yourhavingalarf:
toby1234abc:
JonS , the weight of each pallet for the drinks maybe a printed label on each pallet , the weight should be there .
The other dilemma is that the law requires each row of pallets , as the drinks will be over 400kgs per pallet , to be strapped with a ratchet strap and not internals .
If you are stood at the side of the load , DVSA want a strap at the front of the pallet ,to stop forward movement ( Harsh braking , or an accident ) , one over the side and one over the rear , which is three straps per one row .
At the loading point , they will refuse to load if the driver is inside the trailer due to health and safety drivers break their hips from falling off trailers . And they don’t want us walking over the product damaging either plastic or glass bottles with a load refused for their customers .
Once they have loaded the trailer it will be harder to get a strap in front and back of pallets as there is gap , the easy way is to strap it as they load it but not allowed and some places it’s sit in the cab and stay away ,another point is damage to the load when strapping as in crushed bottles .
For loads using internal straps , nothing more annoying to find the internals trapped under the pallets or trapped at the headboard unable to use them .
Another issue is you strap a load and you have used up all your ratchet straps provided then told to drop the trailer at base for another driver to deliver it , but that trailer has all your straps , and now get another load that needs strapping but no straps .
Or another scenario is at a delivery point , they unload the trailer of drinks through the rear doors , that means taking off the straps before getting on the bay .Which means climbing over the load and some places won’t allow that .
No finer example…
Of why a curtainsider is completely unsuitable for this kind of load.
These kind of loads should be on a box trailer with solid walls to stop sideways movement and pallets blocked against each other to stop forward movement. No stupid strap this that way and strap that the other way cobblers. Drive them up through the back doors stick a load lock on 'em and go.
But because curtains are cheaper and the majority of sites are geared up to load them, you’ll still be pulling curtains in the wind and rain and then getting pulled over for ‘insecure load driver’ for the foreseeable future.
But we all know that in reality, curtainsiders ARE fine to carry a load of shrink wrapped pop on pallets, they only are deemed unsuitable when the goalposts were moved, and the ridiculous rules came about.
I say they are safe, but that depends on how the truck is driven,.and there lies the problem.
Ae all used to cross a couple of internals over the back, and away you went with no dramas, but like everything else you got the odd exception (pertaining to the law of averages) where the odd one or two had a ■■■■ up scenario…■■■■ happens.
Then it came about that we had to put internals across or down each row of pallets, which in my opinion is adequate, and has been proven so thousands of times by those who can drive.
These ■■■■ up scenarios increased when trucks began to be driven like cars, by idiots who did not know any different, with all the consequences of that …
So we now have pedantic and ott rules to cater for the lowest common denominator (as Juddian would say) of driver, so now everything has to be strapped up to within an inch of it’s life, in a belt and braces style.
Just to make a point, I’ve seen on one or more occasions where I have brought stuff up 350 miles from somewhere, dropped my trailer and checked through back doors, everything fine and straight.
Then the monkey who picks trailer up on a Monday morning still manages to make the load move (however slight) on the last 100 mile or so up the road that he takes it, tear aresing round roundabouts, going at it like there’s no tomorrow, arse on fire stuff and the like. 
It got to the stage where I actually felt the need to photo the load through back doors when dropping trailer. …which was a shocker to one of the useless ■■■■ s. 
(On an entirely different side note …why is this guy who is the ex copper willing to go in and strap it up in his own time without pay. …just curious,.why not go in, do it, and get paid for it,.as it is part of your job. 
)
