Question about sealed loads

If you're only sealing it for your own peace of mind, why record it anywhere? Sometimes, depending on where I was, I'd throw a seal on my empty, just for myself, so I'd know if any scumbag was screwing with my trailer. US customs like to see your trailer sealed, and it's cheap insurance.

 

Personally if I worked for a company that reimbursed for CAT scales I would just weigh it if I thought the load had shifted if your worried about rolling over a DOT scale heavy. Also stand behind the trailer while parked on flat ground and look for leaning of the trailer.

If you find its overweight somehow now and you know it was good before then follow the above advice BEFORE you go over a DOT scale because they will not care that it shifted and you will be fined.

If everything looks good from the outside I would deliver the load and if its messed up then deal with it at that point.

Just my .02

 

I would probably not worry about a load that "shifted" and was then possibly overweight, what I would worry about, depending on what is on the trailer, is a load that has possibly shifted and could cause you to roll over, maybe the banding broke or something of that nature. Just because a trailer is not leaning when on a flat surface, does not mean it's not out of whack inside, which could cause you problems before you even get to the receiver to "deal with it". Breaking a seal to look inside at your load is not a big deal as long as you go through the right channels.

 

Most instances the seal number will already be documented on the bills and issued to you if they don't personally seal it. Yes, in the real world you won't break it. Your instructor is just throwing a hypothetical situation at you. If the shipper doesn't issue a seal and you use your personal one, then you can break it. But why? Then the receiver is going to think, why is this guy sealing the trailer and keeps opening it? The seal protects the integrity of the load. If you break the seal and open the doors, integrity is broken. Who knows what you are doing with the doors open.
Only one time have I had my seal popped. I use to haul produce out of CA. One time I took a load of honeydews into CA. They pulled me over, broke the seal and inspected for bugs. So you see that it will be a very rare occasion you will ever pop a seal prior to delivery.

 

For after school, I will always seal a load.

I signed for the contents, I think we all do. So if there is a problem at the receiver, I can say, "It was sealed at the shipper!"

Safe, on time delivery is my concern, contents are the shipper's.

Mikeeee

 

The only times a periodic cargo check is 'required' is when you're pulling a flatbed or a reefer. If you're pulling a flatbed, you check to make sure the load hasn't shifted and the straps are secured with no slack. If you're pulling a reefer, you check for alarm codes and you check the temp reading. Any time you stop you also check the tires. You cant check a dry load without breaking the seal, which that has already been discussed. You don't pull the seal on a refrigerated load either. When you perform these checks, make a notation on your log.

For example:

TC, RC-10
_____________

Cheyenne, WY

TC = Tire Check

RC-10 = Reefer Check, -10 degrees

 

Sometimes I leave the seal off if I'm able to, if I've got something that might shift, or requires load locks I might have to remove if I'm switching trailers with another driver.

Supposedly when we're hauling bananas in a reefer, we're supposed to stop periodically and check the temps to make sure the bananas stay at 59 degrees but I never bother. I might look in to make sure the load locks haven't fallen down or something, that's about it.

Although I have hauled unusual objects or something or had some jacka$$ load my trailer with 4 or 5 pallets of shingles over the nose, then a 20 foot gap and the rest over the trailer axles, instead of making a straight line down the middle, .. gotta keep an eye on that load if I have to hit the brakes, gotta re-scale it. Pain in the ...

But if there's a seal number on the bills, that seal better be on the trailer when you arrive at the receiver.

 

I've never once logged a load or tire check in the 7 years I been out here. Just a 15 minute pre-trip (7 minutes now that I'm on e-logs) before I start my day, and that's it. Ain't never had a problem with DOT over it.

 

You DO NOT need to do a "tire check" every 100 or 150 miles or whatever. Just once a day, before you start your log for the day. That's OLD SCHOOL, the DOT quit requiring that in 2004. When I went to the driving school in 2004, we were taught to log a "tire check" every X amount of time or miles or whatever. But 3 weeks later at orientation for Covenant Transport, they told us that requirement had just been lifted and we don't have to do that. And I haven't done it at all. Had DOT go over my logs a few times, been to plenty of safety meetings at my company, and in fact I haven't heard anything about a "tire check" at all since then, until this forum thread.

 

Except of course, as previously mentioned, on HazMat loads.

Mikeeee