Unsecured load on sealed trailer

Even in wood racks they are supposed to have a chain thru them.

Some of these Co.'s make no sense! The way things are these days it would be to hard to get rid of something like that.

 

Before backing up to a warehouse dock, I tried to open the door but it had pressure so I unloosed the other door and 8 heavy pallets came avalanching down, I barely was able to escape being crushed. The boys in the warehouse saw it before I could lie on the ground lol and a convoy of 6 slow moving forklifts came around the building to clean up the mess. They unloaded the trailer, signed the paperwork and said a 'good day' like this happens every day no problem.

 

Glad you didn't get hurt!

Home Depot and Lowes are notorious for poor loading...and many Walmart and Target DCs too.

I delivered to a Home Depot once and, after the dock manager irritated me, I opened the doors a bit further away from the dock than he requested because I knew what was going to happen. Sure enough, I cracked the door and PVC pipe elbows fell out and bounced all over the parking lot. All sizes from 1" clear on up to 6" elbows, connectors, end caps...white pieces of plastic just all over the place. And, since the manager succeeded in teeing me off pretty good, I stood there and watched his guys run around picking all that stuff up.

I've had all kinds of stuff fall everywhere from these DCs. Walmart likes to pile bottled water cases on top of paper towel or diaper cases. Gee, wonder what's gonna happen there?

Delivered to a Target in missoula and the DC guys had loaded six bicycles in their boxes, last, on edge so that the wide part of the box was what you saw when you opened the doors. Not a big deal until they loaded cases of heavy tools on top of the bicycles. When the doors were opened, six bicycles tried to fall out just like dominos along with the heavier cases on top. I gave up a load lock on that one so the store guys wouldn't get hurt trying to move all that stuff. The manager was really cool about everything, so I didn't mind helping him out a bit.

Personally, I think the DCs that load like this need to be held accountable. We drivers are verboten from breaking the seal to check the load. Those guys at the DCs seem to think that if they can cram it into the trailer, it's legal and safe. And when we get to the destination, it's like opening a teenager's closet.

 

I just sold 3 Wabash vans this year and 2 of them had chain ties in the floor just like a flat, and one had "D" rings recessed in the floor. (never pulled any of these trailers just bought them to sell) So it's not that there isn't any way to secure loads it's just most choose not to.

Van mfg's could easily put "J" hook tracks in the floor like Reitnouer, Mac, Benson ect. which would give you an endless combination of securement points.


And as far as damaging paper rolls if they don't want them secured because they don't want the paper damaged they need to package them better. I've seen examples of what a chain can do to a steel coil. They put a nickle on the concrete floor and set a small 17k steel coil on top of it. The nickle left it's inprint on the steel so bad you could still read the date on the 7th layer. Now did they make steel haulers stop chaining coils? No, they just package them better. I know this is basically out of the drivers control but seriously, not securing a load because you might damage it? How does this get by? If they think a chain or strap might damage a paper roll, wait till they see what the pavement will do to it! Not to mention the damage to their checkbook when a good lawyer gets a hold of it for hitting me with a roll of unsecured paper.

 

You can order any van with d rings or chain ties in the floor, the reason companys dont is weight and price, i've seen guys leave the dock with steel blocks in a van with nothing on them and some never made it around the first corner.

 

Bottom line-who do you think they are coming after if someone gets hurt or killed.I think it would beyou the truck driver. No peice of paper is going to relieve you of the responsibility if you didnt do your job and determine that the load was safe.

 

I've noticed that more and more of the coil loads I've taken have this on the contract, so at least some shippers are stopping the stupidity.

 

If I p/u a pre-loaded trailer, And there is a seal on it, I tell the shipper that I must put two load locks in the trailer and make them remove the seal

 

Isn't that the truth.

While it is true that people can, and are, killed by tornadoes, does that mean you spend you life in a tornado shelter?

I don't mean to be a ########, or a super trucker (which I am not), but it seems a whole lot of drivers on this board spend most of their time worrying about what will happen if (When?) they have an accident, instead of avoiding that accident.

Yes, accidents can happen to anyone, but the percentage is really, really low. I wish I could find how many accidents per year vs. how many drivers/miles there are, but I can't seem to find them.

In other words, hysteria; much ado about nothing.

 

It's not hysteria, it's common sense. Bottom line, If I have to secure a load such as skidded coils on a flat then why don't those hauling them in vans? Don't tell me those plywood/alum sides will hold them in a panic stop or accident. Chain ties and D-rings are available for order on any van so order them and use them or stick to hauling toilet paper. Or better yet stop hauling flatbed freight in vans and maybe the rate wouldn't be in the toilet.