oi oi . im currently driving for a block company based in shepton mallet,been on there a year. when i started we would just net the blocks and maybe strap front and back with corner boards if they were on pallets or if it was icy . in the last month our drivers have been getting tugs by vosa who want every single pack strapped as well. we cover all south of birmingham and it only seems to be around cartgate and ringwood where we have been pulled. needless to say we are covering our arses and bowing to the pressure. just wondered if any of the same sort of companies around the country have been having the same issues ■■? also are vosa able to change legislation on load security?? i thought it was the DOT. Cheers people
nobbylaw:
oi oi . im currently driving for a block company based in shepton mallet,been on there a year. when i started we would just net the blocks and maybe strap front and back with corner boards if they were on pallets or if it was icy . in the last month our drivers have been getting tugs by vosa who want every single pack strapped as well. we cover all south of birmingham and it only seems to be around cartgate and ringwood where we have been pulled. needless to say we are covering our arses and bowing to the pressure. just wondered if any of the same sort of companies around the country have been having the same issues ■■? also are vosa able to change legislation on load security?? i thought it was the DOT. Cheers people
I think its an E.U. directive on load security so no change in legislation required we only have to adopt the said directive, well that’s the way I understand it 
absolutely pointless strapping across packs of blocks , they just pull into the centre space , which you have to have for grab operation . the only exception is shrink wrapped packs , or crossed straps on the rear of each deck , and i don’t know of any company that shrink wrap common blocks . i hauled blocks/bricks on and off over a 30 year period , and never lost any off a properly netted load . the jobsworths are trying to regulate something that they know (zb) all about …again .
regarding EVERTHING STRAPED
Just had a memo with my wages slip yesterday, saying just that.
Boss Dude doesnt care whether your driving a Flat, Curtain or Box.
i,e Ridge’d or Artic + Trailer
EVERTHING must be secured:
“Even double securied in the case of “Blocks & Pallets of Bricks” , i,e Straps & Net.
or Curtain Sider, i.e Everthing straped before the curtain’s are closed.”
"Every driver is required to instantly report any non-servicable
or missing internal straps (curtain sider) &/or restraint fixings (Box body)"
so that they can be quickly repaired/replaced. 
And in the case of Curtain or Flat/inc Dropside,
"Obtain from the stores enought straps & ratchets
to secure any load that they might be required to carry"
Personaly what-ever my personal feelings might be, I dont have a problem with any of that
( because he’s paying for both the necessary equipment & me by the hour )
de 2xQ
seen a block lorry with long alloy corner thingys (1 strap 2/3 packs) and centre supports
looked secure enough
Same applies to builders merchants vehicles, everything must be strapped down. Although that is nigh on impossible. The metre plus high dropsides we have, mean that even by leaving a gap for the grab and using corner boards one or two things happen.
The first is that we have been told not to strap over the top and down the outside as this is now not allowed. This is also not a good idea anyway because most brick and block packs we carry are the same height as the sides, so that sort of defeats the object. There are no cargo lugs set inside the load deck to secure to either.
The second way is to feed the strap under the dropside, back over the product and back down the inside of the opposing dropside. But the packs, especially bricks and thermalite blocks dont allow this as even if you do manage to hook the ratchet under the rave from the inside… and tighten it up, you then cannot close the dropside because once the ratchet is secure it doubles in thickness and the side wont engage or secure.
A DCPC trainer told us that even bulk bags of aggregate must be secured to the deck, as if the truck turns over, then the load must remain inside the body…really? how would 900kg of 20mm stone remain in the open top bulk bag with a strap over it?
To be honest I attempt to secure as much as I can, it might look good, but would probably be ineffective at actually restraining an errant pack of bricks or blocks if they did decide to go for a wander when I tramp on the brakes!
Nobbylaw, if this block firm you are working for begins with the letter J and the surname is with a P, all of you on that firm go 56 on a 40 mph,speed limit road, i have the evidence on my Road Hawk, so what is the hurry to go like the clappers then, there are un- marked police cars on the Frome and Warminster bypasses at the time of the morning when your firm owns the road.
As an aside I saw a bloke with couple or three tonne each I would say decorative stone boulders on a flat bed & I’m pretty sure he just had a net over them, must have been strapped as well, can’t remember but I did think the net was no use to man nor beast if one of those decides to let go. 
I’ve been doing bricks, blocks and bulk bags all this week running at 44t every load.
Been using a flatbed with a moffet on bulk bags and just flatbed on bricks and blocks.
Never done this work before so asked the boss what the crack was with netting and strapping, told to strap over every pair of bulk bags and to net and put straps over the first, last and every forth pack of blocks or bricks. Did a couple loads out of ibstock notts and there was a v o s a recommendations sheet with a picture saying exactly that in the reception area. Dated 2009.
Did a load of blocks out of plasmor with a trailer mounted brick grab and they double stack a row of blocks down the middle of the trailer sitting on the edges of bottom rows. No net needed. With single and double length corner boards you can secure the load with 6 straps. The ones I used were cut to length so no having to roll up excess strap. You can secure the load in 10 min without having to get on the bed.
I’ve heard they want the hiab grab straped down as well in case of a hydraulic failure and it swings out. I always thought they wouldn’t do that if it lost the hydraulics
lets get things straight here …
Its always been a legal requirement to secure your load to the trailer just that over the years some have deemed it safe not to , that was till some smart arse went 30 round a round about and either lost or had a load move … just get on with how it should have been done all them years ago when Fred to 2 hrs to do the job but Bert did it in 1.5 hrs because he didn’t rope or strap it and started getting paid by the job and then by job an knock …do it right take ur time = do less boss will then have to pay by the hour
We’ve had problems with this at the Blackwall Tunnel, first it was just the front and back packs to be strapped, then when we did this they moved the goalposts and stated every pack must be strapped…although corner boards and a strap over two packs is acceptable.
Ma Lord I never lost as much as a chickens feather until this happened and I’ve been doing it for years
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=99455#p1471130
and you cant just say its because he’s from across the water
so it is nationwide then.cheers for the replies. and toby yeah you have the right firm . i know some of us are adverse to a little above the legal 40 on a open straight road when there is nothing about last thing at night but dont tar us all with the same brush init
nick2008:
lets get things straight here …Its always been a legal requirement to secure your load to the trailer just that over the years some have deemed it safe not to , that was till some smart arse went 30 round a round about and either lost or had a load move … just get on with how it should have been done all them years ago when Fred to 2 hrs to do the job but Bert did it in 1.5 hrs because he didn’t rope or strap it and started getting paid by the job and then by job an knock …do it right take ur time = do less boss will then have to pay by the hour
How is doing less an incentive to pay you by the hour if any thing it will work the other way
I was on a VOSA run course a couple of months ago (nothing to do with transport but maint and inspections) however we got talking about different things and I brought up the load restraint question of who has the experience and knowledge to teach VOSA staff what to check for.
He answered that he and some of his oppo’s were shortly going on a load restraint course and it was a group of engineers that came up with the technical data and number crunching that worked out how straps were used where and how many per tonne etc, etc. He also said and here’s the best bit, it was a female in charge of the process. Now I’ve got nothing against that she’s no doubt along with her team a bunch of very well qualified engineers with more letters after their names than you can shake a stick at but what they actually know about the transport business and especially loading and securing loads in real life, they could likely write on a stamp. (even the VOSA chap said this)
Its all been mathematically worked out and tested (using scale and computer models etc) to result in the formula that VOSA will use to check loads. The fact that he and his mates hadn’t at the time been on the course means that not all the country’s VOSA staff have yet been on this course and out on the roads to pull in those unsuspecting drivers that haven’t yet been fingered. Its obviously going to be their latest tool out the bag so I would say once they all have the ‘Knowledge’ you might see a lot more of them about. Happy days! Franky.
chester1:
nick2008:
lets get things straight here …Its always been a legal requirement to secure your load to the trailer just that over the years some have deemed it safe not to , that was till some smart arse went 30 round a round about and either lost or had a load move … just get on with how it should have been done all them years ago when Fred to 2 hrs to do the job but Bert did it in 1.5 hrs because he didn’t rope or strap it and started getting paid by the job and then by job an knock …do it right take ur time = do less boss will then have to pay by the hour
How is doing less an incentive to pay you by the hour if any thing it will work the other way
er if you paid by the hour you do 2 trips not 3 take it steady like the old days not superfastasflatoutyou’llgettwiceasmuchdoneforthesamemoneyworkingharder
As nick said Its always been a legal requirement to secure your load to the trailer.
On durox even back in the 80’s we roped every pack then mid 90’s started using straps, so it’s nothing new.
nice one franky,sums it up . thought as much …just wondered if it was regional or nationwide.
toby do you work for a firm starts with f ends in s btw ? your firm with your forward facing cams have been snitching. we have got 8 instaled now to back up dangerous driving 
Its the same here in sussex. We’ve been told that the blocks need to be against the headboard. We have trouble with our axle weights if we do that(wagon and drag). So we have been told to use pallets to pack out the blocks. We have corner boards. I use ten corner boards and 5 straps to secure 19 packs. My boss showed a photo of one of our trucks netted and strapped like this to the police and vosa and has letters from both saying its an acceptable load. When i go in ibstock down here i only have to strap every fourth pack. That will probably change soon though. I always strap the grab. One of my mates on wincanton got held at the dartford toll booths because they couldnt see his strap over the grab. They let him go once they checked it out.