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Cargo mooring
Within the norms: why not use rope to tie down loads?
24
Jul
Jul
If you use or resell products in the cargo lashing segment, you should know that the Brazilian traffic law established that, since January 1, 2017, truck drivers are no longer allowed to use rope to tie cargo. But, are your customers aware of the importance of this security rule?
As a dealer, it is your role to make truck drivers aware of the issue. So, if someone insists on buying ropes to use in moorings, you can clarify the consequences and risks of this practice.
More than a way to prevent irregularities and accidents, this is also an opportunity to recommend better products and increase the value generated by your business!
Knowing this, we created this article with the main details you need to know about the topic. Next, understand why it is not possible to use rope for lashing, the problems this can cause for truck driver safety and the best alternatives to replace it. Check out.
Why shouldn’t rope be used to tie down cargo?
A few years ago, the rules for lashing loads were the subject of several discussions and controversies. After all, their understanding is very sparse and relatively confusing.
To solve the problem, the National Traffic Council (CONTRAN) recently compiled the main determinations on the subject.
Now, the issues previously set out in Resolutions Nº 552/2015, 631/2016 and 676/2017 have been updated and brought together in a single Resolution. It was published on April 1, 2022 in the Official Gazette (DOU).
This is Resolution No. 945. It sets the minimum safety requirements for lashing cargo transported in vehicles, facilitating and making it clearer for the truck driver to interpret the rules and safety measures.
As for the use of rope for mooring, the current CONTRAN publication clarifies in § 3 of Art. 4 that “the use of ropes as a load lashing device is prohibited, and its use is permitted exclusively for fixing the cover canvas, when required”.
The text also establishes new safety rules for the transport of indivisible loads on board-type vehicles or bodies, such as machines and implements. “So, it is determined that this type of cargo must contain at least four lashing points, through the use of chains, textile straps, steel cable or a combination of these types.
This is the main reason for not using ropes as tying accessories. In addition, there are other issues that further reinforce the need to avoid this practice. Meet them below.
What are the disadvantages and risks of using rope to tie down cargo?
According to art. 3 of Resolution No. 945, “all transported loads, according to their type, must be properly tied, anchored and packed in the cargo compartment or loading surface of the vehicle”.
According to the standard, this is essential to “prevent relative movements during all operating conditions expected during the course of the trip, such as: sudden maneuvers, bumps, curves, sudden braking or deceleration”.
If lashing is mandatory, then the use of ropes to replace the fastening devices required by Resolution No. 945 characterizes driving the vehicle without the required equipment.
This means that using rope for mooring represents an infraction of the Brazilian Traffic Code (Law No. 9,503, of September 23, 1997). Pursuant to Art. 230, IX:
“Art. 230. Driving the vehicle:
(…)
IX – without mandatory equipment or when it is inefficient or inoperative;
(…)
Infraction – serious;
Penalty – fine;
Administrative measure – retention of the vehicle for regularization.”
Main risks
Using rope to tie cargo still poses serious risks to the safety of truck drivers and the drivers around them. Among the problems of this practice, the following stand out:
- Ropes have limited capacity. Thus, they have greater chances of rupture and load fall;
- They can slide over the surface of the load, generating loss in lashing tension and instability during transport;
- Ropes can become tangled or caught in other objects. This can lead to dangerous situations during unloading;
- Handling the ropes is often more difficult, especially in adverse weather conditions such as rain or strong wind;
- The use of ropes can pose a risk of injury to workers involved in the process of tying and transporting loads;
- Due to the lack of standardization of ropes, there is a greater risk of human errors and accidents on the road.
Even knowing that the resolution on lashing brought some costs to the haulier, who had to adapt his trucks to the new law, it aimed to bring more safety to the roads and to the truck driver, avoiding accidents due to poorly packed loads.
What to use to replace the strings?
Did you see why your customers shouldn’t use rope for tying? Now, you must be wondering what are the best alternatives to replace it. The answer is also in Resolution Nº 945, more specifically in Art. 4th:
“Mooring devices must be used, such as textile straps, chains or steel cables, with the maximum nominal work capacity allowed for a lashing set in the longitudinal direction, respecting the safety factor of at least 2 (two) times the weight of the load, as well as additional devices such as: containment bars, rails, meshes, nets, wedges, friction blankets, separators, blockers and protectors, in addition to adequate and sufficient mooring points.”
Paragraph 1 of that article still requires that the mooring devices are in good condition. In addition, they must have a tensioning mechanism, so that it can be checked and tightened during the journey.
Therefore, it is essential that the lashing devices have high capacity and strength, high durability for their operating conditions, high security, in addition to suitable accessories and tensioning mechanisms.
Among the options listed by CONTRAN, textile straps are the ones that stand out the most in terms of strength, flexibility, durability and safety.
That’s because they can be easily adjusted by the truck driver to ensure the firmness of the load and minimize the risk of damage or accidents. As if that were not enough, they are more practical and also lighter than other materials, which helps to reduce the total weight of the transported cargo.
Get to know Robustec’s solutions
Robustec manufactures, imports and distributes lashing sets from 800 kg to 10 tons. In addition, it works with accessories such as fixed ratchets, mobile ratchets and straps, which have the best quality on the market.
Learn about the advantages of our straps and make your customers abandon the rope to tie down loads once and for all!
Access the Cargo Lashing Catalog and be surprised by the differentials that our lashing products can add to your store and for truck driver safety.