Police control-checks have indicated again and again that the obligations regarding the transport-secure loading of trucks are not taken seriously by many. Even harmless objects become life-threatening missiles on Autobahns and Federal roads in driving or braking manoeuvers, as well as when cornering. Insufficiently secured or unsecured freight unfortunately often leads to serious or fatal road accidents. During transport, frictional forces, which act on the shipment, occur due to driving and braking manoeuvers, as well as when cornering. If a load starts to slip, it is possible that it will damage the transportation vehicle and even fall off the vehicle under certain circumstances. The most serious road accidents are unfortunately often the result. Such faults must all be avoided as specified by safety stipulations. Therefore it is necessary to be concerned with the problem of freight protection. However, all those involved in transport, such as drivers, loaders, vehicle owner, and also the dispatcher and carrier, are responsible for freight protection. In the first place, freight protection is a measure against a hazards to persons and material through the freight falling out or rolling out. It further refers to the damage-free transport of the goods and thus the quality assurance. However, freight protection also refers to the protection of the driver and the vehicle.

The basis for “Freight protection for the drinks transport on automobiles” forms the VDI – directive 2.700 “Freight protection on automobiles”. The directive is based on scientifically-verified knowledge and experiments which also include driving tests of trucks, trailers and semi-trailers. It includes the overall system of roads, vehicles, freight protection resources and loaded goods in the most frequently encountered combinations of vehicles, vehicle bases, vehicle construction and securing.

The VDI directives are neither laws nor ordinances. They represent the present state of the art and are taken from laws as an objectivized expert opinion. The directives apply for dispatchers, loaders, drivers, vehicle owners and those who, by virtue of legal, ordinance or contractual or other regulatory works, are responsible for freight protection and secure transport.
The areas of responsibility are derived from the national specifications, the legal stipulations, as well as from the corresponding laws and specifications of other countries in cross-border road goods traffic, and follow the regulations of the technology valid in each case.

The legal basics of freight protection are regulated in § 22, 23 StVO and § 30, 31 StVZO. § 22 StVO is addressed to the driver and loader in this case. This paragraph is the foundation for the traffic-legal monitoring of freight protection on vehicles. The shipment, as well as the tension chains and devices, are to be stowed traffic-secure and ensured against falling down and particularly against producing avoidable noise.

§ 23 StVO describes the obligations of the driver and also includes (among other things) appropriate special regulations relating to freight protection. A responsibility of the driver for freight protection pursuant to § 23 of StVO exists only if he himself was not present during the loading of the vehicle, as e.g. through pre-loading by another person. The driver must guarantee for the vehicle, the train or the team as well as the shipment … being according to direction, and … not suffering the traffic safety of the vehicle through the shipment.

§ 30 Para 2 StVZO describes the characteristics of the vehicles. This means that vehicles must be built and equipped so that
1. Their usual operation in traffic does not injure anybody, endanger, hinder or bother them any more than unavoidable,
2. The occupants are protected against injuries as far as possible, in particular in case of accidents, and the scale and the results of injuries remain as small as possible.

§ 31 StVZO in Para 2 describes the responsibility for the operation of the vehicles (excerpt): The support holder must not arrange the operational start up or may approve the operational start up if it is known or it must be known to him.

§ 30 and 31 StVZO bind vehicle owners to the freight protection specifications and oblige them to provide for the equipping of the vehicles with suitable freight protection aid resources in sufficient number. The carrier is obliged to make suitable vehicles and suitable driving personnel available. A company is considered to be grossly negligent when e.g. he allows inadmissible loading in spite of the justified objections of the driver.

In § 412 Para 1, HGB is stipulated as the responsibility of the dispatcher and the carrier for the freight protection. ” As long as nothing else arises from the circumstances or the traffic exchange custom, the sender must load the goods safely with regard to transport, accumulate and attach (load) as well as to unload. The carrier has to provide for the operationally-safe loading.”

A gap-free and movement-free loading of the goods on the transportation vehicle is meant by form-fitting loading. A form-fitting loading of beverage products is not possible because of the dimensions of the loaded goods and the inside measurements of the vehicle construction in practice. In case of loading, only an approximate form-fit can therefore be achieved.

The individual loading units must also remain in the area of their placement under the maximum braking deceleration of 0.8 G (G = force due to gravity of the shipment). Larger open spaces are to be protected by measures relating to freight protection.

In reverse direction, in case of vehicles suitable for beverage transport with certified back walls, a loading-related open space of a maximum of 150 mm to the rear loading space limit is permissible without any additional freight protection for compliance with the reverse freight protection requirements of 0.5 G. Larger open spaces are to be protected by measures relating to freight protection. Larger open spaces are to be protected by measures relating to freight protection.

In side direction, in case of vehicles suitable for beverage transport, if the side loading room is loaded in the range of the computational pallet dimension of 2,400 mm, an open space projecting beyond this width, according to superstructure width, of maximum 150 mm in total is admissible. Larger open spaces are to be protected by measures relating to freight protection. Under maximum side acceleration influence of 0.5 G, the loaded goods may not exceed the permissible total width of the vehicle at acceleration end. These definitions can be fulfilled if the superstructure strength properties correspond to the test conditions. According to loaded goods, a suitable vehicle with corresponding superstructure and freight protection equipment is to be employed. The vehicles should correspond to the regulations of the technology applicable in each case. The suitability depends primarily on the strength properties of the superstructures and the freight protection equipment.

For the transport of beverage products, vehicles are recommended with a superstructure which fulfils at least the applicable standards concerning the energy consumption, if possible more. In case of form-fitting loading of the goods, the acceleration values occurring in accordance with VDI 2.700 and the forces of the front wall, the side walls and the back wall resulting from this, must be capable of being absorbed.
Boese vehicle construction is aware of its responsibilities and, as early as at the end of 1999, had certified the swing wall superstructures Boese system in under-roof implementation (as the first beverage transport superstructure manufacturer of all) in the Dekra Crash Centre Neumünster, according to the requirements in accordance with VDI directive 2.700 ff.

In case of form-fitting loading of the goods, the difference between the actually occurring mass forces and the superstructure strength of front wall, side wall and back wall must be achieved by additional safeguards. In case of vehicles for beverage transport where swing wall superstructures in under-roof or canopy implementation, Curtainsider superstructures (sliding tarpaulin), sliding door tarpaulin superstructures and jumbo-size semi-trailer have been tested, the lashing of the freight can be dispensed with in case of reinforced superstructures, if the superstructures fulfil the following test criteria: Front wall is 0.8 * G, side walls and the side final loading space limit is 0.5 * G, back wall and the reverse loading space limit is 0.5 * G.

The component parts used for the freight protection are to be subjected to an annual investigation with the superstructure manufacturer, or with an authorised company. Damages to parts used for the freight protection oblige additional freight protection in accordance with VDI 2.700 ff. Parts of the freight protection equipment may be replaced by original parts only.
If these minimum requirements are not fulfilled, the shipment is to be additionally secured on the vehicle.

Mixed loads of beverage containers are to be arranged so that a mutual influencing of the shipment is not implemented. Sequences of e.g. pallets with vertically standing beer barrels or drink containers and pallets with beverage boxes are to be arranged so that the boxes are not capable of being pressed from their stacked edges, in particular in parallel with the axis, as a result of open spaces. Where appropriate, e.g. empty pallets set upright are to be employed as surface brace for the individual stack layers.

Electrical hand elevating trucks, refrigerated automatic dispensers, tap systems etc. are to be considered as freight as specified by the freight protection. Such beverage accessories or loading aid resource are to be secured preferably in suitable support holders or containers. Lashing strips/lashing points suitable for that in the base and in the side and front walls, with the sufficiently dimensioned lashing belts. Also, correspondingly designed folds can be used for the fixing and protection of the designated devices.

For the support of an electrical hand elevating truck, a certified fixing has been developed on the superstructure by Böse vehicle construction (acc. to VDI 2.700 ff.). developed on the structure. For this, fastening points are integrated into a superstructure corner at the vehicle rear in the vehicle floor. The electrical hand elevating truck is lashed to these points.

In case of transport of beverages, as already addressed above, mainly swing wall superstructures, Curtainsider superstructures, sliding door tarpaulin superstructures and jumbo-size semi-trailers are employed. In addition, there are customer-specific superstructure systems, however, some of which are interesting only for large beverage logistics specialists.
Mainly swing wall or hinged flap superstructures are employed in beverage transport. These superstructures are offered in under-roof implementation. The feature here is that, on opening the side lower aluminium side planking, the upper aluminium side planking automatically swings below or above the roof.

In case of partial loading of the superstructures, the loaded goods are to be additionally secured. In this case Böse offers different certified, reverse, freight-protection equipment vehicle constructions. The low-cost alternative is the lashing-system BÖSE ZSB 2000: With this system, the beverage cases are lashed diagonally. Using special locking plates, lashing belts are tightened and lashed from anchor points in the post into lashing points on the floor frame.

As a further possibility, Boese offers reverse freight-protection system with blocking beams. These blocking beams are fixed connected with the anchor rails under the superstructure roof and in case of non-use are parked under the superstructure roof. In case of use, the blocking beams are pulled to the loaded goods, folded down and set into the perforated rail in the vehicle floor. In addition, blocking bars for protection are integrated between two blocking beams. In case of offset partial loading, lashing belts are employed between the blocking beams.

For a large drink manufacturer in Germany, Böse vehicle construction has developed a commissioning package. A component part of this package is certified folding grating elements. The folding grating is protected by utility-model patents (DBGM) and is fixed connected with the superstructure roof. In case of use the elements can be folded down. The folding grating is divided in half. In case of use, the lower part of the grating is let down from the upper folding grating part. This division has the advantage that the folds can be used in case of loaded superstructure without a large floor space being required.