No Room for Risk – How to Secure Your Trailer Load

According to Section 22, Paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Regulations, all cargo, including securing devices and loading equipment, must be stowed and secured so that it cannot slip, tip over, roll around, fall off, or create avoidable noise, even during emergency braking or sudden evasive action. The recognised rules of technology must be observed. Legally, you are obliged to secure your load against slipping and loss. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that this is, of course, done before setting off.

Proper Loading – Half the Job Done

To ensure safety and the necessary stability during the journey, correct loading is essential. Make sure that the towing vehicle and trailer are coupled before loading, so that the trailer cannot tip to the side or jump up or down. You should also use appropriate aids, such as wheel chocks or jockey wheels, and ensure ideal load distribution with the lowest possible centre of gravity above the longitudinal centreline.

There is a wide range of different safety equipment, from nets and tarpaulins to so-called lashing equipment such as lashing straps, ropes and chains. As a rule, all securing devices must be in perfect working order. Always follow the relevant safety instructions in the user manual. If you have even the slightest doubt about any equipment, you should replace it or use alternatives. Non-slip mats are extremely helpful, as they increase the stability of the load significantly. Edge protectors also help protect sensitive goods and prevent sharp edges from damaging lashing straps.

Securing with Nets and Tarpaulins

If you want to cover your load almost completely, you can use a trailer net or a flat or high tarpaulin. Both the net and the flat tarpaulin are stretched completely over the side walls and are particularly suitable for light or loose goods such as garden waste or sand.

For a high tarpaulin, you need a so-called hoop frame, over which the tarpaulin is pulled and carefully closed. This significantly increases the possible loading height.

Securing with Lashing Equipment

Perhaps the most common securing device is the lashing or tensioning strap. The correct technique is key. It is important to know that, depending on the model, there are different ways of securing the load. These depend on the position of the lashing rings or eyes, which can be located on the corner profiles, the floor plate or the inner side wall.

There are two basic methods – or a combination of both. On the one hand, you can use the tie-down lashing method. Here, the goods are pressed as tightly as possible onto the loading surface using at least two lashing straps, so that the increased friction prevents them from slipping. If you connect the load directly to the vehicle using a lashing device, this is called direct lashing. All braking and acceleration forces must now be absorbed by the lashing straps attached on each side.

Always pay special attention to the maximum permissible load capacity of your lashing system.

However, transporting heavy or bulky items requires some additional, more comprehensive safety precautions. It is just as essential to use suitable securing equipment as it is to have a professional-grade chassis. Pay attention to features such as low total weight, a low centre of gravity and optimal suspension – just as guaranteed, for example, by the AL-KO VT Hexagonal Rubber Suspension Axle System.

For all-round safety, AL-KO VT, the specialist for commercial trailer chassis and accessories, offers a wide range of high-performance products, such as the AAA Premium Brake and the newly developed coupling heads AK 161 and AK 270.