Delivering firewood in Dumpy bags safely

[Goaty]

Recently VOSA changed there interpretation of a "secure load" No longer is the weight of the goods sufficient to hold the load in place, curtainsides of trucks are just for weather protection etc. The days of the coalman with just a flatbed full of well stacked sacks are going.

 

I always try to avoid trouble so now put a rope or ratchets over everything even if the effect is as useless as a ribbon on a present.

 

However today I delivered 2 1/2 tonne builder type bags in a plant trailer. I used a rope and before I was half way to customer, the rope had worked its way through the wood in the bags causing them to slump and spill the logs around on the trailer. The sides of the trailer are half the height of bags.

 

In the past Ive tied the loops to diagonally opposite corners on the trailer, the bags just twist and tilt around. The same happens with sand, wheat, etc.

I load with pallet forks on a loader so the bags are shaken down when loaded.

It looks like loose loads maybe my best bet, but its quicker to drag bags off and go. Some people prefer them left in bags as well.

[gensetsteve]

I collect ofcuts of timber for our kindling machine. I use a piece of rope to tie the

handles together in the middle then strap down.

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

Machine Mart produce a good strong cargo net and we rope over this and twitch the load.

[Alycidon]

I used to ratchet them but 200 yards down the road the straps are loose as the load is live and moves.

 

Most of the time now I use nothing, ( Sky hooks !!), occasionally if going through a town I will use a net and if raining a sheet. I use a GD85 IFW at present. This will change as its no longer big enough.

 

I would have thought that the load can be deemed secure if you can stop articles from the load being thrown out. Drop sides on the bottom with curtains on the top would I would have though resolved any potential issue.

 

Has anyone here been stopped and warned(or worse !)by Police/Vosa on this issue?.

 

A

[rovers90]

Someone I know was recently stopped by the police when he was towing his trailer which has mesh sides. He was told he must have the top of the trailer secured with either a tarpaulin or cargo net.

[Goaty]

www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/.../MO%20-%20Issue%2039%20-%20June%2..

 

Look at page 4 chart

 

I make my situation a 1 B a prohibit. Note woodchip is included in the selection.

[ThrustSSC]

There's a guy on eBay does custom-fit cargo nets. I got one for my 8'x4' trailer with tall mesh sides - I bungee it over the load and it does the job perfectly. It takes almost no time to secure or release, either. And on a wet day I can put it over the tarp to keep it secure, too.

[Quickthorn]

www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/.../MO%20-%20Issue%2039%20-%20June%2..

 

Look at page 4 chart

 

I make my situation a 1 B a prohibit. Note woodchip is included in the selection.

 

the link doesn't work for me. Can you repost, or tell us what it is you're linking to?

[Goaty]

the link doesn't work for me. Can you repost, or tell us what it is you're linking to?

 

Whoops try this

MO - Issue 39 - June 2012(1).pdf

[bigdave]

at times there quite keen round here on having your load secure i.e sheeted over

 

all the local quarries make you sheet your load or they will not load you the next time you visit!!!

 

i have got in the habit of sheeting my load whatever it is chip, branches, logs, stone, ect

 

i bought several years ago a cotton duck waterproof super tarpaulin 12ftx9ft and it has served its purpose very well & has covered alsorts of loads on several different trucks & trailers

 

for bulk bags of logs i tie the 4 loops together, push the bags tight up to the head board traping tarp between head board & bag, then drap tarp over the bags put the side boards up traping the tarp between the side boards & bags, then off the tie down hooks nearest the cab i run a rope round the back of the bags to hold them tight to the head board, then rope over the top of the bags to hold them down. it takes about 5 mins to do & i know i legal going down the road!!!