Injury and Damage Claims Chip Away at Your Bottom Line

Improperly Secured Cargo

When the rear of a dry van or tractor trailer has improperly or unsecured cargo, two things can happen.

1. Potential injuries to the person that either, rolls up or swings open, the door of the trailer.
2. Damage to trailer door, or the cargo itself.

Injuries from Unsecured Cargo

Potential injuries and even fatalities are not uncommon when improperly secured cargo shifts against the door. When a person is injured (or worse) you can bet someone will be held accountable. More likely than not, it will be the company making the delivery.

The U.S. DOT and OSHA, have rules and regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (FMCSR) covers specific securement requirements. Yet, the problem remains.

The Problem with Forklifts

It is common practice to use forklifts to raise the roll up doors. But freight will often shift against the door during transit. Once freight has shifted to lean against the door, it becomes impossible for the dock worker or driver to raise door. Additionally, no one wants to be standing there when boxes begin cascading out of the trailer.

Using a forklift to solve this problem often causes unintended and costly consequences. Using a forklift can cause also damage to both the door and to the track that keeps the door going up and down properly. The freight itself can even be damaged.

Broken capital equipment and claims for damaged cargo will quickly chip away at your bottom line!

The Freight Saver Solution

Hearing of these issues from our customers is what led Bednet® Cargo Control Solutions, to develop the FreightSaver XP. I listened at tradeshows and during sales calls as different people told me about problems with cargo damage and safety hazards.

The Freight Saver XP was developed, originally, as an answer to the rear of the trailer concerns. However, we’ve heard from clients that it allows them to move it forward when there are multiple drop loads, to keep cargo in place for the next delivery. Learn more about the XP here.

If you questions about our product or concerns about the necessity to secure cargo do not hesitate to contact us. Whether you use our product, or another, make sure the rear of loads are secured. It will save you money, and more importantly, keep your employees safe.

Note: This article was originally published in February 2014 and updated on July 8, 2019.