Cargo Securement and Rollovers
Safety Management Services Company's
Accident Countermeasures Program
The Safety Management Services Company Accident Countermeasures Program was created to provide a way for both fleet and individual drivers to cover important safety topics in a meaningful and accessible manner with the goal of reducing the incidence of preventable Commercial Motor Vehicle Accidents. This program allows you, the driver, to study safety material and learn desirable information at a time most convenient to you.
Please take the time to read through the material, study the pictures, and then answer the questions at the end of this handout. Your completed answer sheet should then be turned in to the safety department to receive credit for completing the program.
CARGO SECUREMENT AND ROLLOVERS
What's so important about securing freight? Many truck drivers have been killed or seriously injured by improperly secured cargo coming forward and crushing the cab of their truck. The safety of other motorists is also a concern. If your family or loved ones were riding in a car beside your load, would you feel confident that nothing will fall off and harm them?
Regardless of who actually loads the trailer, you the driver are responsible to ensure that the load is properly secured and road-ready. Shifting freight attributes to vehicle rollover. If freight is not properly secured, it could shift and cause the vehicle to rollover.
There are many factors that attributes to vehicle rollovers. The following list was Developed as an aid to help investigate such accidents:
Driver factors to consider:
- Entered curve at excessive speed
- Not aware of tractor-trailer limitation
- Did not anticipate sharpness of curve
- Steered truck onto soft shoulder
- Drifted off road and abruptly counter steered
- Did not comply with speed advisory
- Accelerated through curve
- Inexperienced drivers transporting high center of gravity loads
- Steered abruptly, perhaps during avoidance maneuvers
- Being impaired by fatigue, drowsiness, alcohol, drugs, poor eyesight, etc.
- Being reckless, angry emotional, or otherwise upset
Vehicle factors to consider:
- Unusually top-heavy load
- Collapsed suspension
- Under-inflated tires
- Vehicle and axle weights
- Fifth wheel lubrication
- Poor brake performance prior to entering curve
- Cargo distribution
- Load shift
CARGO SECUREMENT
Cargo claims resulting from damaged and missing cargo result in $200 million in lost revenue each year. But more importantly, unsecured, falling and shifting freight can cause vehicle crashes, injuries and even death!
Why is proper securement necessary?
- Cargo claims often cost companies excessive amounts of money, money that could be spent on newer equipment, improved facilities and increases in pay and benefits.
- The customer is paying for safe and timely delivery of goods.
- Damaged cargo results in claims against the company, hurting the company's reputation.
Drivers' responsibilities start before he or she even gets in the truck. As a driver, you must complete a thorough pre-trip inspection of the trailer. Make sure that all safety features are present and in working condition. Next, a thorough inspection of the inside or the deck of the trailer must be completed. Check for and remove anything that could cause damage to the cargo. Finally, secure the vehicle and prepare if for loading.
The driver must supervise all loading activities. He/she must check, and then double-check all of the cargo on the bill of lading to make sure it is present and not damaged. Any discrepancies should be reported immediately. A driver must make sure the cargo is loaded properly. Cargo should be evenly distributed throughout the trailer and make sure that lighter cargo is stacked on top of heavier cargo.
Make sure all cargo is adequately secured through the use of proper blocking, bracing or dunnage. When an article is not blocked or positioned to prevent movement forward by a headerboard, bulkhead, or any other appropriate blocking device, it must be secured by at least:
- One tie down for articles five feet or less in length and 1,100 pounds or less in weight.
- Two tie downs if:
- Five feet or less in length and more than 1,100 pounds in weight; or
- Longer than five feet but less than or equal to 10 feet, regardless of weight.
Also two tie downs are required if the article is longer than 10 feet, and one additional tie down for every 10 feet of article length, or fraction of, beyond the first 10 feet of length.
The key factors to load securement are listed below. Not that they have changed from recent years.
A driver may not operate a commercial motor vehicle and a motor carrier may not require or permit a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle unless--
- The commercial motor vehicle's cargo is properly distributed and adequately secured as specified in § § 393.100 through 393.142 of this subchapter.
- The commercial motor vehicle's tailgate, tailboard, doors, tarpaulins, spare tire and other equipment used in its operation, and the means of fastening the commercial motor vehicle's cargo, are secured; and
- The commercial motor vehicle's cargo or any other object does not obscure the driver's view ahead or to the right or left sides (except for drivers of self-steer dollies), interfere with the free movement of his/her arms or legs, prevent his/her free and ready access to accessories required for emergencies, or prevent the free and ready exit of any person from the commercial motor vehicle's cab or driver's compartment.
Drivers must assure themselves that they have complied with these regulations before they drive their commercial motor vehicle. They must also inspect the cargo and securement devices within the first 50 miles after beginning a trip. Any adjustments should be made at this time to ensure that cargo cannot shift on or within the vehicle.
Cargo must be reexamined and any necessary adjustments must be made whenever:
- The driver makes a change to his/her duty status; or
- The commercial motor vehicle has been driven for 3 hours; or
- The commercial motor vehicle has been driven for 150 miles, whichever occurs first
The rules do not apply to the driver of a sealed commercial motor vehicle that has been ordered not to open it to inspect its cargo or to the driver of a commercial motor vehicle that has been loaded in a manner that makes inspection of its cargo impracticable.
Accident Information:
Date and Time: August 2002
Location: SR322 Pennsylvania
Road Conditions: Dry asphalt
Vehicle(s) Involved: Vehicle #1-Tractor-Trailer
Accident Description: Unit #1 was traveling west on SR322. The unit was unable to negotiate a curve in the roadway causing the unit to flip on its right side. After flipping on the its right side, unit #1 struck a concrete barrier and lost part of its load. The truck contained empty gas cylinders that were loaded in the center of the trailer and were not blocked in.
Total Cost: $30,000 for truck, trailer, Hazmat clean-up and two DOT light poles.
