Safe loading and cargo securing
This domain tests whether you can load a vehicle within its weights and secure the cargo so it cannot move, tip or fall in any foreseeable manoeuvre or braking event.
Weights and distribution
Payload is gross vehicle weight minus kerb weight. Train weight, front axle, rear axle and fifth-wheel load all have limits on the plate. Put heavy items low and spread over the axles, never behind the rear axle where they lighten the steering axle. Use a weighbridge when in doubt.
Securing principles
EN 12195-1 assumes forces of about 0.8 g forward and 0.5 g sideways and rearward. Friction carries part of the load: about 0.2 for smooth steel on steel, 0.3 for wood on wood, and up to 0.6 with anti-slip mats. Lashings cover the rest. Top-over lashings press the load down and work through friction; direct lashings hold it back. Check the lashing capacity (LC) marked on the strap, use edge protection and confirm anchor points are rated.
Worked example
A 1,000 kg pallet without anti-slip mats sits on an aluminium floor. Forward force at 0.8 g is about 8 kN; friction at 0.2 supplies 2 kN; lashings must give 6 kN. A top-over strap with STF 400 daN contributes about 2 × 0.2 × 4 kN = 1.6 kN, so four straps are needed. With anti-slip mats at 0.6, friction supplies 6 kN and two straps suffice.
Traps
- Counting straps without checking LC and angle.
- Assuming side walls or a tarpaulin secure the load.
- Forgetting that cargo must also be secured against tipping and rearward movement.