When you are loading up a truck for another driver to deliver and then unload it is of utmost importance that you are paying close attention to how you are stacking things. Serious bodily injury has occurred from truck drivers attempting to unload their truck and heavy boxes filled with products topple on top of them in the process.
Listed below are some measures you can take to ensure this doesn’t happen to you or any of your drivers.
Supervise
I cannot stress enough how important it is to supervise your truck loaders while they are loading the trucks. Just being a presence during the loading process will ensure that the employees are being careful and paying attention to the way they are stacking things. Always ask the person loading the truck to show you their work that way you can double-check that it is stable before closing it up.
Secure The Load
If your schedule permits, always secure the load yourself to be sure it is done. You will also need to hold the shippers accountable for secure shipments and carry around extra load bars and load straps with you in case you of an emergency. If you notice an employee refusing or neglecting to secure a load be sure to advise your supervisor so the problem can be corrected.
Be a Good Driver
Safety begins with the driver. Be sure to drive carefully and as smoothly as possible as freight can be shifted during commute and the less it moves the better. If you are driving cautiously and staying alert knowing you are carrying a load of freight you are more likely to keep the product from moving and therefore causing an accident.
Open the Trailer Doors Slowly and Cautiously
When opening the trailer doors to unload the product open them slowly and cautiously that way if an item is stacked against the door and is about to fall you will be able to see that before it falls onto your body.
Do Not Take Risks
The final and most important thing to remember when trying to avoid injury from unsecured trucks is to always check, check and double-check the loads. As a supervisor, you do not leave the shipper until you see that the load is secured with your very own eyes. Ultimately the responsibility is on you and only you can prevent future injuries contributed by unsecured loads.