so ill be delivering palletised goods from monday, its maybe a totally stupid question but its better safe than sorry.
do you strap down palletised goods? also how would you do it?
do you have to open both curtains to hook the straps around or is there another way?
i used to strap down timber on a flat bed all the time but iv never used a curtainsider
Ryan090:
so ill be delivering palletised goods from monday, its maybe a totally stupid question but its better safe than sorry.
do you strap down palletised goods? also how would you do it?do you have to open both curtains to hook the straps around or is there another way?
i used to strap down timber on a flat bed all the time but iv never used a curtainsider
You won’t get everyone in agreement on this question but officially, yes you should. In reality and from my own observations, most drivers don’t bother (myself included). As a newbie you should do it by the book to start off with at least, then your arse is covered. Once you’ve got some experience and are confident in your own driving abilities to not shoot a load then you can have a rethink whether it’s worth the hassle. A lot depends on what the load is, how far it’s going etc.
I generally only strap it if 1) it looks like it might move, 2) I’m swapping the trailer with another driver who I don’t know, 3) if the client requires it, 4) if it’s a Sunday. 
yeh thats why i thought i would ask as alot of lorrys i have seen dont strap things down on curtainsiders, im not sure how my new company does it yet untill tomorrow.
if i do have to strap them down do i have to open both sides of the curtains to hook the straps ?
Restraining loads is one of the many things which gets overlooked in the haulage game!
Reasons are for example!
It takes to long to restrain.
It’s a back door tip.
We’ve always carried it like this.
I drive carefully.
The weight will hold it.
The curtains will hold it.
It never falls off.
It’s shrink wrapped.
Etc
But how many times a day do we hear of road closures due to lost loads?
Ryan090:
yeh thats why i thought i would ask as alot of lorrys i have seen dont strap things down on curtainsiders, im not sure how my new company does it yet untill tomorrow.
As I say, officially you have to secure the load. It doesn’t matter “how the company does it”. If you get stopped by the battenburg then you’ll be getting the fine if you haven’t secured it and telling them that the company didn’t provide you with any straps or “that’s how we’ve always done it” won’t cut the mustard with them.
if i do have to strap them down do i have to open both sides of the curtains to hook the straps ?
Usually, yes. The trailer or load area if it’s a rigid will probably have straps hanging down from rails on the roof. You pull these over and down the front side of the pallets and hook the, er, hooks under the edge of the body and then tension the strap and secure the clasp.
Ryan090:
yeh thats why i thought i would ask as alot of lorrys i have seen dont strap things down on curtainsiders, im not sure how my new company does it yet untill tomorrow.if i do have to strap them down do i have to open both sides of the curtains to hook the straps ?
If you can strap from inside no < (some trailers have restraining points in the floor.
At the end of the day a Curtain sider Euroliner is a flatbed and that’s all it is , the curtain is there to protect the load from the elements (the weather ) its not there to hold the load in place regardless what anyone says .
This last week there was a ridged 18t at the top of the M271 that had just come off the M27 on entering the 271 a load of steel bars (THICK PLATES) had come through the curtain closing the outside lanes in both directions, God knows what would have been the result if that had come off whilst a car had been passing …
If its in a curtain SECURE IT LIKE ITS A FLAT
Anyone else noticed the lack of restraints on the Trucks and Trailers tv programme 
If the goods on the pallets are liable to crushed or damaged by putting a ratchet strap over them , you can place a strap through the bottom of the pallet or put a strap in front and the back of the goodsIf you remember forward,aft and side movement on how the pallets may move in all directions.
Pallets with glass bottles,beer tins are a problem.
chester:
Anyone else noticed the lack of restraints on the Trucks and Trailers tv programme
they made a point of it at Highland Spring in Blackford 
also everyone moans about how boring the program is, I wouldn’t want to sit and watch someone take off 26 straps 
toby1234abc:
If the goods on the pallets are liable to crushed or damaged by putting a ratchet strap over them , you can place a strap through the bottom of the pallet or put a strap in front and the back of the goodsIf you remember forward,aft and side movement on how the pallets may move in all directions.
Pallets with glass bottles,beer tins are a problem.
another way to do it is place an empty pallet of the same size upside down on top of the load and strap along the middle leg
Smoggie89:
toby1234abc:
If the goods on the pallets are liable to crushed or damaged by putting a ratchet strap over them , you can place a strap through the bottom of the pallet or put a strap in front and the back of the goodsIf you remember forward,aft and side movement on how the pallets may move in all directions.
Pallets with glass bottles,beer tins are a problem.another way to do it is place an empty pallet of the same size upside down on top of the load and strap along the middle leg
That’s what i do .We carry loads of plastic pots for various food companies most of the time they go in a box truck but sometimes i take a curtain sider .The boxes the pots are in are mostly full of air and a strap will just crush and tear the boxes so an upturned pallet does the job .
@ Ryan 090 even if you are using a box truck it pays to put a couple of straps across the back of a load to stop them falling back against your doors .7.5t trucks tend to be a quick off the mark and if accelerating up a hill you could end up with the load against your doors
Anyone know what the fine is if you get caught with a load not strapped ? Just out of interest.
£60 isn’t it I think
Ryan090:
£60 isn’t it I think
according to this it is a max £5000 and disqualification ,i presume the fines and endorsements are graduated dependent on the severity
It’s a case of using your experience and initiative, I’m afraid neither save you from a fine!
I’m just glad i pull a fridge. 
I asked about this on my DCPC last week on a course entitled “Load Security and vehicle Loading”,
The tutor had the relevant text up on the whiteboard and it said something along the lines of " the load load must be additionally secured with straps if necessary".
I asked about securing a load load of crisps, other than a cross over the back two. Bearing in mind there are no VOSA guys to ask at 3.30 in the morning, is the decision mine…if I feel its necessary?
He freely admitted he had no idea at all!!!
Load security started in Germany.The ratchet straps must have the labels to show how strong they are.
No torn or damaged straps.Over there the freight forwarder gets a fine along with the driver and his boss.
They can make you take the load off at your costs to get to a warehouse and use their facilties at your cost to re arrange the load.
As Baldy has a fridge he would need restraining bars at the back of his load but he would not be stopped in a fridge.
I was pulled in by vosa in Newcastle a few weeks back because my curtains were slightly bulging and they thought my load had slipped. First thing they asked was was my load secure which indeed it was. His words were,from above they have been told to start clamping down on insecure loads so my advice is to strap everything if possible. They then went through the whole truck and trailer and driving records looking for fault.
there was a fridge trailer on the a34/a420 roundabout with a lathe stuck out of the side of it when it went through the grp bodywork,how the ■■■ do you strap that?its all down to commen sense,why dont they fail the mot if they dont have them fitted?and how many 24?26?32euro? or on the new long trailers 28,36 its never ending by the time you have done your checks its time to go home,grow up boys