It's a Team's Life

Freight Securement

The last thing any of us want is freight damage and with the additional incentive of having to pay the first $2500.00 in damage we make sure nothing is going to move.

We have a 24' foot box and the first 2' is used for equipment to move and secure freight. We carry blankets, straps, corner protectors, rubber bands, as well as plastic wrap. The pallet jack is adjustable from a wide tine to narrow tine to either move pallets or to move computer main frames. We have cones that we set out when using our lift gate for safety. This is just a few of the items we carry to move freight.

I remember talking to a lady driver who rolled her straight truck while she was carrying freight. Neither she, nor her animals were hurt but I will never forget the pride in her voice when she said, "There was NO freight damage". Now her truck was totaled but the freight was fine. That lady knows how to secure freight for any emergency.

In the past eleven years we have moved a small 4" X 4" box to only once filling up the whole box with a load of tires that we took cross country. The small 4' X 4" box was picked up with the people standing beside their car holding the freight. The look on their face when we pulled up was priceless. The importance of that box was for an air conditioner that had to pass an inspection the next day and a team was needed to get the box delivered on time.

No matter how small the freight is by federal law the freight must be secured in the box of the truck. The freight cannot be in the sleeper or the cab of the truck. Another gotcha is laying the load bar not used down on the floor of the truck and not secured in. That will get you and your company a non-secured freight ticket and CSA points. If something is in the back of the box secure it or properly stow it away.

Here are a few examples of secured loads.  The picture on the right is a picture take of the screen using our camera that is inside the freight box of a load of slot machines that are secured. 

Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters since January 2005
[email protected]

Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.