securing cargo and equiptment needed

[Dennis463]

Please share proper cargo securing ideas/techniques for a 22' / 24' straight truck and how much equipment one should have at minimum?

I have found this on the forums:
3 dozen pads, 2 dozen ratcheting straps, 4 dozen rubber bands to secure pads, 5,000# pallet jack, 2 and 4 wheel dollies, 10 load bars, small step ladder, floor rings, and dock plate.
Thank you in advance for your vital informational reply.
Dennis

 

[ATeam]

You have a good list for starters, and perhaps more than you need. It depends on the amount and kind of freight you will haul. Your carrier of choice should be able to provide guidance.

 

[Suds43]

Please share proper cargo securing ideas/techniques for a 22' / 24' straight truck and how much equipment one should have at minimum?

I have found this on the forums:
3 dozen pads, 2 dozen ratcheting straps, 4 dozen rubber bands to secure pads, 5,000# pallet jack, 2 and 4 wheel dollies, 10 load bars, small step ladder, floor rings, and dock plate.
Thank you in advance for your vital informational reply.
Dennis

Wow, with all that stuff, is there any room left for the load????

Here's what I carried on the truck.......6 ratchet straps, 6 load locks. That's it. It all depends on what carrier your leased on with and what they require.

 

[mjolnir131]

i have been running 6 months with 6 ratchet straps 4 camin (i hate thse can't get them tight enough 3 locking load bars one ratcher bar 2 moving blankes one that has remaded unopened 6 d rings tht lock into the same traks as the load bars and oter straps handy little things they are.a box of drywall screw (unused)

i have a few things i still might need to get but if you have to much stuff you run out of room to put it when your completly full

 

[JohnMueller]

Hope this helps you all out;

Excerpts from our Driver/Contractor Manual. Basically a copy of the Cargo Securement Regulations:

Cargo Securement Regulations
392.9 Inspection of cargo, cargo securement devices and systems.
(a) General. A driver may not operate a commercial motor vehicle and a motor carrier may not require or permit a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle unless-
(a)(1) The commercial motor vehicle's cargo is properly distributed and adequately secured as specified in §§ 393.100 through 393.142 of this subchapter.
(a)(2) The commercial motor vehicle's tailgate, tailboard, doors, tarpaulins, spare tire and other equipment used in its operation, and the means of fastening the commercial motor vehicle's cargo, are secured; and
(a)(3) The commercial motor vehicle's cargo or any other object does not obscure the driver's view ahead or to the right or left sides (except for drivers of self-steer dollies), interfere with the free movement of his/her arms or legs, prevent his/her free and ready access to accessories required for emergencies, or prevent the free and ready exit of any person from the commercial motor vehicle's cab or driver's compartment.
(b) Drivers of trucks and truck tractors. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(4) of this section, the driver of a truck or truck tractor must-
(b)(1) Assure himself/herself that the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section have been complied with before he/she drives that commercial motor vehicle;
(b)(2) Inspect the cargo and the devices used to secure the cargo within the first 50 miles after beginning a trip and cause any adjustments to be made to the cargo or load securement devices as necessary, including adding more securement devices, to ensure that cargo cannot shift on or within, or fall from the commercial motor vehicle; and
(b)(3) Reexamine the commercial motor vehicle's cargo and its load securement devices during the course of transportation and make any necessary adjustment to the cargo or load securement devices, including adding more securement devices, to ensure that cargo cannot shift on or within, or fall from, the commercial motor vehicle. Reexamination and any necessary adjustments must be made whenever -
(b)(3)(i) The driver makes a change of his/her duty status; or
(b)(3)(ii) The commercial motor vehicle has been driven for 3 hours; or
(b)(3)(iii) The commercial motor vehicle has been driven for 150 miles, whichever occurs first.
(b)(4) The rules in this paragraph (b) do not apply to the driver of a sealed commercial motor vehicle who has been ordered not to open it to inspect its cargo or to the driver of a commercial motor vehicle that has been loaded in a manner that makes inspection of its cargo impracticable.


Thanks,
HotFr8Recruiter

 

[juliewray60]

1 dozen pads,

9 ratcheting straps,yellow & gray

12 HD black rubber bungies,

1 2 wheel dollie,

8 load bars,

2 pieces 100' 1" dia rope

4 sheets marine plywood for tiering
and bulhead reinforcement

and most importantly:
numerous etrac and strapping adapters

In addition to load securement I
was taught by an old timer how to
construct a secondary bulkhead. This
is mounted 12 inches from the nose
of box and can become a life saver should
you ever smack into somthing or need
to lock up brakes. This gives freight
a buffer zone protecting it from exiting
out the nose of box.

 

[Dreamer]

Dennis,
The things you have listed (and Julie Wray) are required more for White Glove and Elite type loads, than normal dry box freight.

As Phil said, check the website of the company you are considering. Under the requirements for the truck, they will tell you what cargo securement devices you need.

For example, here is the link for FedEx CC dry box requirements.

22' Weather-tight Cargo Box Specifications


Dale

 

[x06col]

Also, you may want to consider what type cowboy you are, or, if you are one. Driving habits and "luck" play into this also. Regardless, take what you "think" you need, and increase your inventory as you see you shoulda, or wish'd I had. Takes time, depending on who, what, when, why.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Also, you may want to consider what type cowboy you are, or, if you are one. Driving habits and "luck" play into this also. Regardless, take what you "think" you need, and increase your inventory as you see you shoulda, or wish'd I had. Takes time, depending on who, what, when, why.

Col...last week I got 2 spools of fibre optic cable....just over 5 feet high a 2 feet thru total 4 feet....too wide to go sideways and could not be laid down and could not be strapped from end to end....Just when ya think ya have it all covered they throw another weird load at ya.

Ps... for 5 bucks send a self addressed envelope i'll tell ya what I did! *LOL*

 

[greg334]

Luck?

Did I hear Luck?

The Experts have determined that Luck has nothing to do with it.

OH I brought this up a while ago but with all the abuse some of the straps take, with oil and solvents getting on them - how many of you check them and/or replace them on a regular basis?

 

[x06col]

Yepper OVM. Gotta go wit da flow sometimes if'n ya "wanna" run some. But, if it's too hot. or too cold, or too far, or too much, or, too whatever, you figgure what happens.

Still keep tink'in bout that clown that "simply" turned into that truck stop "slowly" and turned his truck over on it's side here a while back. Heh, heh.

There is one for the cargo securement gurus.

 

[P51bombay]

Dennis,
.

For example, here is the link for FedEx CC dry box requirements.

22' Weather-tight Cargo Box Specifications


Dale

What's the reason for the landing gear requirement...........forklift or ?

 

[ATeam]

What's the reason for the landing gear requirement...........forklift or ?

Yes. When landing gear is lowered, the truck is more stable, making it easier and safer for a forklift to enter when the truck is backed up to a loading dock.

On rare occasions, when winds exceed 50 mph and you are stopped to sleep, landing gear can help keep the truck stable and help you catch better zzz's. Be sure to raise the landing gear before you depart as leaving it down can have a negative effect on fuel economy.

 

[greg334]

Be sure to raise the landing gear before you depart as leaving it down can have a negative effect on fuel economy.

Yea.... what he said...... maybe a bit of hands on experience?

 

[P51bombay]

LOL - the can drivers around here like doing that. How much weight does a set add?

 

[ATeam]

Yea.... what he said...... maybe a bit of hands on experience?

Yes, but not my hands. Yet another case where one can learn from the mistakes of others instead of his own.

 

[greg334]

Yes, but not my hands. Yet another case where one can learn from the mistakes of others instead of his own.

Well that's good.... it always good to learn from others.

 

[P51bombay]

Yes, but not my hands. Yet another case where one can learn from the mistakes of others instead of his own.

DO tell the story behind this one.

 

[ATeam]

Not much to tell. Early in our career, someone, I do not recall who, told me of a driver who did not raise the landing gear before leaving the dock. Oops!

Raising the landing gear seemed like a good idea even to a newbie like me, and even before I heard the story, but that story and others led us to develop a walk-around protocol.

After most every stop (fuel, deliveries, store parking lots, rest areas, etc.), we do a walk-around to make sure the truck is clear before moving it. This is in addition to walk-arounds done during pre-trip inspections.

A walk-around has saved us from a loss or mishap a few times, including one time when I discovered in the morning that some joker had half-lowered our landing gear as we slept. On walk-arounds we have discovered shopping carts that have wind-blown under the truck, debris in a tire, a roll of paper towels accidently left sitting on the deck extension, a tire that had gone flat sometime during the day, and a padlock not on the door where it should be but accidently left dangling from the grab handle.

 

[P51bombay]

Interesting stuff, although I must admit that when I asked - for some reason I was thinking along the lines of: fork truck enters box - LG not down, fork truck and big truck fall down, although that doesn't seem very likely.

That walk around would have caught a left open roll up door I will admit to forgetting on a couple of occasions - Most have probably done that at one time or another. This was when I got a bit lax about locking said door with the lock left in the location you mentioned. With the truck backed up to my bedroom window at night and being nearly always near by during the day............easy to get lazy and I am lucky nothing fell out. Though the truck was empty both times, the pallet jack has one of those Pallet Truck Stop...Cherry's 800 350-0011 under it (which everyone should have) there was a box near the door I keep a shrink wrapper and infrequently used straps, tape, etc but it stayed put for the 10ish miles down the interstate.

Then one day heading into Canada I got asked if I had looked in back, was it locked? - of course I had a PP excuse for both which was followed by a final question. "How do you know someone didn't put something in there?" Point taken, door is now locked at all times, even driving from one side of the street to the other - the side benefit to that is the door never gets left open since a key is needed to lock it and with the cab locked - I can't get in without retrieving the key from the lock.


On your tire incident.........that's another case were a GPS will help you, in most cases it will located nearby businesses, at least tomtom's will.