freight securement

[LDB]

Watching the trucks moving through the parking lot, I notice the flatbeds with stuff strapped down so tightly it makes it hard for an atom to breathe. Then I look at all the dry vans and ponder if they've even bothered to put up a load bar somewhere. Do the solid sides give such a false sense of security and containment that securement isn't considered important? How do the walls and doors affect thinking? I'm unaware of any situation where the driver isn't responsible for the first $1000 or more of damage claims. Do we forget that number soon after orientation and accept the comfort of an enclosed box as secure? What about a padlock on the doors? Is it there all the time or just when it's handy and thought of at the right moment? I'm not suggesting any single correct answer, just throwing out something to work a little gray matter.

 

[ihamner]

Good post! Great reminder!

As you probably know, our White Glove unit asks us every time at departure how many bars and straps we used to secure the freight. It is also a good reminder to make sure everything is good and tight in the box.

 

[bernieh48]

Just because the White Glove dispatcher asks on the phone pior to leaving the shipper doesn't necc. mean that drive actually used what he is telling them he did. Saw a w/g truck one time tell dispatch so many bars and straps and pads, and didn't have a one on it and a few miles down the road the computer equip he was hauling that was on wheels came rolling right out the back doors.

Please people no matter what you are hauling take the time and do it right!
Great post!

 

[Streakn1]

This thread reminds me of IGT/Reno,NV from our FECC days. We were offered several loads from this location of which we refused. Our reason being that the driver(s) were not allowed on the dock to observe the loading and securement of the freight. You as the driver, had to rely on a dock worker to know how to properly distribute the weight in your box and properly secure the freight in accordance with DOT regulation. And as we were instructed, you had to allow them to close and seal your doors without being allowed to do a safety check of the freight and securement first. No you were required to wait in their waiting room. [Note: I have heard that has changed somewhat] Oh yes, you were told to simply write shipper load and secure on the BOL and have them signoff on it. I wonder how many ambulance chasing attorneys could find a loop hole in that when the truck is involved in an accident with injuries or fatals, plus the freight not properly loaded or secured? Could they pin some amount of responsibility on the driver to?

We have been amazed to see how some drivers did not secure the freight in their trucks before leaving the dock that should have been. What if the freight shifted, would the truck end up in an accident? We wondered how the freight would not end up damaged. If boxes were made of glass I think many of us would be shocked at what we see!

We always secured our freight in some manner and even had shippers ask us why we even bothered doing so. Now that we pull a deck it is all the more important that we properly secure our freight, first and foremost for the safety of those sharing the highway around us. No thin walls to contain it!

 

[TeamCaffee]

With USX we had three load bars and if that didn’t hold the freight in then that is the way it was. We often picked up loads with only one load bar holding the freight or nothing at all and was a pre loaded sealed trailer. All of our loads had to be sealed, so often we never even saw the freight. We were never asked how freight was secured and really the only time I think USX cared was if there was any freight damage and even at that point it was pretty much an oh well.

Now that we secure our own freight and are responsible for any damage it has changed our thinking a lot! I often have wondered now why there are not more accidents involving the no touch freight companies that pick up and deliver pre loaded trailers.

Our theory is make the freight part of the box by securing it as well as possible and then also using pads or corner protectors so you can never tell the freight was ever shipped.

 

[FIS53]

A lot of vans and even straights as well as tt's do not strap, bar or otherwise secure loads. I see it nearly everyday. Now yes many are doing short p&d runs but still it can move a lot. My last big load was 3 skids and I straped front and rear but due to skid design I had the forklift offset the skids so the boards were inside/ouside and once pressed together all three would move as one but strapped front and back no movement. Receiver thought it was odd but once he saw, he understood.

There is a gross lack of securement in vans especially and I mentioned this in a past posting. Local couriers are especially prone to a lack of securement. I at least have 3 chains, 8 straps and chocks (for shafts) and that's in my van. The deck truck has more than 2 straps for every 5ft plus chocks, boards, chains. Hopefully it's enough.
Rob

 

[theoldprof]

When I was a Wannabee skulking around EO Forum, I read that a load should be secured that if your truck rolled over on it's top, the freight would be hanging up side down. That's the way I secured ALL my loads. Used 2 straps and cross boards front and back on every load. On very heavy double skids I usually used 4 straps. I wasn't too keen on the idea of tubs of stuff squshing the back of my head.

 

[Turtle]

I don't think I could get passed the embarrassment of a freight claim simply because I failed to properly do my job. I mean, when you get right down to it, this is a pretty easy gig. You show up on time, secure the freight, arrive at the delivery on time without breaking any laws, and hand over the freight in the same condition as you received it. If you can't do that, you've got bigger problems than unsecured freight.

 

[redytrk]

I met a driver for a competing Expediting co one time. We were looking over his new truck. He then shared what happened to his last truck.

Seems he had a 2,000# skid, that the "dumb ask" fork lift driver left on the tail. So then down the road he goes. Another "dumb ask" does something stupid in front of him. He stands on the brake. Here comes the skid through the front of the box, through the sleeper, and joined him in the cab. He was not hurt, but I still don`t think he felt he had done anything wrong.

 

[TeamCaffee]

Turtle I agree with you 100% I just cannot imagine calling in and saying we have dropped something off of our lift gate or we did not secure our freight well enough to handle a hard stop or turn. The money we are out is one thing but the blow to personal pride would stick with you forever.

Some people lose their freight or roll over their truck in very visible areas and everyone driving by is saying the same thing. How dumb can you be?

One thing that was different at USX that we vary rarely see here is the trailer was loaded as tight as they could possible get it. We very seldom hauled loads that did not go from the front of the trailer to the back of the trailer.

 

[BigBusBob]

I've had many dock workers tell me that I didn't need to secure the freight with load bars and/or straps... but I did it anyways. Whenever I was asked why I was using more than one load bar and/or strap - I told them I was looking out for my family and their family.
I don't know who's behind me, I don't know how close they're gonna get to my tail.
I'd rather have a strap or bar get damaged than hurt somebody.

Besides... it's all tied into one word - SAFETY.

When I've been asked why I want to see a load... as a driver?
I've been told many times that I don't need to see it. Maybe they're correct in that I don't NEED TO SEE the load... but the load really is not what I'm very concerned with - it's the securement of a load that I'm VERY Concerned with.

I simply tell them (whoever it may be) that I have a right, as a CDL driver, to see how equipment that I'm responsible for operating, is being used and how it's loads are secured. Any company safety officer and any DOT officer and/or law enforcement officer will back a driver up on load securement issues.

I had a pallet collapse with a heavy equipment bearing on it... the dock workers were telling me they were going to file a freight claim... Well, upon opening the doors I quickly went back to the cab and grabbed my camera before I hit the dock. When they mentioned freight claim, I said as I pulled my camera out of my pocket "well, let me just take a few photo's with my company camera while you go get the paperwork ready".
There were 6 straps on this load, none were loose.
Needless to say, a freight claim was never put in...
because the pallet broke under the weight of the load.

I'd rather have a load secured too much, than not enough.

As far as drop and hooks, I've done plenty of them with 53 foot trailers. Why? Most of the time they're full loads with very little room for movement. Or, they're large piece loads, like rolls of paper - that won't go anywhere without alot of help.

Flatbedders secure loads tightly due to wind and weather elements.
Dry Vans don't have that element to contend with.
Flatbedders need to secure tightly because wind will shift a load, so will water and ice. Flatbeds have nothing to protect the loads except the straps or chains on the load.

Often times flatbeds go offroad (like gravel/dirt roads) too, where loads can wiggle more. DryVans don't do that nearly as much. Sometimes flatbeds have to drive into a field where there is no road. Dry Vans don't do that nearly as much.

Secure your loads, no matter what you drive. Take precautions to check tire pressures. Check doors, and decks, and load bar/strap tracks as well to keep track of problem areas.

Strap tightly, I use straps on both sides of a load if possible.
I also find it's helpful to use straps in conjuction with load bars.
First I put a load bar at the floor to secure the pallet.
Then I use a bar across the middle of the load - or "about" waist to chest heigh.
I then use an X pattern with straps, along with strapping horizontally as well.

Ultimately, I like straps better, simply because they're more reliable in my opinion.
Load bars can pop loose. Some Load bars push walls out, some just latch into a track. Straps always pull the sides of the truck in towards the load.

But, that's just me.
BigBusBob

 

[gotta go]

I was involved in a fatality, truck totalled accident 3 years ago, not my fault. At that time I carried a camp chair, a 6' ladder, and a push broom in the nose of the box. I also had 3 spare load bars up there. After the accident the steer axle was under the front of the box, so you can just imagine what the rest of the truck looked like. I had 12,000 lbs. of axles in the box. None of my items in the front survived the accident, but the freight stayed inside.
Please leave at least 6"-8" of space in front of your front load bars so the freight has someplace to go if needed.
By the way, the load was recovered by a Try Hours truck and I'm told delivered only 4 hours late. Hopefully I'll meet that driver one of these days and be able to thank them in person.

 

[Streakn1]

To me its no different than if I was a landlord renting a home or an apartment to someone. In any comtract I had, the owner/representative of the owner reserved the right to fully inspect the property at any reasonable time they requested. Is the shipper nothing more than a renter?

As the owner or rep of the owner you have the right to demand to inspect the freight inside your box before pulling away from the dock, and they can like it, lump it or unload their freight if you so choose!

Maybe they need to be reminded of their sign(s) at the gate etc that says "all vehicles subject to search before entering this facility", its a two way street. And the really sad part is they can call the police if you refuse to allow a search of your vehicle but what can you do if they refuse to let you inspect the freight? Anyway,what their concerned with in their search is far less important (except military bases) than your checking the proper loading/securement of the freight before driving out onto a public highway.

Pulling our deck has eliminated so many of the issues with shippers/receivers for me. Had I only known I would have switched sooner. I'm much happier not having to deal with their BS and can make as much money with a lot less stress!

 

[Jack_Berry]

I don't think I could get passed the embarrassment of a freight claim simply because I failed to properly do my job. I mean, when you get right down to it, this is a pretty easy gig. You show up on time, secure the freight, arrive at the delivery on time without breaking any laws, and hand over the freight in the same condition as you received it. If you can't do that, you've got bigger problems than unsecured freight.

a-men brother!!

 

[finbar73]

streakn1 Icouldn't aggree more.you can never secure to much.Everyone is so up in arms about seeing the load for securement purposes,but shouldn't that set off red flags when a shipper refuses to let you see the load.As a canadian driver how do you think i would feel if i didn't inspect my load and a board border gaurd says what the heck pull over lets have a look.I think the last thing on your mind would be straps.
Great advise I enjoy reading your posts

 

[P51bombay]

Just because the White Glove dispatcher asks on the phone pior to leaving the shipper doesn't necc. mean that drive actually used what he is telling them he did. Saw a w/g truck one time tell dispatch so many bars and straps and pads, and didn't have a one on it and a few miles down the road the computer equip he was hauling that was on wheels came rolling right out the back doors.

Please people no matter what you are hauling take the time and do it right!
Great post!

I saw one the other day, TT pulling a pup with HD rail gate on the back. He pulls in the J lot, stops, walks around back and lowers the RG and low and behold the whole bottom of his roll up was blown out below the RG. Were it not for the RG whatever he was hauling would have been right out on the road - I don't know what it was but it must have been very heavy to break through like that and only reason I can see is jack rabbit start. Funniest part is the driver didn't seem at all fussed with the damage, raised the RH and went on his way. Oh and the company name?..................Sling Shot

As a P&D driver I must be in the minority as I secure nearly all my freight to protect the cargo, truck and myself but there is an even better reason - what falls over I have to pick up and I hate doing extra work. Yesterday I had what looked like an oversize plywood covered picture frame screwed vertically to a horizontal frame and had a tip sensor on it. Marked GLASS. I had it secured to the centre of the box with with 4 rope ratchets pulling outwards and a nylon strap keeping it off the nose - didn't move an inch and not a word from the shipper about nice job and the kid didn't even look at it before signing.

 

[nightcreacher]

when I was driving a company truck in the 70's we had a customer in Iowa,it was shipper load and count,as we were not permitted on the dock,and they were doing,the securement.Every load that was delivered from that location was damaged,but with the shipper load and count,none of us ever paid a claim.Since Ive been an owner opp,these thirty years,i have not found anyone that i couldnt make let me check the securement of the freight.I have to close my doors,so i can see whats been done and if I need to fix it,of course if i had roll up doors,which I dont,that could be a problem,not being aloud on the dock.

 

[pelicn]

We have a running joke about hubby's freight securement. I tease him about his need for just one more strap or load bar.
Seriously, he's received many compliments from shippers and recievers about how he secures freight, and we've never had anything move or get damaged.

 

[gotta go]

I'm able to get around the "no drivers on the dock" because the switch for my electric landing gear is inside the box. I've found that by being polite, having my own orange vest, and safety glasses I've never been refused.

 

[LDB]

I have a team that is practically OCD on securement. They picked up a load from PA to UT. By the time he got it loaded and secured the shipper told them he wanted them to bring it back. My guy said that was up to the company as they'd just be dispatched however the jobs took them. The shipper got on the phone to the company and told them in no uncertain terms his stuff was to come back in this truck. The shipper volunteered that he'd pay their time to wait for it. They worked it out and brought it back. End of story.

Oh, no, a couple weeks later the same shipper calls to book a load. He tells the CSR he wants them, by name and truck number. The CSR says he'll have a truck there but can't guarantee who it will be. My team is around 1000 miles away just leaving and will deliver about 200 miles from this shipper the next day. The shipper says no, he wants this truck. The CSR says they are under a load and wouldn't be available until the next day anyway. The shipper says fine, I'll wait a day to ship it. The CSR then tries to switch trucks by telling him they'll be 200 miles away and he can't ask them to drive that far for nothing. The CSR apparently just wants to book it and not worry about what truck. At that point the shipper says it's that truck or I take my business elsewhere. Bottom line, the shipper got what he wanted.