Securing Cargo

I know this will more than likely be covered in school, but I want to know what it is like in the "real world".

I just finished the section on "Transporting Cargo Safely". I know on a "Drop and Hook" load, the driver is still responsible for the load being secured.

Has anyone ever run onto the situation where the load was not secure and it was too risky to transport?

Or watched as your load is being loaded, and you don't like how it is being loaded.

If so, what is the procedure with that? If you talk to the dock workers/supervisor, they could get mad and you set there without a load for a day or two.

Or do you contact your dispatcher and have them handle it? Even then the dock workers could get mad and you set for a day or two.

I was a loader operator for a veneer plant a few years ago. When we had logs that we refused, trucks would come in and pick them back up. Drivers would look at a log and tell me to turn it around before I loaded it. Or make me put one on one side of the trailer and the next one on the other side. When I first started, I knew nothing about weight distribution.

One day, a driver came to me and said something about loading being a hassle. And I told him I didn't understand why each log had to be placed on the truck in a certain way. Then he explained about weight distribution. Until then I knew nothing about it and just thought the drivers were being a pain in the ......

Keep it safe out there. Joe S

I loaded 53' trucks with a forklift at a large warehouse. I loaded 70" TVs, furniture, food, bedding, cabinets so it was very technical. I couldn't just shove the pallets in I had to plan it so that the cabinet corner wouldn't hit the TV for example. So I know what to look for.

However I never really had a load that was too dangerous to haul. I had a heavy load with double stacked pallets but that was the most dangerous it had gotten. But there nothing the loaders could have done about that. They had 40 pallets of course they had to double stack so me complaining would do no good. Simply out those load locks on tightly and drive the load "differently". By differently I mean go even slower on curves, turns, and brake more gently to prevent the top pallets from rocking back and forth on the boxes holding them up.

But I never refused a load because it was too dangerous. I kind of think that's rediculous. We aren't doing oversized or flatbed here, we are hauling pallets inside a box. In my opinion this job is very dangerous, complaining that a load is dangerous to the shipper or even to dispatch would be rediculous.

The problem with drop and hooks is that they are sealed and that small side window usually isn't enough to look inside. So you really don't know if its dangerous, or if its stacked two high. And most places won't be ok to break the seal and have to redo the paperwork just so you can have a look.

All of this is based on my experiences working in both fields

I am really sorry you think something about this is ridiculous. I don't believe I said anything about a load being "dangerous". I believe I said it was "not secure and it was too risky to transport". However, the High Road CDL Training program does say it is dangerous.

Right on page 1 in the High Road CDL Training program, Section 3: Transporting Cargo Safely, it says:

"You must understand basic cargo safety rules to get a CDL. If you load cargo wrong or do not secure it, it can be a danger to others and to yourself."

"Whether or not you load and secure the cargo yourself, you are responsible for:

Inspecting your cargo.

Recognizing overloads and poorly balanced weight.

Knowing your cargo is properly secured."

"Section 3.1 Inspecting Cargo

As part of your pre-trip inspection , make sure the truck is not overloaded and that the cargo is balanced and secured properly."

There is more in the other sections.

The way I understand from reading one of the posts on TT, The driver is responsible for contents damage if done due to improper loading other than from a locked and secured load they can't inspect.

Several years ago, I was standing behind a trailer to help unload some fire equipment we had ordered for our firehouse. Hats, coats, pants, etc.

When the driver opened the door, at least 1/2 a dozen boxed fell out on the ground. He jumped out of the way before any of them hit him. None were extremely heavy, and more than likely would not have hurt him.

However, what if it had been a pallet of say 50 pound bags of dog, cat, or other feed. Or something else. And yes, one time I did see, at our local Southern States store, a whole pallet "dump" out of the back of a trailer when the driver opened the door.

Keep it safe out there. Joe S

Boss, I didn't mean rediculous in that way. What I meant it by is that you have the trailer walls all around the product and then you have load locks. If you put on those load locks tightly to ensure they won't fall then I don't see how a load can be so dangerous that a driver would reject it. Once you start rejecting loads that's when you'll stop getting loads. Sorry if I put it in a bad way but that's how I meant it by.

Every load is risky in its own way and I don't believe rejecting a load helps anyone. And this job is dangerous yes. A load lock would keep that pallet from falling over when you open the doors. You recognize when a load is overweight when you see the bill and it says how much the freight weighs. If its 47 I know I'm overweight, if its 44k I can handle it but ill need to move tandems around and find that perfect spot. Always get a CAT scale reciept that's your proof your weight is legal. The bottom line is that it's your job on the line. If you feel like its too risky then don't haul it. But I've never had a load that a few load locks couldn't hold back. Yes, you're responsible for the cargo and securing it but not every place would be happy to break the seal.

Nothing about your post is rediculous and that's not what I meant.

I do appoligise. I misunderstood your post Daniel B.

I understand about turning down loads. No driver would want to do that. That is how you make money and make a living.

But if a driver takes/accepts a truck that has not been loaded properly and something is damaged. Or Heaven forbid, the load shifts and causes a wreck, who is responsible?

You mention about loading TVs and such into trucks. Were you a driver then or did you work the docks? If you were the driver, then you made sure that your load was loaded properly.

If someone else loaded that trailer and it wasn't loaded properly, and the driver accepted the load and several of those TVs got damaged, who is responsible?

I got a little "hint" with your last post, something about load lock. What are they?

Either way, the driver will be unemployed I am sure.

Keep it safe out there. Joe S

I do appoligise. I misunderstood your post Daniel B.

I understand about turning down loads. No driver would want to do that. That is how you make money and make a living.

But if a driver takes/accepts a truck that has not been loaded properly and something is damaged. Or Heaven forbid, the load shifts and causes a wreck, who is responsible?

You mention about loading TVs and such into trucks. Were you a driver then or did you work the docks? If you were the driver, then you made sure that your load was loaded properly.

If someone else loaded that trailer and it wasn't loaded properly, and the driver accepted the load and several of those TVs got damaged, who is responsible?

I got a little "hint" with your last post, something about load lock. What are they?

Either way, the driver will be unemployed I am sure.

Keep it safe out there. Joe S

Well, if you talk to one of the security guards at the _____ plant, in _______, ______, then he will tell you load locks aren't required. He should "know." He's been around trucks "all of his life."

There is nothing you can do, when they do NOT allow you to put in a load lock.

Dave

I carry rolls of paper for Georgia Pacific. Most times I carry 7 rolls of paper ,for a full load, and they are standing on their end. Super top heavy. Thats about 6500 lbs per roll. No load lock or strap will hold it back if it decides to move or tip over. That is where driving skill comes into play. They are set on "pressure rubber mats" Put simply the more weight each mat has on it the better it holds to the trailer floor.

Lucky enough I work for a company that is super into safety. The driver has the first and last word on the load IF its a true safety concern. If its a true safety concern you had better be ready to prove it and be able to explain the problem clearly and you have to send in pictures to back up your statement. If its truly a safety concern then my company will get the "higher ups" involved at my company and the shipper. If the safety complaint is bogus then it will go very wrong for the driver. Its about facts and what is seen. Just cause you "feel wrong" about the load does not its wrong. Have to be able to back it up.

Now most loads are going to be safe but if you are overweight and failed to make sure it was legal BEFORE you hit the road and an accident occurs ,no matter whose fault, the driver will get blamed due to the overweight trailer. Now if the trailer is not loaded right and you have a scale ticket to prove it and the shipper will not fix the load then call your company and let them handle it.

And that is really the only thing you can do. If you have a problem with the load, call the company. Arguing with the security guard will fall on deaf ears.

Dave

Now most loads are going to be safe but if you are overweight and failed to make sure it was legal BEFORE you hit the road and an accident occurs ,no matter whose fault, the driver will get blamed due to the overweight trailer. Now if the trailer is not loaded right and you have a scale ticket to prove it and the shipper will not fix the load then call your company and let them handle it.

I know there are scales at most major truck stops. Do many shippers have scales? If you are caught before you make it to a set of scales, how hard will DOT be on you?

The company where I was a loader operator, some of the flatbeds I loaded had something under them where a driver could get an approx weight.

One driver showed it to me. it was three dials, right in front of the trailer tires. He said one guage was for the steering tires. One for the drive tires and one for the trailor tires. He said they were far from exact, but they kept him in the ballpark. He was an O/O. Truck and trailor.

How many trucks have anything like that?

Keep it safe out there. Joe S

I do appoligise. I misunderstood your post Daniel B.

I understand about turning down loads. No driver would want to do that. That is how you make money and make a living.

But if a driver takes/accepts a truck that has not been loaded properly and something is damaged. Or Heaven forbid, the load shifts and causes a wreck, who is responsible?

You mention about loading TVs and such into trucks. Were you a driver then or did you work the docks? If you were the driver, then you made sure that your load was loaded properly.

If someone else loaded that trailer and it wasn't loaded properly, and the driver accepted the load and several of those TVs got damaged, who is responsible?

I got a little "hint" with your last post, something about load lock. What are they?

Either way, the driver will be unemployed I am sure.

Keep it safe out there. Joe S

Well, if you talk to one of the security guards at the _____ plant, in _______, ______, then he will tell you load locks aren't required. He should "know." He's been around trucks "all of his life."

There is nothing you can do, when they do NOT allow you to put in a load lock.

Dave

Exactly man. Have we spoken to the same people? Lol

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