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COntent
ARE YOU READY TO HIT THE ROAD?
Follow this checklist and see whether you are ready to hit the road or not.
◯ | Block and brace the load using van racking and drawers. Holds the load in place and helps slow down the force in the event of a collision.
◯ | Distribute the load evenly. If there’s too much weight on either side the risk of losing control of the car increases.
◯ | Place heavy items at the bottom. Heavy items should be placed with a low center of gravity, ie. as close to the floor as possible. Avoid placing heavy goods above the backrest.
◯ | Anchor loose goods. If this isn’t possible, best practices is to place the goods in the direction of travel against a fixed construction detail for example the car's partition.
Did you fail? No worries, just follow our advices and you will be ready in no time.
HOW TO LOAD SECURE MY CAR?
To secure the load it’s important to create the right conditions. By adjusting the cargo space to your needs, you can get both better safety and clutter control.
WHAT EQUIPMENT IS ESSENTIAL IN YOUR CAR?
Think about your needs and it will be much easier to create a safe and complete solution suited for you.
HOW TO SECURE EQUIPMENT AND MATERIAL
There are almost as many fields of applications as there are carriers in the world, but with the right van racking and accessories for your equipment/material load securing becomes so much easier. So, let's start with some common situations that our customers are faced with.
MACHINE BAGS
When it comes to machine bags there are two recommended positions:
- In a rack/bag holder
- On the floor/shelf fastened with a bag support
If none of the above is possible your best option is to place the bags against the partition in the car. Never loose in the back of the car!
CONSUMABLES AND SPARE PARTS
Complete your shelves and drawers with dividers/insert sets to make sure that small items are slowed down faster in the event of a collision. In addition, it will be easier to find and keep things tidy.
PIPES AND Digging barS
Position inside the car:
- No barrels/points in the direction of travel
- In a digging bar holder or alternatively on the floor in the opposite direction of traveling
- Never on the top shelf in the van racking
Placement on roof rack/roof bar:
- Always in crash-tested conduit box or cargo rack
CABLES AND CABLE DRUMS
Wiring is often heavy and should therefore be placed low plus blocked and braced.
SHEET MATERIAL
Let’s imagine that you loaded the car with 10 pieces of 900 mm plasterboard when the accident occurs. In a collision at 50 km/h, this load suddenly weighs a staggering 5 tons! Therefore, it’s safest to load these lying down in the car and if not possible a trailer is recommended.
SAWN GOODS AND JOISTS
Sawn goods/joists should never be placed directly behind you as driver or your passenger. A viable option is to strap them to the roof.
WHAT SOLUTIONS ARE THERE?
Since there are many different solutions to choose from we have simplified things for you by compiling our most common and most popular solutions.
VAN RACKING AND DRAWERS
A safe and practical way to store things is to use van racking and drawers. Our system is of course crash-tested and during the development emphasis has been placed on safety and function.
DOUBLE FLOOR
Double floors rightly have become one of the most popular solutions. It’s effective both from a safety and storage perspective. Things placed under the double floor is prevented from lift off during for example a heavy deceleration. At the same time, you get better ergonomics and there’s no need to crawl into the car to pick things up.
Generation 8 - higher crash safety than the industry standard
Our double floors are designed to collapse in the event of a collision. Thanks to the built-in deformation zones, the double floor is prevented from entering the coupé and cause bodily injury.
EYE BOLTS, LASHING STRAPS & TENSIONING STRAPS
Eye bolts, lashing straps and tensioning straps are good complements to hold the load in place. Their strength is usually specified in either kg or daN (Dekanewton). Converted 1 daN correspond to approx. 1 kg. It’s easy to get confused by all the numbers but it’s important to account for the extra weight that emerges in a collision.
Arithmetic example
Load: 40 kg
Speed: 50 km/h (equivalent to approx. 25 G in the event of a collision)
40 x 25 = 1000.
This means that you must secure the load with for example two straps with a minimum LC (lashing capacity) of 500 kg. Also check that the eye bolts have the correct load limit.
ROOF RACK/ROOF BAR
With a roof rack/roof bar, you increase the car's loading capacity and avoids a crowded car. Also, from the safety point of view some things are better stored on the roof. Under the heading "Safe roof loading and universal load securing methods" there is a guide for safe loading of roof racks/roof bars.
Load capacity
Another common reflection in connection with loading is load capacity. How much can I load in the van rack or how much can the double floor hold? To find out what applies, we have created a weight guide for our products.
ALWAYS BUY CRASH-TESTED VAN RACKING
Last but not least, take your safety seriously and choose a van racking that is crash-tested. Our system is carefully tested under real conditions and developed to secure the load and protect you. At your nearest Work System facility our authorized installers can help you with correct and crash-proof installation. Watch the clip to learn more about our safety work:
SAFE ROOF LOADING AND UNIVERSAL LOAD SECURING METHODS
If you are going to place cargo on the roof or anchor ungainly goods that does not fit in ready-made solutions, we have compiled our best tips in this section.
OBSERVE THIS IF YOU ARE LOADING ONTO THE ROOF
When it comes to roof racks/roof bars, there are first and foremost laws to comply with. In addition to that, there are of course some smart tricks you can use when securing your roof rack/roof bar.
Check how much you can load. Before you start, you need to check the maximum weight for the car top. Also check the load capacity of the roof racks/bars.
Make sure that the load does not protrude too much. The load may protrude no more than 20 cm collaterally with an upper limit of 260 cm.
Anchor the load securely. The most important thing is to make sure that the load is properly secured. Use for example straps, cargo rack or conduit box.
Long objects must be marked. Objects that protrude more than 1 meter must be marked with a colorful flag/pennant at the front and back. In dark or bad weather lights and reflectors should be used instead (white in front and red in rear).
UNIVERSAL LOAD SECURING METHODS
It happens that the goods are both ungainly and uneven, which means that ready-made solutions don’t work that well. In a scenario like that it may feel tempting to just fill the car and hope for the best, but there are better strategies. Therefore, we have gathered some universal load securing methods to be put in use. To help you succeed we offer all the accessories you need.
BLOCKING AND BRACING
Blocking and bracing is a method that mainly prevents the load from moving during for example acceleration, deceleration or cornering. This is achieved by directly or indirectly supporting the load against the car's fixed structure using for example straps, blocks or similar.
STRAPPING
Strapping is used to prevent the load from tipping by anchoring it to eye bolts. This method should be supplemented with blocking and bracing to prevent the load from moving.
WE WILL BE HAPPY TO ASSIST!
If you need help tailor a solution for your specific needs or have other question, we’re happy to assist. Visit your nearest Work System facility, contact us here on the website or call us.
