Morning all,
Just a quick question before I go to bed (I’m not lazy, I work nights 
). Is it illegal to carry such things as ratchet straps, ratchets, corners etc. in the cab. I’ve had conflicting info on this so would be grateful if anyone on here could shed some light on it. And I don’t mean in the side lockers, I mean in the passenger footwell, on the seat, on the bunk or the centre console/floor area.
If I don’t reply straight away it’s because I’m in bed but thanks in advance for any answers.
I don’t know about illegal, but it could be deemed unsafe.
There was a story going around in the 80s, a guy rolled his motor on his driver’s side, the contents of his passenger side footwell flew towards him,… including a bottle jack and wheel bars which caved his head in.
May be true, maybe a myth, I know you don’t carry jacks anymore, but worth thinking about.
I’m pretty certain that carrying cargo for delivery in the cab is a huge no-no. As for straps, as long as they’re stowed properly and won’t present a hazard in the event of a collision, I think you’d be OK.
Please note, this information is worth exactly what you paid for it!
Its a matter for your judgement,if you had an emergency not of your making,would you want ratchet straps etc etc smacking you on the head or hindering your safety.When I was driving NOTHING apart from my personal gear was allowed in the cab,even that was “bungey strapped” in a box to stop any movement.
Not sure about the legalities of carrying ratchets and straps in your cab but what i would say is that it should be a last resort if needed.As has been said already it could turn out to be extremely dangerous in an emergency situation.
In my previous job the Volvo i was using had the storage space of a match box.I used to keep all my ratchets and straps on the back but when fully loaded it was abit of a ball ache to find a safe home for all the spares.
When on the plant game we used to collect portacabins from sites and it was common for the site manager to try and sneak these theodolite laser level things in the cab. We used to tell him to put them in the portacabin but he always used to moan about it.
Got to the point where I would lock the doors (no central licking those days so a right pita) and he would leave them by the door telling me they had to be taken. There they would stay as I drove off with him waving his hands, not to be rude I always waved back.
I used to carry straps etc in the passenger foot well. I now try and keep things to a minimum as when I rolled the lorry I was attacked by my mini fridge which throw itself at me.
One of our others drivers who has rolled got hit by his motorbike helmet of all things 
I hate to think what would be sticking out of every orifice if I went arse over ■■■.
I’d pity the accident investigators job trying to keep a straight face.
To be fair it can’t be much worse than what’s sticking out when I’m right side up.
My boss mentioned the amount of food everywhere as I had just been to Tesco’s the crime scene was covered in tuna pasta salads.
I won’t carry anything, not from a safety point of view, because everything gets secured down or stowed properly. But because I’m too forgetful. Its too easy to leave the odd box of screws or tubes of mastic, and get 20 miles up the road before you remember.
As for ratchets and corner boards, they belong on the back, either holding the load down, or in that ■■■■■■■ great empty space where the load is going to go.
My boss is terrible for putting tools in the cab. When I first drove our grab there was a pair of large secateurs behind the drivers’ seat, plus lump hammer, scraper etc. I had to point out that the large box on the side of the tipper was a “tool box.”
Not much storage room in a day cabbed TGM as it is, without carrying a feeble collection of diy tools.
F-reds:
I won’t carry anything, not from a safety point of view, because everything gets secured down or stowed properly. But because I’m too forgetful. Its too easy to leave the odd box of screws or tubes of mastic, and get 20 miles up the road before you remember.As for ratchets and corner boards, they belong on the back, either holding the load down, or in that [zb] great empty space where the load is going to go.
Bit difficult that when you’re solo and taking them to drop off in a trailer somewhere 
Thanks for all the replies fellas, it certainly gives me something to think about. As night men we use different units every night and the one I had last night already had full side lockers which meant I had 36 ratchets and straps and 72 corners rattling around the cab, even though I’d tried to stow them neatly and securely. Just didn’t feel safe to be honest
Back in the day, my late brother put a Dodge K series 4 wheeler wheels up on a village green. The only injury he got was a big lump and a headache where the jack hit him on the head, it sat on a little platform on the back of the cab and should have been held by a strap, but somebody hadn’t bothered.
Bernard
Dipper_Dave:
(no central licking those days so a right pita)
You really do have to watch out for the central licking, especially if it gives you a pita.