Six Pallets, Two Straps, and a Previous Scale Ticket
Driver is loading a 28-foot pup with six pallets of bagged sand, each 1,800 lb, for a 170-mile run. The pallets are 48 inches tall and shrink-wrapped, but two bands are broken. The driver plans to place three pallets against the front wall, two in the middle, and one at the rear, using two 2-inch nylon straps with a working load limit of 1,500 lb each over the rear pallet only. A 4x4 is nailed across the floor behind the rear pallet as a brace. The trailer’s empty weight is 9,800 lb; the scale ticket for the previous load showed the pup axles at 33,600 lb and the tractor drive tandems at 33,900 lb. The pup has a 34,000-lb axle rating, and the floor is rated for 6,000 lb per pallet. The driver wants to leave without reweighing because the load “looks light.”
1. Evaluate the proposed securement: is it adequate for the six pallets? Show the reasoning using weight and tiedown requirements.
Read the worked answer
No. The load is 6 × 1,800 = 10,800 lb. Two straps at 1,500 lb WLL each give only 3,000 lb aggregate WLL, while the general rule requires aggregate WLL at least 50% of the cargo weight-5,400 lb here-unless the load is fully blocked and the blocking is adequate. The two straps also cover only the rear pallet, leaving five pallets effectively unsecured, and two broken bands mean the pallets are not unitized. A 4x4 brace is not a substitute for tiedowns; it may help with forward movement but does not secure the pallets against rearward, side, or vertical movement. The driver should replace the broken bands, unitize or stack the pallets so they cannot shift, and use enough tiedowns to meet both the aggregate WLL and the minimum tiedown count for each article. If the pallets remain separate, each 1,800-lb pallet needs its own adequate tiedowns. Verify the trailer floor rating and use edge protection under straps.
2. What loading and weight-distribution problems should the driver check before departure?
Read the worked answer
The previous scale ticket is not valid for this load. The drive tandems were already at 33,900 lb against a 34,000-lb rating, so adding or repositioning 10,800 lb can overload the tractor before the pup axles are checked. The driver should reweigh the loaded combination, including steer, drive, pup, and gross weights, and confirm the pup axle rating of 34,000 lb and the floor rating of 6,000 lb per pallet. Placing three pallets against the front wall puts 5,400 lb in a small area and may put too much weight on the pup’s kingpin/nose; the rear pallet may unload the drive axles or overload the pup. The load should be distributed so each axle is within rating and the trailer is not nose-heavy or tail-heavy. Also check that the 4x4 does not create a trip or floor damage and that the pallets cannot slide into the rear doors.