The process of fixing and securing the cargo in order for keeping the cargo stable during transportation, preventing it from getting damaged and causing damage to other loads is called cargo securing. Various tools and materials are used to ensure load securing.
- Cargo securing is important because it ensures that the cargo can be transported safely.
- Load securing not only protects the cargo, it directly affects the vehicle, the load, and all other related aspects of transportation.
- There are also legislative regulations and rules with regard to cargo securing. In other words, it is mandatory to secure all kinds of cargo during transportation.
- Physical forces directly affect the cargo during transportation. These physical forces are movements such as acceleration, braking, and cornering. The cargo is naturally affected by those movements and may slide, hit, and damage other loads. This is also dangerous in terms of driving safety. For this reason, it is extremely important to ensure load securing by taking these movements into account.
- The friction force, weight force, and mass forces also directly affect the cargo. Friction force prevents or reduces the sliding of the cargo. The surfaces of the cargo and the loading area are directly affected by this. The mass forces, on the other hand, aim to keep the load in its current position and affect its acceleration and change of direction. The weight force presses the load vertically onto the loading area.
What are the Cargo Securing Principles?
In general, there are two basic principles of load securing. These are force-dependent securing and shape-dependent securing.
- Force bonding is the process of intensifying the frictional force between the loading surface and the cargo. Protection is achieved by pressing down the compressive stress materials stronger on the cargo loading surface. Along with the force bonding, a downward tension is also applied. By tensioning the cargo downward, the tensioning materials do not directly increase the downward pressure but offer a securing feature. This way, the cargo is secured against slipping by frictional force.
- In the application of shape bonding securing, the cargoes are compressed to each other without leaving any gaps in-between. In other words, this is the process of limiting the loading area. Load securing is ensured by the fitting of each cargo piece to each other, i.e. the cargo space limitation. In cases where the gaps cannot be completely filled, care should be taken that this gap level does not exceed a few centimetres.
