need tightening (if your lucky if your not and driving a flat they will be scattered down the motorway)Then other drivers can strap the exact same load with the same ratchets and they stay tight as when the driver put them on.
Is there some trick for getting them to stay?
Putting them in the right place can make a difference on some loads.
Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk
Good point.
As a rule of thumb place straps or chains over the points where the load is supported by dunnage. Putting them over midpoints will distort and spring-down the load. Over dunnage you`ll get the “pull” of the straps acting straight down. It stacking different layers try to get the dunnage on all the layers one above the other.
I strapped a load last week that i picked up in Newlyn in Cornwall and every strap was still tight when i got to Peterhead, 10 minutes extra time doing it properly to start with can save you 3 or 4 stops on the hard shoulder
Franglais:
mat79:
Rowley010:
Some drivers seem to ratchets on something yet 100 miles down the road they will all be loose and need tightening (if your lucky if your not and driving a flat they will be scattered down the motorway)Then other drivers can strap the exact same load with the same ratchets and they stay tight as when the driver put them on.
Is there some trick for getting them to stay?
Putting them in the right place can make a difference on some loads.
Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk
Good point.
As a rule of thumb place straps or chains over the points where the load is supported by dunnage. Putting them over midpoints will distort and spring-down the load. Over dunnage you`ll get the “pull” of the straps acting straight down. It stacking different layers try to get the dunnage on all the layers one above the other.
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Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk
