Just imagine 80,000 pounds coming at you at 70 miles an hour and you have just imagined driving on any interstate highway. This scenario is not a problem if the semi-trailer is properly loaded and secured. Many precautions are necessary to safely transport materials and products on our highways. Virtually anything you can think of is transported by tractor-trailer (18 wheelers). The item transported dictates the type of securing or loading measures necessary to safely transport. For instance, hauling liquids such as gasoline or milk require special tanker trailers with baffles inserted to reduce “sloshing” or movement of the load to cause the weight to shift causing steering or control difficulty. Flat-bed trailer hauling pipe must be secured using dunnage which works much like a doorstop to keep the pipe from rolling while chains and straps are used to tighten the load onto the trailer. The failure to use adequate loading or securing procedures regularly cause catastrophic accidents often claiming lives or causing terrible injury. Not only can shifting of the load cause the truck to go out of control but the load falling or rolling off the truck can kill too. There are specific safety procedures required for truck loading and those must be investigated to fully understand the cause of these types of accidents. To learn more regarding truck safety contact us.
