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Moving Heaven and Earth
Page 68
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MANY of the older school of hauliers prided themselves that they could move anything offered, quite often advertising the fact and proving it. However, between pride and profit there must be some sound common sense, and with today's traffic problems many of those daft loads of earlier days must stand until the right vehicle is available.
I wrote last week of a jack-knifing incident brought about by a vehicle becoming illbalanced and light on the driving axle after a switch in the unloading plan. Here a risk was taken—whether calculated or otherwise—which failed to come off. I refer now to loading a vehicle, particularily large one, and the need for sound knowledge at the traffic desk as well as in the driving cab. Quite often a load can be obtained or offered, and because the weight and dimensions are right it is assumed that the load can be moved safely. This happens from time to time in slack traffic periods when anything is welcomed, but it does not always work out in practice that the load can be moved without damage to the vehicle.
Most manufacturers of plant and machinery try to avoid the expense of involved assembly at the destination, and will try to assemble as far as possible before transportation. There is nothing wrong in this, except for the fact that when the material is ready to load, it can present problems of wrong weight distribution detrimental to both the vehicle and road safety.
The really experienced traffic clerk has a fair knowledge of the industries in his area, and will generally know from the load offered how it can be safely arranged on the vehicle, and if in doubt he will ask for more detail, or have the proposed load inspected, also instructing his driver to report back if the load presents real problems. Equally, the experienced driver will know at first sight whether it can be safely fitted on his vehicle in a manner that will not affect braking or steering.
With well-organized traffic departments where odd-shaped loads are a regular feature, it is quite common for the traffic man and the customer to get together well in advance of movement, and discuss the proposed loads. However, the real danger can arise when as stated loads are scarce and anything offered can be accepted almost without question, the driver being told by a young or not too experienced clerk to go and pick up this load at a certain works.
Only later on, learning that a rear bogie has collapsed, a chassis is bowed with the spare wheel earner scraping the ground, four tyres have blown off, or the vehicle has become unstoppable or unsteerable, will the traffic man wish that he had thought first and acted afterwards, realizing too late that he had taken on a load no one else would tackle.
The moral to this is: when a one-piece load is offered, and the weight given is approaching the permitted maximum, have the load inspected by an experienced traffic man and if still in doubt, take the fleet engineer along. He will be more than interested.