As a carrier by profession
there is an array of industry standards that you should be well aware of in
order to carry out your duties efficiently. Amidst the list of other
proficiencies, you need to develop on the job, something as basic as
understanding the intricacies of cargo types and how these can impact the safe
delivery of items to their assigned destinations often goes overlooked.
Here we’ll take a look into some of the cargo you
can expect to handle within the Caribbean region and what is often required to
get them from point A to Point B in the desired state. As we consider the
various cargo shipped across European soil, items such as iron ores,
timber/wood, wooden pallets and refined petroleum products, were singled out as
being some of the most frequently transported cargo types.
Iron ores
Overweight or oversized trucking shipments are only allowed for items that
have to be shipped in one piece. Since a load of iron can be easily separated,
an overweight load would be unnecessary — and also illegal.
The definition of an overweight load is one where the total weight of the
vehicle is in excess of 80,000 pounds. The only way a load is allowed to be
shipped as overweight would be if it is not able to be divided.
So if you have enough iron ore to fill more than one truck, that will have
to be factored into your shipping costs and plans.
Wood
It can be, logs shipped directly from the forest, timber from sawmills, or manufactured woodwork ready to be shipped to consumers. Knowing how to load and transport lumber and other wood products
safely will help in elimination of loss, breakage, and chances of accidents.
The biggest challenge lies in shipping
over-dimensional lumber pieces from one location to another, either over a
short or long haul distance. You want to ensure that, after loading such a
large lumber, it’s not moving sideways, it is not shifting front to rear, and
the front edge is not lifting from overloading the tail end during
transportation. Flatbed trucks are the best option when it comes to shipping
oversized lumber safely and securely. They can accommodate oddly shaped wood
products and oversize timbers.
One way of facilitating a safe load
of lumber is by ensuring the corners, and the sides of the flatbed are mounted with strong poles. Also, dunnage/lumber on the bed of the trailer and stakes on the sides
of the deck will help in safe loading. The sides should be mounted at regular
intervals with the poles.
The poles should be made of sturdy materials of
height not bigger than the width of the trailer. Once the trailer is fully
loaded, it’s time to secure the lumber adequately. Following the company’s
guidelines, tie down the lumber from either side at regular intervals. The
number of tie-downs should be adequate to secure the lumber during shipping
safely.
Wooden Pallets
A pallet is a flat structure made of
wood, plastic, composite, or metal, on which freight is secured for shipping.
It has both a top and a bottom deck, and its raised construction allows the
forks of a pallet jack or forklift to slide under
the pallet in order to move it. The main difference between a pallet vs. a skid is
that a pallet has both a top and a bottom deck, while a skid only has a top
deck. Pallets are usually used for transportation of
freight, while skids are used for storage. Standard pallets can carry between 3,700 and
4,600 lbs. Pallet capacity depends on the pallet
dimensions, type, and material it’s made of in general, standard-sized pallets shouldn’t
exceed 60” in height. Boxes should be stacked with heaviest
on the bottom, and the lightest on top, and they shouldn’t lean one way or hang
over the perimeter of the pallet. This is important for the safety of people
who will load and unload your cargo. All pallets should be safe to move and
unpack.
Refined petroleum
products
Of the active crude oil
transportation modes in the Great Lakes, tanker trucks move the lowest total
volume. Because of their limited storage capacity and the high risk of
accident, trucks are rarely used to transport oil long distances. Despite this,
trucks do offer the greatest flexibility in terms of potential destinations, so
they are most often used to transport crude oil short distances between
terminals and refineries that cannot be accessed by pipeline. Trucks are far
more likely to be used for transporting refined petroleum products, rather than
crude oil. Some things to note when exploring this mode of transport however,
is that moving oil by truck sees the highest incident rate amongst other oil
transportation modes.
Being proactive about the measures taken to ensure the safe transport of
any goods tendered by
your prospective supplier is of paramount importance. Therefore, it is crucial
to carefully consider all criteria outlined for a successful delivery.
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