Steel Coils After an Emergency Stop
You are 30 km from Aqaba port with a flatbed semi-trailer carrying three steel coils, each weighing 5,000 kg. Each coil is restrained by two polyester straps rated at 5,000 kg lashing capacity, but the trailer has no headboard. During an emergency stop for a car that cut in front of you, the front coil shifts forward about 20 cm, one strap frays and goes slack, and the other straps lose tension. The deck is dry and the weather is 36°C. The customer says the coils must be at the port in one hour or the ship will sail. There is a small yard 200 m ahead where you can stop safely. You have no chains or coil racks on the truck, but the yard office may have some.
1. What is your immediate assessment, and may you continue the 30 km to port?
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Stop at the yard 200 m ahead and do not continue to port. A 5,000 kg coil that has shifted 20 cm is a load failure: the straps are no longer holding it, one is frayed, and the others are slack. The trailer has no headboard, so a forward shift can load the cab or the tractor. Continuing at road speed risks the coil rolling or sliding in the next brake application.
Switch on hazard lights, park on level ground, chock the wheels and keep people out of the coil’s potential path. Check the deck and the coil for damage. Call the carrier and customer. The one-hour deadline does not make the load safe; a failed load can kill someone in the cab or in passing traffic.
2. What securement would be adequate for these coils, and why are the existing straps insufficient?
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Steel coils need positive restraint: coil racks or cradles, hardwood wedges or chocks against the coil, and rated chains or wire rope with tensioners. Each coil should be separately restrained against sliding and rolling. Straps can supplement, but two polyester straps per 5,000 kg coil are not adequate for a round steel mass. A coil can roll under a strap, and a frayed strap has lost capacity.
Use the yard’s chains and coil racks if they are rated and in good condition. Confirm the lashing capacity and attachment points, and ensure the coil sits firmly on the deck. If the coil is deformed, the deck is cracked, or no rated restraint is available, reject the load and arrange a proper reload. Do not use timber that is too soft or undersized.
3. Who is responsible for the load, and how would you handle the customer’s deadline?
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The driver and operator are responsible for ensuring the load is secure before movement. The shipper may load the trailer, but the driver must inspect it and refuse to move if it is unsafe. Document the shifted coil, the frayed strap and the decision with photographs and a written note.
Tell the customer: 'The load shifted and a strap failed. I am re-securing with coil racks and rated chains, then I will re-inspect before moving.' Do not accept a signature, a bonus or a ship deadline as permission to run an unsafe load. A 30 km trip is long enough for a coil to move in the first hard brake. If the ship sails, the correct response is to escalate to the carrier, not to drive.