All experienced drivers recognise that there are risks on the road, too. Fun fact: Dry van truck loading and unloading are hazardous since many incidents occur during these activities. According to the BLS, almost one out of every four injuries in transportation workplaces happens during the tasks of loading and unloading.
That’s why safety cannot only be checked off; it needs to be part of our everyday routine. Solo, fleet or dock workers can avoid problems, guard against damaged cargo, and ensure safety by understanding the best practices for dry van truck safety.
After carrying out logistics work for more than twenty years, UTB Logistics is aware that simple safety improvements can have a strong impact. Let’s examine how to handle the loading and unloading of dry van trucks safely and their role in a successful delivery.
Understanding the Risks of Loading and Unloading Dry Van Trucks
Most people in the U.S. choose dry van trucks for their secure containers, ability to transport many products, and resistance to bad weather. However, their framework has some problems that cause difficulties during cargo handling.
These are some of the usual dangers:
- Wet floors, dark areas or insufficient grip may cause people to slip and suffer serious injuries.
- Uneven Load: Using cars for things that are not equitably loaded can cause the vehicle to topple, shift cargo, or roll.
- Many collisions between forklifts and dock areas and miscommunication happen all too frequently.
- If the object you are shipping isn’t tied down properly, it could move in the truck and fall when unloaded.
You should be aware of such risks and act accordingly before loading your next dry van shipment.
Essential Safety Tips Before You Load
Everything, including the space, equipment, and workers, has to be ready before any load goes into a dry van truck. Here’s how:
1. Go over the truck and check the loading area
Check the entire dry van truck for braking issues, tire conditions, and trailers with damaged floors prior to loading anything. Moreover, ensure that the loading dock is clean and solid and doesn’t have any slick spots or objects that might result in accidents.
2. Properly secure the truck before you start loading it.
Keep the vehicle where it belongs, on an even surface and use its wheel chocks and dock locks. This step is needed so the truck does not move as people get on and off during loading.
3. Use suitable personal protective equipment (PPE).
It is important to use safety gear when doing this activity. Every worker should put on steel-toed boots, gloves, and high-visibility vests. This makes it easier to avoid being hurt by falling cargo or moving machinery.
4. Make sure to look over the load plan before your delivery
Find out what you have to load, determine how much it weighs and arrange it along with the other things in the truck in advance.
5. Be sure not to fill the truck beyond its capacity.
As part of the law, a weight limit is set for every dry van truck. Ensure that you don’t run beyond the estimated time. Overloading a truck makes it unstable, may harm the suspension, and might bring fines or result in the truck not being allowed to deliver the goods.
6. Make sure the communication with the loading team is clear at all times.
Everyone in the loading crew should know their job. When necessary, use radios or hand signals for communication. Clearing misunderstandings by speaking clearly helps protect people and machines.
7. Check that your equipment is up to date and ready to use
Ensuring all loading equipment is in perfect shape before loading is important. Some tools under this group are pallet jacks, forklifts, straps and ramps. Defective or damaged equipment has the potential to delay proceedings or harm people.
8. Make sure the loading zone is clean and neat.
Make certain that the work area is clear of clutter, tools, and trash. A clean environment reduces the possibility of people or machinery being hurt by tripping.
Best Practices During the Loading Process
The process of loading a dry van truck is when you start your main duties. Here are some ways to ensure you stay safe all the time:
1. Pick the Best Tools
Try to limit your use of heavy bodily lifting. Work with pallet jacks, forklifts and liftgates whenever it is suitable. If you are carrying something manually, keep good form to prevent injuring your back.
Make sure you do not put all the heavy belongings in the same area. Making sure a dry van truck is well-balanced around the middle makes both driving and unloading less risky.
3. Keep the products the freight company delivers safe
You should use straps, load bars and corner protectors. Check that every piece is fixed in place so it does not slide or fall while you move it. Always keep in mind that items shifting inside a dry van can hurt or damage someone.
Safe Unloading Guidelines
Unloading the dry van truck may look simple, but it still has its dangers:
1. Check what you received before starting the process of opening the shipment.
Before the containers are unlocked, inspect them from the inside or use some light to check if the cargo has shifted. Boxes dropping out when the door is opened isn’t something you want.
2. Steady the Vehicle After It Moves
Make sure the wheel chocks and dock locks are fitted again after moving the cargo. Ensure the dry van truck is shut and locked before anyone gets in it.
3. Remove items in the sequence shown in the bill of lading.
To unload, start at the front and go to the back. Bringing out the rear cargo first might lead to instability in the rest of the products.
4. Notice Danger Signs
Watch out for goods that need a certain temperature, floor conditions or damaged pallets. As during the loading phase, strong communication is needed here too.
Read what a trucker should have in his road kit for a complete list of what to carry.
Tech-Backed Safety: How UTB Logistics Enhances Safety Standards
When safety is valued at UTB Logistics, it means earning the trust of employees and customers. We’ve spent more than 20 years working in dry van freight, and by using knowledgeable staff and modern technology, we keep both loading and unloading safe.
Your experience with our dry van service is smooth because we use GPS monitoring, smart routing and cargo systems 24/7. You can check your shipment across the U.S., Mexico and Canada—knowing that safety is always part of the process.
Are you interested in finding out what industry leaders do? Visit our blog to learn about dry van trailers and the circumstances in which you should use them.
And if you are looking for secure and efficient dry van trucking services, we have the right services for you.
Final Thoughts
From when the freight arrives at the dock until all boxes are unloaded, nothing should be more important than safety. Taking some extra time to follow the appropriate steps during loading or unloading a dry van reduces the risk of injuries, keeps freight safe and increases work efficiency regardless of experience.
UTB Logistics makes sure to handle freight in a responsible way. We want every dry van truck delivery to turn out successfully. We make sure our teams are trained and equipped with advanced safety technology and have service groups dedicated to this goal.
Want to Ship Smarter and Safer? Start Here
Select UTB Logistics today and find out the benefits of safety-focused logistics. Rest assured that our team can help your business develop safely, systematically and as scheduled.
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