Driving a truck in California is already a difficult job, but loading and unloading the truck is a surprisingly dangerous part of the work. Mistakes in loading can cause serious car accidents and make driving the load much harder. The potential fallout from incorrect loading can be deadly.
Safety measures in loading
There are several different errors that can lead to dangerous conditions on the road. Loading too much in one trip means that the load can sway and fall off the back of the truck, which can lead to traffic accidents. The weight of the truck is too high, so it takes longer to brake to a stop, and it puts more stress on the components, which can fail. Other issues include packing the cargo with a center of gravity that is too high, potentially leading it to topple over, or placing the load off-center, causing similar swaying and instability.
The risks of cargo errors
A common mistake is failing to secure the load properly. Different sizes and shapes of load require different tiedowns and gear. Auto accidents from a load that comes free and scatters across the road can lead to cars crashing into each other, inducing injuries and damage. A poorly balanced or secured load can also make the truck itself more difficult to drive properly.
A truck that has an unstable load is one of the most dangerous things on the road because it can suddenly swerve, shift or create obstacles that bounce across the highway. Many people get injured in accidents that are connected to truck loads coming loose or affecting the driving dynamics of the loaded trucks.