DTT HGV Load Security 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How should you load a curtain-sided vehicle to ensure safety?
- Load against the headboard, use lashing straps and/or load bars, and never rely on the curtain alone for load restraint (Correct answer)
- The curtain sides are strong enough to hold any load
- Stack everything against the curtain sides
- Loading order does not matter for curtain-siders
Correct answer: Load against the headboard, use lashing straps and/or load bars, and never rely on the curtain alone for load restraint
Curtain sides provide weather protection but are NOT designed to restrain loads. The load must be secured using internal lashing points, straps, load bars, and blocking. The headboard and bulkhead provide the primary forward restraint.
Question 2: What is the correct method for securing a palletised load?
- Ensure pallets are in good condition, stretch-wrapped, stacked correctly, and secured with lashing straps over the top and/or blocked against headboard and walls (Correct answer)
- Place pallets loosely on the vehicle floor
- Only wrap the pallets — no additional securing is needed
- Stack pallets as high as possible for efficiency
Correct answer: Ensure pallets are in good condition, stretch-wrapped, stacked correctly, and secured with lashing straps over the top and/or blocked against headboard and walls
Palletised loads must be on sound pallets, properly shrink-wrapped, not stacked beyond safe heights, loaded tightly together, and secured with appropriate lashing straps. Heavy pallets go at the bottom, lighter on top, and the load must be blocked against the headboard.
Question 3: What is the Lashing Capacity (LC) marking on a lashing strap?
- The maximum force the strap can safely apply in a straight pull, marked on the strap's label (Correct answer)
- The length of the strap in centimetres
- The weight of the strap itself
- The number of times the strap can be used
Correct answer: The maximum force the strap can safely apply in a straight pull, marked on the strap's label
The Lashing Capacity (LC) is the maximum force the strap can exert when used as a tie-down. It is marked on the blue label of each strap. When calculating the number of straps needed, the LC value is used to determine if sufficient restraint force is provided.
Question 4: When transporting steel coils on a flatbed truck, what special securing measures are required?
- Use dedicated cradles or wedges to prevent rolling, combined with chain lashings rated for the load weight and direct securing methods (Correct answer)
- Regular straps are sufficient for steel coils
- Steel coils are heavy enough that they don't need securing
- Place them loose on the deck and drive slowly
Correct answer: Use dedicated cradles or wedges to prevent rolling, combined with chain lashings rated for the load weight and direct securing methods
Steel coils are extremely heavy and can roll. They must be placed in cradles, V-blocks, or secured with wedges to prevent rolling, then lashed with chains or high-capacity straps using direct securing methods. The securing must account for the coil's weight and tendency to roll.
Question 5: What checks should be made on load securing equipment before use?
- Check straps for cuts, fraying, or damage; check ratchets operate correctly; check hooks are not bent or cracked; and ensure all equipment is within its service date (Correct answer)
- No checks are necessary if the equipment looks new
- Only check the ratchet mechanism
- Equipment only needs checking once a year
Correct answer: Check straps for cuts, fraying, or damage; check ratchets operate correctly; check hooks are not bent or cracked; and ensure all equipment is within its service date
Before every use, all load securing equipment must be inspected: straps checked for cuts, abrasion, or UV damage; ratchets tested for proper operation; hooks checked for deformation; chains checked for link damage; and all equipment verified to be within certification dates.
Question 6: What is the difference between 'direct securing' and 'friction securing' (tie-down)?
- Direct securing attaches the load directly to the vehicle anchor points to prevent movement; friction securing presses the load down to increase friction with the floor (Correct answer)
- They are the same thing
- Direct securing uses gravity only; friction securing uses straps
- Direct securing is for light loads; friction securing is for heavy loads
Correct answer: Direct securing attaches the load directly to the vehicle anchor points to prevent movement; friction securing presses the load down to increase friction with the floor
Direct securing (e.g., cross-lashing, loop lashing) connects the load directly to vehicle anchor points to physically prevent movement. Friction securing (tie-down) uses straps over the top of the load to increase the downward force and thus the friction between load and floor.
DTT HGV Load Security 2
How should you load a curtain-sided vehicle to ensure safety?