Globalization and the expansion of e-commerce have provided companies with a lot of great opportunities. However, they also have to face a number of challenges, as they have to transport their products safely to faraway places, anywhere in the world.
The importance of load securing should not be undermined! This highly important step serves a dual purpose: for one thing, accidents can be avoided and another important result is that the goods will arrive to the end customer in flawless condition. It can guarantee you that everything will go by the book.
As a zero step, you must also check the loading of the container!
Factors affecting appropriate load securing
If you study The European best practices guidelines on cargo securing for road transport, you can read about many factors, which can affect the safety of your cargo during the distribution cycle:
- The vehicle: you have to ensure that the vehicle is really suitable for transporting your cargo, and if it is needed, you have to make sure that it is fitted with items necessary for securing the load (such as side/front/back doors), battens, stanchions or anchoring points inside the vehicle)
- Packaging: Without choosing the right packaging, there is no such thing as safe transport. In order to guarantee adequate load securing the best tertiary packaging method should be determined, which can consist of pallets, sheets between cargo layers, edge protectors, web lashing, shrink wrap or boxes. It is also very important to carry out simulation tests, which can certify the resistance of a package to the risks of transport.
- Securing elements, such as:
– lashes, chains,
– steel cables,
– load bars or dunnage,
– methods to increase the friction between the load and the platform
(for example coatings, mats or anti-slip sheets).
In order to achieve faultless load securing it is advisable to analyse which of these above-mentioned solutions are the most ideal for the type of goods being transported, also considering the vehicle and the route.
- Securing methods: if the cargo breaks loose, it can cause serious damage! The different types of securing elements (locking, blocking, direct lashing or top over lashing) are to prevent your load from moving during transportation.
Load securing: why is it essential?
Transportation cost efficiency
According to the report of Packworld, the cost of replacing the damaged product during the distribution cycle can be as high as 17 times the cost of transport. The adequate load securing method not only means less waste caused by damaged products, but it can also strengthen brand reputation if the end user receives the products in perfect condition (which can result in more returning customers)
Avoiding accidents
Damaged products and personal injuries…. Things we all want to avoid!
According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work inadequate load securing is to be blamed for 25% of the accidents related to trucks. This is a very high rate..
Complying with regulations
There are a number of regulations on the stability of load during transport such as the 2014/47/EU directive, which mentions the EUMOS 40509 testing method applicable in Europe. Analyzing the load securing as well as using testing equipment can guarantee the benefits of complying with these international transportation regulations and standards.
Optimizing the packaging
Monitoring the stability of the load means that when choosing the packaging method it is also important to consider those real hazards, which can jeopardize the goods during the distribution cycle. Besides the protection of goods, packaging becomes easier to design, which helps us to avoid unnecessary costs due to over-packaging.
Environmental factors
Studying the load securing results in safer solutions, which require less waste and smaller amounts of energy for transportation, manufacturing and packaging.
How can Strapa-pack help you with load securing?
We can guarantee the effective securing of your load!
If you chose us, you can be sure that your load will be 100% safe during the whole distribution cycle! This way, besides being able to comply with all the regulations in force, you can also enjoy the economic benefits!
Not only can you trust us with securing your load, but in order to guarantee the stability of the load, we will also optimize your packaging
Would you like to know more about our services? Contact us !
