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Operating a low load semi-trailer requires precise maneuvering, weight distribution, and adherence to safety protocols
When you need to operate a low load semi-trailer, it is important to make thorough preparation. Follow detailed steps in order to be effective and safe:
Before doing any operation perform an accurate inspection of a semi-trailer. Check the pressure in tires: it usually should vary from 95 to 105 PSI. Examine the tires for wear and other damages like cuts, bulges, embedded objects etc. Than check the workability of the braking system: apply both service and emergency breaks and make sure that they function. Requirements for suspension system: look for wear and damage, check that all parts attached and functioning.
Determine the weight and size of your load. It shouldn’t exceed the maximum, which is usually 50,000 to 80,000 pounds. Distribute the weight evenly. Regularly use scales in order to make sure that you don’t exceed legal loadings.
Secure the load on your trailer according to the instructions of your company with the help of chains, straps, tarps and etc. It can be also helpful to check restraints one more time: for example, once a driver in Texas almost went upside down but didn’t due to the fact they’ve re-checked restraints of the load.
Make sure that all necessary equipment is in your vehicle and you’re able to use it. This might include wheel chokes, reflector triangles and a fire extinguisher. Verify that all lights, indicators, and reflectors function properly. Use of NHTSA data about accidents involving trailers, check that fire accounts for 40% of them.
Choose the route that is efficient and safe. Avoid roads with height limits, or sharp inclines and turns. Check whether it’s use the GPS function of your equipment to form the path. Limitation in use of these functions can occur: you should be able to effectively plan the route on paper using three points: the starting point, the route, and the point of destination. Do not risk taking the roads with steep inclines and turns where you can endanger your load.
Check on the driver for any sleep in order to plan the break for him. Before departing lead the briefing and make sure that the driver knows the instruction about the route and loading.
Loading and fixing the cargo on a low load semi-trailer is a primary concern of every driver who wishes to operate safely and efficiently. Please, follow these steps that are explained in detail and ordered systematically:
Before the loading, confirm that the surface where the trailer is located is level and stable. Engage the parking brakes and place wheel chocks to prevent unintentional movement. Make sure there is no any debris on the trailer bed that may affect the safety of the loading. Check the status of all loading equipment, such as ramps or lift, if used.
Prepare the arrangement of the cargo on the trailer to provide the equal distribution of the weight. The heaviest items should be placed exactly on the axles of the trailer to keep its’ stability. For example, if you are transporting heavy machinery, the devices must be placed in the center of the trailer to avoid overusing, the front and rear axles. Overloading of these elements results in poor handling and wearing out the tires rapidly.
Ensure that heavy items are loaded safely on the trailer, in compliance with the expected position. In 2018, it was mentioned how a transportation company almost escape a significant incident because it used a crane to load the 20,000-pound generator. Such approach ensures the proper placement, as it would be concealed with a human being, and the risk of movement is minimized significantly.
Use the high-quality chains, straps, or binders to fix the cargo. Attach all restraints to the anchor point that is specially designed for it. Tighten all loading devices, having checked twice. Moreover, use the edge protectors to secure the straps and the cargo out of the damage. In 2020, it was written how the driver managed to avoid the falling of the cargo out of the trailer during a sudden stop, having applied multiple chains and straps as securing devices. Following the advice, verify the stability of the load, having rocked it lightly out and back. If there is any movement, please take the restraints and check them snug. In the case study mentioned in one of the logistical examples, the load of the industrial pipes was transported safely because the stability had been firmly verified before the driving. Make the notes and take a dozen attesting photos of the charge in “secured” mode, having considered its’ weight and dimensions. A logistics firm noted how it had claimed insurance due to the damaged metals of the secured photos and documents in 2019.
Operating a low load semi-trailer requires certain specific driving skills in order to keep safe and effective; these include the following:
Understanding the vehicle: low load semi-trailer is much higher and longer than the usual trailers, and the driver has to be familiar with its dimensions, weight, and handling. Typically, the height clearance for most trailers ranges from 13.5 to 14 feet while the total length can be anywhere between 70 to 80 feet. The information on these will allow the driver to navigate better in the limited or traffic areas and avoid various obstacles.
Smooth acceleration and braking: the driver has to be careful with bump starts or stops which can lead to the uncontrolled cargo movement. Mostly, it is recommended to start in the low gears to ensure better control over the heavy weight. According to Ward, a driver avoided a catastrophe on a downhill slope in 2017 by the smooth applying of breaks and cargo was fixed well enough not to move on one side.
Turning corners: As the trailer is rather long, the driver has to take wider turns and use the mirrors as often as it is possible to supervise. Right turn should be wider as well to prevent the trailer from clip ping the curb or any other kind of obstacles. This skill was demonstrated by Kirls, who was driving in the downtown in 2019 and had a chance to show the wide turn and the constant supervision of the mirrors to ensure the trailer does not touch any curbs.
Inclines: the optimal gears should be used while both climbing and descending the hills. Speed should be kept as consistent as possible without the sudden starts or stops. NPF Beta Laboratorie Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration performed a study, which showed that the proper use of breaks or gear can reduce the break wear from 3 to 30%.
Lane changes and monitoring: all the other drivers on the road have to be signaled long before the lane change and mirrors have to be checked regularly to determine the absence of cars in big or small blind spots. Change slowly but steadily and apply the speed once the other lane successfully entered. One real case took place on the highway this year when Keller signaled well and used mirrors in advance when the other driver started changing the lane without checking if it was free. Car drivers were at the trailer’s both blindsides and did not allow the merge.
Weather adaptation: one of the best ways to reduce the risk of car crashes during the rain or snow is to increase the stop following range. Another low speed and head lights can be used. The good example of such was shown in the viral video of 2018 when forces on the icy road were so great that the usual gear maximized their speed around 40 miles per hour; under the slow down for a better visibility on too icy road, many cars were bumping to one another. My trucker has reduced the speed as well as kept his stop following range on the large distance. During the first reaction, the driver stopped almost immediately and I had to turn off the road; I also saw one driver whose speed was reduced as well but he was driving so close to the truck before him that he did not have enough range to stop. The forces on the back pushed him and he dashed to the other side of the road. Luckily, there was no large traffic on the second way and no serious catastrophe took place.
Breaks have to be taken regularly in order not to be too tired, load can be supervised during the stops for the unpredictable changes. This year in Kansas, I have discovered in the morning that the twice-left part of load strap was almost loose. Before the journey was continued, the strap was fixed.
Uninstalling non-used cargo from any low load semi-trailer is always a delicate matter that requires precision and observation of all safety procedures. The following guidelines will lead you through the process transfer as comprehensively as possible:
Park the trailer on a flat, solid surface. If there’s a need, apply the parking brakes and install a wheel chock to prevent the movement. Make sure all the unloading equipment is in good condition.
Before the actual unloading, make a detailed inspection of the cargo. Be sure to check it for signs of movement, displacement, or deflection, and confirm that the securing device is still in place and tightened. In 2021, a logistics company refused to boot several tons of construction materials when they realized part of the cargo had shifted. Thus, the entire uninstall developed as smoothly as possible.
After the trailer has been inspected, you need to carefully remove all the securing devices in a predetermined sequence. Be sure to start with those devices that were at the “outside” of the cargo. Remember that sudden relaxation of the belts can cause a sharp movement of the cargo, and when a logistics company unwound a very large generator in 2017, its three freight forwarders carefully unwound each chain and tape, ensuring the load does not tear off.
To remove cargo from the trailer, you are going to use various devices – for example, forklifts, cranes, and ramps. Each of them must be installed correctly to maintain optimal balance and control. Be sure to check if the forklifts and cranes you have can lift as much as you need – forklift capacities usually range from 3,000 to 70,000 pounds. In 2020, a large warehouse had no problems unloading a 15,000-pound machine by simply lifting it with a crane and then binding it as reliably as possible.
As soon as all the loaders and cranes are operational and correctly installed, it is time to give the command for unloading. Organization of the operation should not in any case understate anyone’s role, and all employees must necessarily use a “language of signs” or walkie-talkies. In 2018, a small truck driver refused only a quarter of his cargo – a long and heavy beam of steel – and with clear communication as well as clear knowledge of the operation algorithm he managed to avoid accidents and injuries.
Throughout the unloading, make sure that all employees keep a close eye on the area and in no case yank trolleys with a random piece of cargo onto the ground. Before the cargo moves, carefully inspect the area around the place from which it will be unloaded and make sure the path is clear. In 2017, in a similar situation but with a loaded cargo and not a trailer, a truck driver drove into the pit because two years earlier he learned that simply removing large beams and trees scattered along the road before unloading would avoid 90% of accidents and injuries.
When the cargo is no longer on the intermittently standing trailer, do a final inspection of its bed: check for the absence of small particles that can interfere with the stability of a new charge and, in the end, list all the securing devices. According to a 2019 case study, checking the trailer for damage and contamination can save trucking companies up to 15% of their ship maintenance costs.
