Question about trailer Seals

I believe about a year ago there was a thread on here about a guy receiving ticket on the parkway in Kentucky for not having a seal on a empty trailer?
He said the DOT claimed it was a new law in Kentucky that enclosed trailers were to have a padlock or seal loaded/empty?
Something about homeland security..

 

It's funny how we MUST inspect the cargo within the first 50 miles to insure cargo or securement devices aren't shifting --unless it's a sealed load...

I guess inspecting can't be all that important if a serialized piece of plastic can negate that requirement.

 

bare minimum it's a courtesy to other guys to let them know its got a load in it, if they're looking for an empty. Whether or not they're "required" depends entirely on the shipper and consignee. Food grade they're going to be super serious about it. Less sensitive freight they just give it to you and ask you put it on.

 

You better have a seal on and match the bills at denver purina or the load will be refused. You dont want that. They give you a seal, use it. CYA op

 

Lol, yep. Another reason to use a seal. I had forgot that, would suck to get a ticket for not showing the securement stop on the log. Way easier to just seal it with the magical plastic seal that secures all cargo indefinitely. Or the super magical bolt seal, don't even need straps or load locks with those babies.

 

With scrap plastic loads or any "non-valuable load" where I might have a concern of initial shifting and/or the need to remove load locks at some mid-point or drop point, I won't seal it so I can peek in later to make sure everything is riding ok or get my load locks. But if it's anything that can be carried off or considered "valuable" by some, I say seal it at the shipper.

Also FWIW, some guys at some carriers in some situations will seal an empty in an attempt to keep another driver from later snagging it while he bobtails to the truck stop for the night in hopes it will be there in the morning.

 

Man thats a good idea, I never thought of that and have lost empties BTling down the street.

 

I agree. However, I bet it is SOP at the shipper for their people to seal the load. Too lazy to walk out of the building.

 

That's why you check the bill boxes for bills.... unless they put fake (or old) bills in the box. [emoji33]

 

If a shipper doesn't provide a seal, I will put one on for a couple of reasons.

1) (like the load i am on now) I put a seal on to make sure nobody has tampered with load,
2) keep dot from wanting to do an inspection to make sure that everything is done properly inside the trailer.

Sealing a load is your protection, for example....what happens when you get to the cons, they unload your trailer, you dont get bill signed seal intact....you leave and about 3 hours later you get a call about product that was missing.

a seal, is a cya deal when it comes to making deliveries, and making sure that you will not be charged for stuff missing on a load. As if you or shipper sealed it, and seal was maintained until signed for then the missing product becomes the problem to the shipper instead of the driver.

as far as sealing an mt, ok...use to do that in order to save mts when i had to worry about finding mts. but i dont generally seal an mt trailer. I will though put a lock on it if I am going to be parked at a truckstop, just to make sure nobody gets into trailer, and or steal my straps i leave in the back.

when in doubt cya first, nothing worse then paying for something that wasn't there in the first place out of your own pocket.