How many times have you seen a truck carrying a load that had shifted dangerously whilst on route, or spilled its load? Well, once is once too many...
A shifted or spilled load is dangerous – to the driver and other road users! The driver can lose control and go careering across lanes, and the spill can cause immediate danger to traffic across the road that could end in injury and even death.
With that in mind, here’s a quick refresher course in the basics of loading and securing your cargoes.
Loading is a Skill
Loading isn’t simply a matter of piling stuff onto a truck or trailer and driving off. There are many considerations that need to be taken into account when loading and securing your truck: the materials being transported, the type of truck being used, the type of restraints most suitable for the specific load, weight distribution (front, rear and to the sides) and much more. Loading carried out at your home depot is often carried out by skilled operators who know exactly what to do, but you still need to keep a watchful eye. This is even more important if you are taking on back loads, as the fork lift driver loading the truck may not be so experienced.
1. Place and secure the load so as to prevent slippage either forward, backwards or to the side. If necessary, add a pallet between the load and the truck’s headboard.
2. Keep the centre of gravity as low as possible.
3. Use restraints to hold the load. Webbing and chain restraints are the most common, but it is important to use the correct restraint for the load.
4. Restraints should be connected to the vehicles chassis or special attachments and be at an angle that is as close as possible to 90O to the load. If needed, raise the height of the load by adding a pallet to the top. (This may seem at odds with section 2 but it makes sense).
5. Insist that you be provided with a loading plan for your back loads that shows how the load is secured, proper unloading procedure and what to do if the load shifts.
Remember – no matter how heavy any one item of cargo, it can, and will, shift. So tie everything down properly to avoid damage to your truck and cargo, loss of time and money and, most importantly, to prevent accidents.
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