How Do You Secure Your Freight?

[Bruno]

Good post Phil!

It's better to be safe than sorry. It only take a little more time to use extra straps and extra load locks or even nails and a 2x4. An accident can cost you alot of money even your life. So the next time your at the shipper think about it when your truck is being loaded.

Extra straps $18.00 to $40.00
Extra load locks $40.00 to 75.00
Hammer and nails $20.00 to $30.00
Your Life!! Priceless



Drive safe
Dave Mayfield
FedEx Custom Critical
14 years as an O/O in Expediting.

 

[Moot]

When running totes, roll stock or pallets single down the center or anytime there is room to roam, always use wood blocking and duplex nails in conjunction with load locks and straps.

As both Leo and Phil pointed out using straps in a "U" fashion attached to both walls along with load bars should work. But if I had a dry box I would also use blocking and nails.

My limited experience with reefers was with channel aluminum floors only. I guess using nails on a wood floor in a reefer could compromise the insulation under the floor.

How well does a wood floor hold up in the expedite industry. I would assume one isn't using shaved ice to cool produce loaded fresh from the field. Or dealing with leaking blood from boxed or swinging meat. But there still must be a moisture problem.

I once had a large stainless steel dewer full of liquid helium break loose in a trailer, tip over and leak. This resulted in the closing of a 2 block stretch of 2nd avenue in Minneapolis, a main entrance to I-35W for about 4 hours. Most embarrassing. One of the local TV news crews was there. I had to hide behind a group of firefighters because I was wearing a uniform with my name, company name and a safe driving
award emblem on it. That was over 20 years ago and I still hear about it occasionally.

 

[wombat52]

first off nice shinny floor now as for my totes normally would be putting these suckers beside each other but they were to wide for that as i try to do that ,
but as for blocking yep your right but your not expecting the load bars to give way or the straps to come out of e,track clips
but this is one for murphy law as i said a few days ago MURPHY WAS RIDING somewhere in the truck last thursday by the way how to you stop just wondering the forward motion of this 10.000 lbs as your rolling down the road or better still when your in a tanker and you start stopping but the liquid is pushing you forward that is if i got any tanker drivers here ??????????
wombat

 

[ATeam]

>that's a pretty sharp floor. what kind of wood is that?

The reefer body manufacturer, Kidron, calls it "laminated hardwood." I don't know much more about it than that.

 

[nightcreacher]

I strap my totes,one to each wall,2 straps per tote,sometimes a load bar infront of each tote.in 30 years,knock on wood,no freight damage yet.

 

[Dreamer]

Wombat,
Yes I used to haul liquid fertilizer. I know exactly what you're talking about. When I first started hauling it I made a slightly quick stop one time. I felt the liquid surge and then roll back. When it came forward again, it knocked me about a car length forward, with the brakes on.

Needless to say, I learned very quickly that when hauling liquid, all turns and stops must be made very carefully.


Dreamer
Forums Administrator


"Ability can take you to the top, but it takes Character to keep you there."

- Zig Ziglar

 

[Broompilot]

First I do feel it is way over kill. Second no Cargo Claims good Job. I secure a light product like that to the wall and E track one bar side not three to each side. Time is also $.

I say that cause I also have never ever had a Claim.

Docs point, GREAT.... I wondered why those nails are like that. Great idea. We all hate nails in our floors but some places insist.

When I see that nail gun come out. Thats when I got my own hammer and nails, plus my own steaks not 2x4 but mine hold anything on a skid just not large pieces of equipment like a Bazuka. I really did haul one once. I would not mind the nail gun but they go hey wire in there like 5 nails to a 2x4.

If it works, great. If your not secruing, your gona end up with a Claim. Wana talk about paperwork and delays, have one.

 

[nightcreacher]

no nails in my floor,but the government has their own securement,yes it will be nailed.no such thing as overkill in securement,especially with haz-mat
5000 lb tote gets a bar and 2 straps,put bar up,tote on wall,secure to wall with 2 straps,next tote same way,bar up tote to opposite wall,2 straps and so on.If 8 totes,I start loading about 10 feet from the front,as 8 totes will be 32 feet,when finished,axle weights will be perfect,and will have about 10 feet to the trailer doors.

 

[pelicn]

We've had to use nails in the floor, but if we can secure the freight without the use of nails then that's the way we go. There is no such thing as over securement to us. In a previous life, we hauled alot of beer loads, that liquid freight moves if not secured well, and turns are taken gently. We haul freight now as if it were a beer load....nice an easy.