Douglas Jenkinson drives a variety of vehicles for a small
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industrial removals company. On the day we speak to him he is behind the wheel of a crane-equipped Volvo FM three-axle flatbed rigid with a variety of tackle, including a pallet trolley, strapped to the deck.
"Most of my load restraint knowledge I picked up as I went along," he says. "It's mainly webbing and ratchet straps these days; we only use ropes to keep the sheets on. We use chains with ratchet tensioners and go right around the chassis, but more usually on the lowloaders.
"People rely on curtains too much these days as far as I'm concerned a curtainsider is a flat, and the load needs securing independently. I learned the need to cross (rather than longitudinally) chain plant to stop it shifting sideways when it did my CPC.
"We have an insurance assessor who makes frequent checks on the straps, chains and crane sling's condition. When we're moving machinery my boss always does a risk assessment as every job is different. He makes notes and takes pictures before we start."