It’s a sound you don’t want to hear: You have just started a trip and you apply the brakes or round a corner and a thud or the cracking of wood tells you that the cargo in the back of your dry van trailer or refrigerated trailer has shifted and something has been damaged. You pull over, open the cargo door and discover that you have some clean-up work to do and will be having an uncomfortable conversation about the cost of whatever has been destroyed.
And the worst thing about this scenario is that you easily could have prevented it. Proper cargo securement takes a little time, but any load can be secured properly with some forethought and effort. Compared to the cost of damaged goods, the investment you make in learning and using the proper techniques in your dry van trailer or reefer trailer is well worth it.
When securing loads in a dry van trailer or reefer trailer—or in any semi trailer, for that matter—it is important to go through a mental checklist of important considerations. Specifically, you should:
The tips above are important with any semi trailer you use. If you are renting or leasing a dry van trailer or reefer trailer, they are even more critical. With a trailer that you own, you know all the “tricks” to securing cargo. A rental semi trailer may have different characteristics and therefore require a modified securement strategy.
Where are the anchor points? How rough or smooth is the flooring and how will that affect the stabilizing friction it produces? And beyond its internal features, how does the trailer handle? These are the types of questions you should ask yourself when you first pick up your rented semi trailer. A busy loading crew, and your customer, will be glad you did.
Properly securing your cargo before you depart is just the first step toward arriving safely at your destination. The forces your rig encounters on the road immediately begin working on your load and attempting to overcome your securement strategy.
Especially on longer trips, it is crucial that you periodically inspect your cargo and the straps and other devices holding it in place. Here again, it takes a little time and effort, but it is time and effort well spent if you discover an issue before it becomes a problem. Replacing a strap that has suffered some damage or repositioning part of your load now that you see what its tendency to shift helps ensure that you can complete your trip without incident.
To learn more about Boxwheel and our inventory of rental dry van trailers and refrigerated trailers, as well as our flatbeds and liftgates, please contact us at your convenience.
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