So there’s a police survey underway, whatever that entails, on why trucks keep falling over on the A76 just outside Kirkconnel.
I can tell you the reason and save the taxpayer a shedload of money.
It’s an inexperienced firm with inexperienced drivers who aren’t acquainted with the load, who are rushing to get the job done.
The load is chipboard from the Egger plant at Auchinleck, and it’s pretty nasty stuff as it can move about without much provocation but if strapped down properly and driven well, it won’t move an inch.
As an ex-DHL Dumfries employee, we had that contract for over 10 years without a roll-over incident.
But DHL in their wisdom closed the depot, lots of experienced guys lost their jobs, (including me), and the job went to someone else, who obviously can’t handle the loads and it’s now a major public safety concern.
Should’ve left well alone as they say but 6 months on and I still haven’t found a job but like the Murphy’s…I’m not bitter.
some of these curtainsider drivers make me laugh when they open sides up they got all sorts held on with fresh air another thing that worries me is the design of the straps (the ones on the centre poles) surley if the load shifts to the side then it will cause a pendulum effect? imho if comanys have them on trailers then they might not want the extra expense of supplying drivers with proper straps. maybe they have them and just too lazy or too much of a hurry to use them. there is certainly some bad cambers on that road,like you i would strap them on to the trailer far far safer as these guys are finding out!! stay safe out there!
Got to agree with everything you said Andrew as a retired driver living in Sanquhar I used to load it out of Scotboard Irvine and Caberboard at Cowie it allways was dodgy stuff if not roped or strapped properly but another problem at Guildhall southbound is definately speed and it worries me that its only a matter of time before there is another motor under one as it goes over like the fatal at Enterkin last year.Eddie.
Chipboard is probably one of the most nasty loads to carry, living close to Humber Kitchens and the wharves at Howdendyke it was a major part of the local hauliers cargo. In those days it was normally carried on flat trailers with sheets and ropes, straps and corner boards, yet it still slipped off or turned over on the Howden Spur I carried chipboard but was very lucky. We loaded mine in a Multilift skip with a Manitou
me dad carried chipboard to every place in the country,its even worse when its been laminated with paper,it gets full of air between the sheets and slips like (zb)! when strapping down he always said you had to break the corners on the top 2 boards in the pack so you knew it was tight enough! i made hiim a bar at work so he could get the straps even tighter never lost a pack though!
chuckle:
me dad carried chipboard to every place in the country,its even worse when its been laminated with paper,it gets full of air between the sheets and slips like (zb)! when strapping down he always said you had to break the corners on the top 2 boards in the pack so you knew it was tight enough! i made hiim a bar at work so he could get the straps even tighter never lost a pack though!
Thats how it was explained to me, it acts like a hovercraft works, a pocket of air between the sheets and it will slide whatever restraints you put on it. There you are, tell the Polis to read Tnet and send me and Chuckle some of that survey money
and the job went to someone else, who obviously can’t handle the loads
I think you will find that the second truck to roll at Kirkconnell was actually a DHL.
It may have been a DHL truck but the truck is most likely to be based at Cambuslang, (a depot not acquainted with handling chipboard) and most likely driven by an agency driver.
As I already mentioned, DHL Dumfries formerly Securicor Omega Logistics, formerly John Miller Transport had that job for years and the guys were will used to handling the board, but in order to save money, corners were cut and the work was moved away and now inexperienced people are making a right hash of it and putting public safety at risk.
So there’s a police survey underway, whatever that entails, on why trucks keep falling over on the A76 just outside Kirkconnel.
I can tell you the reason and save the taxpayer a shedload of money.
It’s an inexperienced firm with inexperienced drivers who aren’t acquainted with the load, who are rushing to get the job done.
The load is chipboard from the Egger plant at Auchinleck, and it’s pretty nasty stuff as it can move about without much provocation but if strapped down properly and driven well, it won’t move an inch.
As an ex-DHL Dumfries employee, we had that contract for over 10 years without a roll-over incident.
But DHL in their wisdom closed the depot, lots of experienced guys lost their jobs, (including me), and the job went to someone else, who obviously can’t handle the loads and it’s now a major public safety concern.
Should’ve left well alone as they say but 6 months on and I still haven’t found a job but like the Murphy’s…I’m not bitter.
But it would be strapped down even tighter if you use one lot of straps on the lower row and then another lot of straps over the second level instead of trying to use the tension of one lot of straps acting on just the top lot hoping it will also hold the bottom lot as well.
Carryfast:
But it would be strapped down even tighter if you use one lot of straps on the lower row and then another lot of straps over the second level instead of trying to use the tension of one lot of straps acting on just the top lot hoping it will also hold the bottom lot as well.
I know what you’re getting at as that method was used on loads that were ‘3 packs’ high. Strap the middle row of packs as well as the top third row of packs.
That photo was taken roughly 8 years ago, (SOL colours), and it was decided that two straps per top & bottom packs (six per load), was adequate. Later the H&S bods changed it to three straps per top & bottom packs, giving a total of nine straps.
Carryfast is right. Straps on top and bottom. Which neatly takes us back to the LGV drivers at 18 thread, and experience. I’ve carried my share of chip board / MDF / Plywood and ordinary old timber as well, but that was after seeing my Father do it with Plywood (didn’t have chipboard / MDF in those days).
As Andrew Leitch said, people that know what they’re doing get shunted out to make way for them that haven’t much of a clue.
It may have been a DHL truck but the truck is most likely to be based at Cambuslang, (a depot not acquainted with handling chipboard) and most likely driven by an agency driver
Ok, good point.
and now inexperienced people are making a right hash of it and putting public safety at risk.
Surely 10 years ago when you started, you must have been inexperienced, so does this mean you were putting public safety at risk as well?
But someone is saving money at the risk of the drivers and public, isnt capitalism a fine system in its extremes…NOT.
And now, we, the taxpayer get to pick up the bill for others incompetance, I may be new to this game, but stupid I aint…It is obvious for all to see just what is happening.
Carryfast:
But it would be strapped down even tighter if you use one lot of straps on the lower row and then another lot of straps over the second level instead of trying to use the tension of one lot of straps acting on just the top lot hoping it will also hold the bottom lot as well.
Anti-slip matting should also be used under each of the pack feet on both top and bottom rows.
Shroudedknight:
Surely 10 years ago when you started, you must have been inexperienced, so does this mean you were putting public safety at risk as well?
Nice try but no.
When the job first started, Egger issued instructions on how the board should be transported, a training team was assembled and that knowledge was then filtered down to all the drivers through on-the-job training.
This is all caused through simple ignorance. I have pulled many a load from Cowie and have not lost one. I was told that the top board in a pack is a sacrificial board so it doesn’t matter if the strap cuts right through it.
Another horrible load to carry is the Alloy from Ft William. You’re looking at a minimum of 12 ratchet straps if you want the job done properly then you got that hellish road all the way south to navigate
another thing that worries me is the design of the straps (the ones on the centre poles) surley if the load shifts to the side then it will cause a pendulum effect? imho if comanys have them on trailers then they might not want the extra expense of supplying drivers with proper straps. maybe they have them and just too lazy or too much of a hurry to use them. there is certainly some bad cambers on that road,like you i would strap them on to the trailer far far safer as these guys are finding out!! stay safe out there! 
never lost a pack though!
