Effective Load Securing During Transportation

Globalization and the surge in e-commerce have unfolded a plethora of opportunities for logistics and freight companies. It has also bought about challenges in safely transporting cargo. Load securing continues to be a pain point that has to be taken into consideration to ensure the safe arrival of goods at the destination.

FACTORS RELATED TO LOAD SECURING

Some factors might impact load stability. Let us take a look at them.

• The vehicle being used to transport cargo should be suitable. It should be equipped with side, front and back doors in addition to the use of battens and anchoring points to secure the load.
• Load securing is also dependent on the type of packaging used such as cargo layers, pallets, sheets and edge protectors. Packaging resistance and protect cargo against the hazards of transportation.
• The elements that secure such as lashings, cables, bars and dunnage determine load. Load securing can be easily impacted by these and hence it is important to analyze the types of lashings that you use.

Also Read: All About Cargo Securing and Why It is Important

IMPORTANCE OF LOAD SECURING

There are many reasons why loads should be strongly secured. Here are some of them:

• Accident reduction is perhaps the number one reason. Load stability guarantees goods safety and prevents accidents from occurring.
• It improves cost-efficiency. The cost of replacing a damaged product is sometimes more than the actual shipping cost and this can cause the company the top dollar.
• Regulations compliance is important for many companies to fulfill. Some regulations govern the safety, security and storage of freight. Ensuring proper securing of loads can give the added benefit of complying with international transport regulations and standards.
• If the loads are studied carefully, the packaging methods can be tailored effectively. This will prevent the goods from getting damaged during load distribution.
• Load stabilizing can lead to lesser energy and lesser waste which is better for the overall sustainability of freight transportation.

CARGO TESTING AND LOAD SECURING FOR TRANSPORTATION

Cargo testing has come under the limelight due to stringent regulations. Poorly secured loads can lead to severe financial penalties for the freight company, accidents and goods damage. That is why it is important to do a cargo or a load test to ensure that load is distributed evenly and will be transported incident-free.

Also Read: Lashing, Securing and Packing of a Helicopter Fuselage for Air Freight Shipping

The purpose of load securing is to ensure cargo stability and prevent the freight from budging during transport as a result of vehicular speed or acceleration. Securing techniques such as locking, lashing, blocking and top over lashing are aplenty. While selecting which method to choose from, keep the following points in mind:

• The method chosen to secure the load must ensure that all load units will remain permanently fixed inside the vehicle during transportation.
• Inertia forces when produced may lead to a larger contact force on the cargo, which may compromise it. Edge protectors can come to the rescue in these cases.
• A combination of different lashing processes must be used to secure the load during transport.
• In the case of stacked loads, it is important to know what kind of packaging resistance the cargo will face. This makes it easier to sort through the packaging.

Also Read: Ship Loader Lashing With 16mm Steel Wire Rope

ADVANTAGES OF PERFORMING CARGO SECUREMENT

There are three main advantages:

• Improve cargo securing and guaranteeing so that the goods arrive intact at the destination.
• Compliance with all the different regulations and avoidance of penalties during various cargo inspections.
• Optimizing packaging and securing in such a way that they are secured as per real-life situations during transit and shipment. This helps in preventing unnecessary costs due to excessive packaging.

Also Read: Sea-Worthy Lashing and Securing

Whether it is through a tractor-trailer, a crane or any other piece of heavy equipment, transportation of goods can be a very risky thing. Proper load securing is imperative to prevent accidental loss due to damage. This is also important to mitigate injury to workers or pedestrians.