The Most Common Lies Truckers Must Watch Out For Posted by DC Cargo Mall on September 10, 2013

In life in general, distortions will fool you at any turn. The real trick though, is to come prepared. In the trucking industry, where dishonesty can be just as rampant, precaution is key. Here are some common mishaps to come upon, and ways to not enter into loser deals with a blind eye.

• As a young new driver, picked fresh from the inexperienced crop in CDL School, you are still officially a trucker and should not let your standards down if a company tries to suck you in without paying you the amount you deserve. Less than .28/ a mile is not unheard of, but it should be. Refusing anything under that amount is your right as an upright citizen who will do your job contributing to the world around you, and expect fair payment for it. There was a time where .19/ was normal but don’t let that be the norm for you!

• Recruiters can be savvy, and shall we add, a bit too savvy. It is good to have a sense of when exaggeration is taking play and when a good deal is really a good deal. Grill with every question you feel needs to be posed and don’t shy away from refusal. One that will promise you a perfect world, with all the home time you’ll want and vague ‘best’ insurance proposals could be the same one that is not following through with his promises once you’re in the door, and he is onto the next sales call.

• This tip sounds simple, but in reality, it is one of the most typical mistakes we all make. Lying to OURSELVES. Really: sometimes your most dangerous enemy is yourself when it comes to irrational decision making. We convince ourselves that something will be to our benefit, just because we WANT it to be. Know the difference between fantasy and reality. If you convince yourself that speeding just a bit will get you there faster, and hurriedly loading cargo in torn straps or cracked chains will save you time, don’t be surprised later. Thousands of dollars, broken freight and a risked life later, your bank and your luck begin to starve. Investing in the right straps, tracks, winches, hooks, etc will save you time later, because quality becomes quantity.

•  The company that hires you will smell desperation from miles and miles away. Desperation means you will settle and that’s the end of your high expectancy in financial gain. To avoid having the wool put over your eyes by running into the wrong places too quickly, familiarize yourself with Trucking Company Polls and Reports and scan discussions that are relevant to your situation.

• If you are asked to wait all night for an automotive load that you are excited to get high pay for transporting, don’t let that fool you. The pay is great, but that isn't a license for companies to take advantage of your appreciation and keep you waiting all day for it when you won’t get paid for your wait. Because in the end it is you, not them, that has to stay up that entire night doing the transport. Don’t be afraid to give a flat-out: ‘No’. It is your right to preserve your dignity, and get the rewards you deserve for a job well done.
  

The Evolution of Transportation Posted by DC Cargo Mall on August 20, 2013

Sometimes we take for granted that the easy touch screen devices, gas saving road slammers, wireless contraptions, and more are so readily available in this day and age.

It has probably reached the point at which we are so used to luxury that we forget that harder work and more rustic measures for transportation and the like were the world’s reality just a couple hundred years ago.

Take transportation for example. 

It is the 1800’s. A horse gallops down the cobblestone street in a clip-clop, its rider in a hurry, hoping to sell goods that are wrapped to the horses back with a flimsy rope, and dually hoping that its contents will not spill in his haste. If only he had ratchet straps…well, a truck wouldn't hurt too.

Fast forward to the wagons that held more than just the horse alone, more loads could be handled at once, and peddlers could earn more money at one pop.

The world’s first motor truck was born in 1896, and its creator, Gottlieb Daimler, was also inventor of the world’s first motorcycle and the world’s first taxi. Thanks, Daimler.

But it wasn't enough to carry large amounts of freight at once, and cargo trains prevailed as the common option. The issue with this was that the trains were limited in their reach, as they could not leave the track-line of course. As of now most of the rail infrastructure has been demolished, or abandoned at best.

Trucks became larger due to demand and modernization, and more shipments became possible on the main road.

But when the long hauls of the trucker turned into days, sleepers became a necessity. But wooden bunks were all that money an

d modern advancement allowed, comfort would have to wait.

Loads were larger and required safer securement equipment, and strap webbing grew thi

cker and more durable, while tie down metal was galvanized and layered with protections of zinc and special paint to weather any harsh condition the load would encounter.

DOT requirements tightened in on hour limits, and 10 to 11 hours of consecutive driving led to more of a need for larger and more accommodatingly comfortable sleepers. It was also the less expensive option to motel hopping, an amenity that was not always on hand at points in the road needed.

But a 36” bunker that was difficult to leave and enter, and devoid of AC or heating, although considerably more comfortable, was still the claustrophobe’s worst nightmare.

With Driving partners sometimes involving a team of husband and wife in the early 90’s, sleepers were widened to 48” and up to 60”, and TV’s, microwaves, and enlarged storage space joined the package.

Nowadays, sleepers are now standardized to 96” inches, likened to that of the RV. Straps have ridiculously high assembly break strengths at up to 20,000 lbs. or more, and chains handle more weight than ever before.

The increased capacity of evolving trucks permits heavier freight in more

condensed trips and requiring the highest working load limits per tie down possible.

We hope to accommodate you with the latest and greatest in tie down equipment, providing you with anything from end rings to tie downs to road signs, to custom straps, so that your ride can be as smooth and your road maneuvering as confident of an experience as possible.

Let’s see what this next century has in store for us!

Drive on.J

So You Want to Become a Trucker, Huh? Posted by DC Cargo Mall on July 29, 2013

Starting off- 5 things To Consider:

 

1. Flatbed,Dry Van,Tanker,Reefer

Are you a hard-working, no nonsense, gruff kind of guy? Then flatbed trucking is probably for you. From securing the toughest loads, having to tarp freight as protection from the elements, handling scorching hot chains in the summer and frozen straps in the winter, and heavy-lifting, this trucking job is definitely not for the lazy.

Tankers require a brave driver who isn't going to play risk for fun. The contents are generally as hazardous as they come, and nothing will happen to you – as long as you know what you’re doing. A regular wash-out of the tank is necessary, but when it is getting its bath, treat yourself to a grand nap, you’ll need it!

Dry van and refrigerated interior drivers may not rake up as much in the bank as flatbed haulers, but that’s because the job, although still flanked with difficulties is for the most part, easier.  Securing loads are usually vastly more laid-back, still not for the lazy, but definitely an easier route to take. DOT officials, although still on the look-out for interior van rule breakers, are much more vigilant when it comes to the more difficult to secure and potentially dangerously loaded shifting Flatbeds, and will not stop you half as much with a closed van.

2. CDL School – Expect Challenges

Going to trucking school isn't half as easy as regular driving school. Don’t be so fast to assume you are the world’s next NASCAR champion, most likely, that kind of pomp will only get you to ignore lessons and fail tests. Written tests should be passed, after arduous and dedicated studying only.

Maneuvering a vehicle that enormous necessities quite aggressive attentiveness and road-observance. Always be open to learning new things. In the trucking industry, even after years of experienced truck driving, there are always new rules to keep track of, point earnings to stay away from, and a lot of lives and safety at stake and money at bay.

3. Your temperament counts

Don’t take it too lightly if your stress level is easily triggered into tempers and flare-ups. As a driver of these gargantuan trucks, there are too many challenges that arise and if met with a raised flag, will result in a failed mission, and worse, a road accident.

Unexpected weather changes, changed routes, late arriving freight, canceled shipments after a long drive, and truck break downs are just some of the many difficulties easily encountered along the way. A calm temperament will get you far in this business. Not only will you become someone that people are eager to work with, but at the end of the day, it is you who must hang out with yourself 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so don’t make your presence a nuisance to yourself!

4. Consider family – Who do you have at home?

People with spouses, in a serious relationship, and especially children in the mix, waiting at home, is a make-it or break-it situation. This should determine whether you will take on a national job that only allows for you to be back home every few months at best, or taking on a more local employment, keeping you on the roads that allow for at least an every weekend, or daily basis of home time, although money is slightly compromised.

Thousands of truckers have experienced broken families on account of time-spent away from home for aggravated periods of time, and they can tell you: it is not worth it. Returning home to the same loving family every night is priceless, and lone truckers on the road for months at a time will admit, they’d choose that option any time, if they could.

A solution some resort to, when both partners are drivers, or even when one takes charge of the paperwork and the other has got the trucking license, is that both take on the road together. Depending on your being able to bear sharing the same tiny space for weeks and months at a time with the same person without break, you may even be able to give up your apartment back home. Make sure you give it at least three months to make that choice though.

5. Large company/Small company/Self-Employed

Working for a smaller company has its advantages in that everything is more direct and personal. Speaking to the owner him/herself sometimes multiple times a day can speed up communication that can hurry your payroll, dispatch, and repairing needs.

If you want to pile your resume with specialized experience, working for a small company that specializes in flatbeds for example, will give you a concentrated knowledge in one area or field that you take a particular liking to.

You are also more likely to be given a route that regardless, will be in consideration of letting you get back home often.

Larger companies can be bountifully generous when it comes to side-benefits. This more than makes up for the lack they may have that is directly monetary.

These include free phone medical advisory, free marriage counseling, drop and hook offs where loading and unloading is not on your list of responsibilities and you can pack in more miles that are paid for on account of not spending it in loading. Many repair shops, motels, plush truck stops, and more will have accounts set up with your company and can service you just on reason of the fact that you work for that company- and you won’t have to do a thing!

 If you are the type that likes to be your own boss, have enough money to invest in your own truck, and need as much flexibility as possible, go with self-employment. Tax deduction benefits also make this option a preferred one. Whatever you do, put thought into your decision, because it will probably last you for a long, long, time.

The Consequences of Unlicensed Truck Operation Posted by DC Cargo Mall on July 15, 2013

When it comes to driving, and especially truck driving, being properly licensed is not a bonus. It is a necessary standard.

Just like a psychologist earns a degree in psychology, a nurse in nursing, and a lawyer in law, the truck driver must study and be tested for qualification in that field. 

Some people assume that it is just as easy to attain as a regular driving license, and fail to meet standards in the trucking industry. That, as illustrated by Yousef Adhami, for one is a more than a horrid idea, it is fatal idea.

Adhami, 43 operated his tow truck with overconfidence and misplaced pride. In fact, the tow truck he had been driving was owned by his very own illegal tow truck company. Adhami had no truck license.

Other than his regular class C driving license, Adhami’s driving history was tainted with a host of four incidences of suspended licensing.

His pride led him to believe that his invincibility allowed for his speed meter to climb to upwards of 60 mph in a 35 mph zone. His risky flight through a red light resulted in a 47 years old metro bus driver, Olivia Gamboa’s untimely death. The truck pummeled into the front of a convenience store as well, if matters weren't twisted enough.

Diego Tapia-Ullos, 23, was another truck driver who had a lesson to learn. Although obtaining a proper commercial license, it was suspended. The suspension of his license apparently did not stop him from driving, and led him to crash into a pedestrian named Laurence Renard, 35, a stylist for high end clothing companies.

He was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation.

A truck driver who strayed from proper road rules was operating his truck on a highway in Moscow and crashed with such force into a city bus that it tore the bus into two pieces. Eighteen were killed and thirty-one were hospitalized.

The contents of his enormous truck, a load of crushed stones, came toppling down onto the road in the wake of the accident.

The driver was faced with seven years behind bars.

This influenced Russian authorities like federal lawmaker Yevgeny Moskivichyov to institute a rule where foreign commercially licensed drivers would have to undergo testing for a Russian license if they wished to be employed in commercial driving. Temporarily passing through Russian territory would not require the same local testing though, he added.

Part of the regular truck functioning and loading tests and checks of tightened straps and chains before each drive and in between, should be inclusive of a check for your commercial licenses presence and its whereabouts. And if you don’t have a thick plastic card with your name on it and commercial licensing qualification titling, then by golly, you should not be driving a truck! Always keep this in mind: lives are at stake, including yours.

The Newly Modernized World of High Capacity Loading Posted by DC Cargo Mall on June 17, 2013

Shipping cargo overseas was not always so easy.

There were horses, there were buggies, and there were ships. Eventually, there were bikes, and better yet, tiny cars.

As time went on, and progressions took place, the truck and the plane and the modernized boat revolutionized what we now know as cargo loading and shipment.

Moving across the globe to Australia not only became a possibility, but hauling every armoire and car thousands of miles away suddenly did not seem so miraculous anymore. It’s quite ironic, that the easier it gets to do the seemingly impossible, the more we take it for granted.

In our days of old, farmers would transport their produce and hay via a small wagon, and business men their goods, by tying rope around each load at most, to keep from falling. When more freight needed moving, more than one wagon, or multiple trips, were the sorry solution.

Nowadays, a consistently growing capacity of shipment methods is taking place.

 Take a plane’s cargo hold, such as the world’s biggest transporter, the Antonov AN-225. This Russian developed plane was originally built to carry a space shuttle, and has been recently refurbished. It can now hold over 250 tons, about 4 military tanks, or 80 cars! Its wingspan is almost the length of a football field, which explains it, well, partly.

 Then there’s the CMA CGM Alexandor Von Humboldt. This grand wondrous cargo boat easily defines the word enormity.  And its capacity? A maximum of 16,020 TEU. (Twenty-foot-equivalent-unit)

 

As for trucks, there is the ‘Titan Terex’. This monster truck is a site to be seen. It is one-of-a-kind. Literally, only one of these grand things were ever built. It has been the world’s largest and highest capacity truck for over 25 years until the invention of the Caterpillar 797-F, an even larger version costing five million dollars just to construct. 

 

 You can only begin to imagine, that at this trucks capacity- a baffling 400 tons, the amount of heavy-duty straps, chains, or otherwise needed for safe loading. 

We are so lucky to have transportation of heavy items, sent in bulk, so quickly, efficiently, and at unlimited distances.

What we must take a moment to stop and remember, is that the only reason that tanks are not flying about in the belly of the transport plane, and why that enormous coil ring is not rolling off of the flatbed, why those boxes of chickens are not tossed about inside the truck’s interior van, and why the enormous shipload stays in place in spite of rocky waves, is due to cargo securing equipment, and is dependent on the expertise and carefulness of the loader- that’s you!

More specifically, straps, chains, hooks, and the like, hold more significance then we think. If safety is your priority, and loading your expertise, visit us at DCCargoMall.com to learn more safety tricks, and get any loading equipment you need, provided here only with the highest in caliber and quality.

Inspection is Hip Posted by DC Cargo Mall on June 03, 2013

The rules out there for truck securement are not there just to keep you on your toes. They exist to keep you alive and to keep your cargo in one piece.

 Let’s face it. Truckers would be out of business if not for the need to move the cargo that they haul.

  It all revolves around the cargo and its securement, but at the end of the day, it’s up to you to ensure that these standards placed by the FMCSA are adhered to in a no-kidding manner.

And it isn’t because inspections crop up on the roadside and you want to be prepared. Because whether the principal is watching the student or not, the school is there for his knowledge bank to inflate, and ultimately, for his own benefit. Trucking isn’t all that different.

Secure your load properly, and the value of hiring you to transport loads has just gone up one-hundred percent!  Similar to the graded student, your ranking is recorded with authority, and whatever decisions you make or don’t, will come back to bite you in the face, good or otherwise.

Take Y. Tager for example. He is out of the business before his time and is now working at a factory, screwing caps on bottles. He says he is qualified for the trucking industry and devastated to be removed of the privilege to continue. He was extremely knowledgeable in all the ins and outs, the rules, and the tricks.

“I knew how to pull the wool over various authorities’ eyes, as far as load securement goes.” He reminisces thoughtfully. “But,” He adds, “In the long run, I’m screwed.” Tager explained that on one of his routes, where he side stepped a couple violations, and got by without quite enough ratchet straps, it happened. He even remembers the song that blasted from his old radio as he swerved ‘round the bend and the contents of his trailer broke loose. The entire truck went on a mad frenzy and picked up momentum as it swirled into a circle, hitting an empty parked bus, and downing a tree.

“I got lucky,” he reminds us.  “I could have died in a few seconds flat. The bus could have been full. My cushioned seats happened to save my life but it was then that it hit me that it isn’t about whose watching and who isn’t. It’s about you making sure to watch yourself. I had a clean slated record of CSA compliance rankings like you wouldn’t believe, in spite of my violations, because hiding was my expertise. But in 20/20 hindsight, I obviously needed to inspect my truck's safety for my own benefit.”

He concludes that he is lucky today that he has not wound up in jail from killing someone in the accident, and that he has not wound up dead. His truck license though, is a thing of the past, and as he finishes capping on his last few bottles at the factory for the day, he shows us a beautiful picture on his now tiny mobile phone, of a shiny red truck with his smiling face in the window.

He advises to replace damaged parts instead of repairing them, or to at least spend well-worth amounts on proper repairs instead of doing it yourself, and to inspect details often.

“My truck is gone, and some of my dignity too, because that was my passion. I learnt the hard way, but I share my story so that others learn the easy way, and don’t follow my path.”

He learnt to think of inspections as a doctors’ visit for his child. “You want them to be okay, right? Even if you take care of them, you want the professionals to come and say yeah, that’s a guy we want hauling our stuff around, we feel safe around him on the road. That’s my dream.”

The Tragedies of Proper Load Securement Neglect Posted by DC Cargo Mall on May 06, 2013

            Thomas RIP: A Truck Saga

A truck is rolled over onto its side, its dismembered contents look like they are writhing in pain.

The driver, Thomas A., was on his way to his hometown in Indiana, heading back from Minnesota, where he had just picked up a collection of ATV’s he had found for a bargain on EBay.

He was in good spirits earlier that day, excited to surprise his family and their neighbors with his new find.

The ATV’s were crammed up into the back of the truck, and Thomas was no stranger to proper packing. However, his truck was freshly bought just 2 days prior, and he hadn’t had the time to install the logistic tracks to connect his securing E-Track straps onto. His ATV’s didn’t look like they were going to get tossed around, not with all that cramming, anyway.

He was quite proud of the calculated setup he’d formed into the interior and noted to his driving partner Pete that they would have to put off the strap and track method for later.

“He reasoned that his 8 years of truck driving and loading expertise allowed for him to trick his way out of standard load securement methods. The logistic straps were in a box right there in the corner of his sleeper, but I didn’t argue ‘cause I trusted his judgment and the drive was not going to be too long.” Pete encountered.

But Pete said this from the hospital bed only days after he’d just awakened from a head-trauma induced coma. He couldn’t remember much, but the image of his friendship with Thomas was sharp in his mind. Asking for his friend caused quite a frenzy in the nursing department, when each nurse argued for the other to be chosen to report the tragic news.

His friend had not survived the tumble of unevenly distributed cargo, and the shriveled remains of what were once sparkling ATV’s were rendered useless after the fatal crash as well.

Thomas never made it home.

Improper loading for cargo securement and overweight freight is the cause for a hefty number of truck accidents annually. These fatal crashes remind us that the huge tragedy of a life taken or damaged in seconds can be avoided simply by adherence to proper packing methods.

Federal Law and common sense both agree to a strict requirement in following these simple solutions.

Simply ensure that logistic tracks, vertically, horizontally, or both- depending on your cargo, are firmly installed onto the walls of your interior or cargo van.

The holes aligned in these tracks are there for your choice of ratchet strapping to click in, screw on, or weld onto, wrapping your precious cargo in the safe hug that is necessary to prevent any cracked eggs, flattened ATV’s and most importantly, the loss of you, or a loved one’s life.

A real expert knows that prevention is always the best medicine.

Most Amazing Stupid Truck Driver Ever - Only in New York Posted by DC Cargo Mall on March 14, 2013

FMCSA Grants Petition Killing Alabama Steel Coil Transport Training and Certification Posted by DC Cargo Mall on March 13, 2013

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted a petition submitted by the American Trucking Associations asking the agency to determine if Alabama's Metal Coil Securement Act is preempted by federal law. The ruling means the state can no longer impose the law's requirements on interstate movements, effective April 4.
In a Federal Register notice issued Tuesday, the agency said the law imposes certification requirements on Interstate drivers that are not required under FMCSA regulations and are more stringent than those imposed by federal law.
The law, adopted in 2009, prohibits a motor carrier from transporting metal coils in a movement that originates or terminates in Alabama unless the driver is certified in load securement. The law, as originally enacted, also required the driver to carry a copy of the certification in the vehicle and produce it upon demand. Maximum penalties for violating these requirements include fines of between $5,000 and $10,000, jail time and/or a court order prohibiting the driver from operating a CMV in the state.
On June 26, 2009, FMCSA sent a letter to then-Alabama Gov. Bob Riley stating that the law appeared to be incompatible with the requirements of FMCSA's Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. FMCSA also drew attention to two federal laws authorizing preemption of state legislation and indicated that they might be applicable. The agency urged state officials to work with FMCSA officials to resolve any conflict between state and federal law.
Gov. Riley responded by explaining that the law was adopted in response to a number of accidents in Birmingham, Ala., involving metal coils falling off trailers along Interstate routes. He took the position that federal law did not preempt Alabama’s metal coil load securement certification requirements.
On Dec. 22, 2010, ATA petitioned FMCSA for a determination that Alabama's metal coil load securement certification requirements and penalties create an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce and are preempted under federal law. ATA contended that Alabama's requirement that drivers obtain certification in metal coil load securement is more stringent than and incompatible with federal metal coil safety regulations.
In 2011 Alabama issued regulations offering drivers three options to become certified in load securement: obtain a Metal Coil Certificate by taking and passing the  “Securing Metal Coils Course'' available for $25 and on the web site, www.metalcoiltraining.com, obtain a commercial driver's license endorsement that allows the driver to haul metal coils in the state, or obtain a Metal Coil Certificate from a motor carrier authorized by the Alabama Department of Public Safety to issue the certificate, which would require the carrier's safety compliance officer to submit a notarized affidavit that they have personal knowledge that the carrier requires every driver to be trained in the requirements of hauling metal coils.
Later in 2011, Alabama amended the Act, rescinding the requirement that drivers carry copies of their metal coil load securement certification in their vehicles. It continued to require drivers to obtain certification, but drivers are no longer were required to produce the certification upon demand.
FMCSA published a notice in the Federal Register on Nov. 23, 2011, seeking comment on whether the Act is preempted by Federal law. The five comments opposing preemption included one each from an individual driver, a motor carrier, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Alabama Trucking Association and the Alabama Department of Public Safety. The eight comments supporting the preemption petition included four from motor carriers, and one each from an owner-operator, ATA, an Alabama aluminum coil producer and the Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association.

Cargo securement tips to lower CSA scores Posted by DC Cargo Mall on March 01, 2013

By Jack Roberts

By Jack Roberts

A freshly-minted driver who recently had graduated from a CDL school came by to chat with his instructors and let them know how things were going. He’d just gotten hired by a big fleet, and the instructor asked him how he liked his job so far. “I love it,” the driver replied. “I only work about 15 minutes a day, tying down my load. The rest of the time, I just drive.”

The driver’s attitude was instructive. Cargo securementdemands repetitive attention to detail, patience and consistency – traits that are rare among all humans, but for truck drivers, extremely critical to safety. Properly securing a load always has been vital for a successful fleet operation – and in today’s Compliance Safety Accountability environment, even more so.

Dan Doran, president of Cincinnati-based Ace Doran Hauling and Rigging, says that while his fleet hasn’t seen an increase in inspections or violations since CSA was implemented, his shop and drivers did prepare beforehand to limit their exposure on the road.

“We educated our contractors as to the importance of inspecting their tools when it comes to chains and straps and blocking components,” Doran says. “It used to be that if it was a strong chain with hooks on both ends, it was good enough to go. Now straps are being looked at as the inspector goes by them on the road or as they go through a scale to see if they can find a reason to pull them over and go over the truck a little more closely.”

Good load securement is critical, and not only because law enforcement is keeping a closer watch. Customers entrust a fleet to transport its products safely and have them arrive in good condition. Add potential litigation resulting from property damage or injury into the mix, and the stakes are raised even higher. And since proper load securement takes time, it also affects a fleet’s bottom line – even before the load is under way.

 “Tarping a secured load can take up to two hours for a driver and sometimes more, depending upon the weather,” says Roland Lockard, operations manager with UltraTarp. Often, drivers don’t get paid additional money for tarping secured loads for shippers and receivers, Lockard says.

CSA’s microscope

Under CSA, violations for improperly secured cargonegatively impact both a fleet and a driver. If a citation is issued, it now is entered into the fleet’s Vehicle Maintenance BASIC (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category). Admittedly, there are several violations for which a driver is not responsible – including aspects of the law that assigns responsibility to either the shipper or the fleet – but if the ticketing officer determines that the infraction is one the driver could have rectified, a separate violation will be entered into that driver’s personal database.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration made additional changes in December after four months of study. It did away with the Cargo-Related BASIC and replaced it with the Hazmat BASIC, moving improper securement violations into the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC.

The severity weights of many securement violations was reduced then, too.

As law enforcement attention on cargo securement increases, all fleets are reviewing their securement procedures. As a carrier with a large flatbed operation, Maverick finds itself under a more intense spotlight than fleets hauling box trailers.

“We’re definitely seeing more flatbed inspections as CSA kicks in,” Newell says. “I’m not saying that’s a bad thing – it’s to be expected.” That’s why Maverick monitors its drivers and how their CSA scores are faring within its fleet. “Both (fleet and driver) scores are important,” he says.

Under CSA, cargo securement includes a wide array of inspection points and potential violations. Beyond simple unsecured loads, failing to flag a load properly or marking hazardous materials improperly can result in a violation. Similarly, a driver transporting hazardous materials can expect to be ticketed for failing to have improper emergency information on hand when it is requested.

Flatbed operations bear the brunt of cargo-related CSA concerns simply because of the visibility of their loads and securement devices, but reefer and van operations don’t have it any easier. CSA also specifies that cargo inside a van trailer must be secured against movement in all four directions. As with a flatbed operation, if the driver fails to secure the load with straps or load bars across the back of a load that does not reach the back doors, he will end up with a ticket.

“Drivers bear the brunt unless it is a sealed load and the driver is doing a drop and hook,” says Bob Dissinger, director of U.S. sales for Kinedyne. If the trailer is loaded but not sealed, the driver should open the trailer doors on the trailer and check to see it is secured properly, Dissinger says. On flatbeds, he should check all cargo securement devices to ensure the proper amount and tightening, he says.

Keeping up to date

Continuing education is the most important factor in fending off CSA hits. “You really need to monitor and keep up to date on cargo securement rules and regulations,” Dissenger says. These laws change regularly at federal, state and local levels.

Dissenger says fleets also must conduct regular safety training for drivers and anyone else loading and securing a trailer. “At Kinedyne, we tell our customers to be aware that not all safety-related securement products are the same,” he says. A lower price tag often translates into lower product quality, consistency and life expectancy, he says.

Newell directs Maverick’s cargo securement training programs and describes them as extensive and intensive, relying heavily on a systematic approach to education and procedures. Basic orientation last five days, and if the driver will be working in Maverick’s flatbed division, load securement consists of another week on hands-on exercises at the company’s training facility – and if they’re hauling glass, another week on top of that.

Maverick’s training also is ongoing. The fleet films its own in-house safety videos – some as short as 15-second reminders of proper safety procedures – that are beamed out to trucks on the road for drivers to watch at their convenience.

“It’s been very beneficial for us,” Newell says. “I think our drivers like the fact that they have that information handy if they need it.”

 More research

Maverick’s commitment to load securement goes even deeper. “Everything that we haul is closely examined before it ever gets loaded onto a trailer,” Newell says. This starts early in the sales process: When a Maverick salesman closes a deal, one of the check-off boxes on his list is to contact the company’s safety department and initiate a process for assessing proper load securement.

“We start with the basics and look at the securement of the load and make sure we can handle it with our existing equipment and systems,” Newell says. “If not, we come up with alternatives to make it safe.”

Maverick’s sales team works closely with the safety department, including the driver training aspect. If the customer has a new unfamiliar load, Newell’s team will obtain pictures of it – or even send someone to the customer’s location to inspect the load firsthand and figure out how to transport it safely.

“Load securement is more important than ever because everyone – fleets and drivers – are focused on their CSA scores,” Newell says. “You have to try to control it.”