Need Help? 888.844.9763

Safely Loading & Unloading Flatbed Trailers 

How to Safely Load and Unload Cargo on Flatbed Trailers

Loading and unloading flatbed trailers must be done correctly to avoid dangerous accidents and serious injuries. If you overload or improperly load a trailer, you could lose control of it as you are transporting the load. This is one of the causes of rollover accidents. The safe loading and unloading of flat bed trailers includes best practices and safety procedures that are used for tailgate safety

If you follow the tips here, you’ll ensure you have a safer and smoother loading and unloading process. 

Potential Risks & Hazards While Loading & Unloading Flatbed Trailers 

The work of loading and unloading flatbed trailers presents opportunities for back and shoulder injuries as well as hand injuries, such as pinches, abrasions, cuts, and bruises:

  1. Falls - Trips and falls from heights have the potential to result in more severe trauma. For fall protection, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, requires equipment when workers are over 4 feet off the ground and no guard rail is available for balance. These requirements apply when workers are on flatbed trucks with no railing around the edge. 
  2. Environment -  Ice, snow, rain, and mud make surfaces slippery and can create slip, trip, and fall hazards, as well as reduced visibility.
  3. Cargo -  Obstructed view and falling cargo as a result of heavy objects, wrongly distributed weight, and unsecure fastening pose risks to workers while loading and unloading, as well as during transport. 

General Safety Tips

A safety-first approach is the best way to prevent damages and injuries, making it the best policy. Flatbed trailer safety has some unique challenges, but there are general safety tips that apply to multiple procedures.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

  • Avoid distractions and don’t hurry. 
  • Watch your step when working on or around the truck.
  • Be attentive to your surroundings and hazards.

Safety starts with being aware of your surroundings, therefore the first safety tip is to get a trailer backup camera for increased awareness and visibility. A backup camera provides peace of mind and can prevent damages to your flatbed trailer and vehicle when reversing. Being able to see what’s behind you and in your blind spots makes maneuvering through tight spaces like parking lots, narrow roads, and neighborhoods easier and safer for everyone. It also allows for precision and accuracy of movement to be able to perform tasks like hitching a trailer or navigating around obstacles. A backup camera will help you protect your flatbed trailer and everyone around you.

Checkout our inventory of high quality backup cameras to keep your truck, trailer, and more safe. Camera Source offers a huge selection of high quality automotive cameras and accessories (reverse, heavy duty, front and side, bluetooth, and more!) for all the popular manufacturers:

If you can’t find a camera that’s designed for your specific vehicle, that’s not the end of the road. We have universal cameras that will work well on many vehicles. Get in touch with us today, or start shopping now.  

Use PPE

Personal protective equipment is what it sounds like— gear or clothing designed to minimize the wearer’s exposure to hazards.

  • Always wear gloves to protect your hands when loading cargo or securing a load. 
  • Wear proper footwear with slip-resistant soles and steel toes, and ensure it’s made of puncture-resistant material.

Consider what other PPE may be necessary for the specific load or setting — Do you need goggles to protect your eyes while loading or unloading cargo with particulates? What about earplugs to protect your hearing if you're loading or unloading your flatbed trailer in a noisy environment?

Conduct Thorough Safety Inspections 

Make sure everything is in good working order and inspect for damages or wear and tear that could cause failure or a threat to safety. Ensure the vehicle, trailer, and cargo are inspected thoroughly before leaving. At each stop, re-check the cargo and make sure the anchoring devices are properly in place.

Preparing a Flatbed Trailer for Loading 

An important step for preparing a flatbed trailer for safe loading and unloading includes making sure the trailer is stabilized. Unrestrained trucks can creep forward due to movement entering and exiting the trailer. Make sure chocks are put in place to prevent the trailer from creeping forward. If the vehicle is on a slope, you’re more likely to experience difficulties or accidents and injuries while loading and unloading the trailer. 

Make sure that the vehicle is stopped, braked, and stabilized when loading and unloading, especially in precarious situations.

Check Your Deck

Before you begin loading your cargo, make sure the flatbed trailer bed is free from corrosion or damage. A corroded or damaged trailer is a wide-open opportunity for disaster. 

Check the hold-down openings and ensure they are sturdy and do not have any kinks or cracks. The “D” rings. or hold-downs, should not have any bends and must be tight against the deck. If you see any forms of damage, do not load the cargo until repairs have been made.

After you’ve checked the trailer bed for damages and have ensured “D” rings are secure, make sure the deck is level. To check for a level deck, couple the flatbed trailer to the tow vehicle and visually confirm that it is level. 

Secure the Ramps

At this point, you can also check to make sure ramps are secured to the trailer, and when lowered, that they rest firmly on the ground. When using the ramps for loading, remove the pins and straps to lower the ramp to ground level. When handling these units, make sure you practice safe lifting procedures to prevent injuries. Whenever you’re raising or lowering something using a ramp, a solid foundation is key to avoid accidents. Some of the common types of ramps on flatbed trailers according to PJTrailers include:

  • Spring loaded ramps
  • Mesh ramps
  • Fold down ramps
  • Removable ramps
  • Dovetail ramps

Safely operating and securing the ramp is an important step, and can differ based on the type of ramp that’s equipped. Make sure you know how to safely operate all equipment before using it. 

Safely Loading the Flatbed Trailer

Once you’ve secured your ramps and made sure that the deck is free of any risks or dangers, it’s time to load up!

Ensure Even Distribution

Distributing the weight on your cargo is a high priority when loading your flatbed trailer.  To ensure you’ve loaded within the accepted rating, add the distribution of the weight along with the combined weight of the cargo and the trailer. This amount is the GVW, or gross vehicle weight. The tow vehicle hitch will handle the rest of the weight. To avoid creating a sway at towing speeds, you must make sure the trailer tongue and tow vehicle hitch are supporting the right amount of loaded trailer weight.

The distribution of your load cannot be more than its rating. You have to consider the axles, wheels, and tires into this rating. If you are pulling a triple axle flatbed trailer or tandem, you have to consider the front-to-rear load distribution as well, so you do not overload any of the axles.

Keep the Center of Gravity in Check

To make sure your trailer travels appropriately, keep the center of gravity as low as possible. To ensure this, keep the heavy items on the floor and above the axles. Loading upward from the bottom, maintain an even side-to-side distribution of the weight making sure to keep proper weight on the tongue. Keep in mind the GVW and never go over that total weight rating.

Place about 60% of your cargo on the front half of the flatbed, with 40% in the back end, and secure it with appropriate tensioning devices, chains, or straps. Flatbed trailers are often bumpy when traveling, so the load must be secured to prevent shifting while transporting. If cargo begins to move, you could lose control of your truck. A secure center of gravity avoids this contingency. 

Properly Secure the Flatbed Load 

Use the proper chains, straps and tensioning devices for the types of items you’re securing, such as a tarp. Since flatbed trailers are open and used for transporting an array of cargo, people use tarps to protect cargo while in transit.

In addition to protecting the load, tarps can help restrain and contain a load. According to the Eagle Leasing Company, restrained means secured to the flatbed in such a way that the load will not fall over. Contained means secured in a way that it will not shift in any direction. 

Tips for Flatbed Trailer Tarp Application

Tarps often weigh over 100 pounds, so placing one on top of a load can be challenging. Manually tarping flatbed loads can be a dangerous task, especially if the driver must climb onto the trailer to position the tarp. The load may shift, roll or be slippery. Some possible solutions to reduce tarping risks include:

  • Use an overhead crane, forklift, or hoist to lift the tarp to the top of the load, allowing the driver to stand on the ground while applying tie-downs.
  • Use a rolling catwalk for safer access.
  • Sliding or rolling tarp retrofit solutions.
  • In the case of tall, uneven, or oddly shaped loads, an extra tie-down strap can be thrown over the tarp to secure it while in transit. 
  • You can use a combination of items to secure the cargo on your flatbed trailer. Chain binders, chains, and cargo straps will all help keep the freight in place and prevent it from shifting during transit.

Secure the Ramps (Again)

Some flatbed trailers are equipped with two or three fold-down ramps. They can be stored against the trailer deck while traveling. If your ramps do not fold over, straps and safety lock pins ought to be installed to keep them safely in place. 

Flatbed Trailer Unloading 

Unloading procedures will vary from load to load, depending on what you are transporting. It might require machinery to remove, or it may have to be done by hand. 

Using a Flatbed Trailer Ladder

If you have to access the bed of your trailer to handle the cargo to adjust position, secure it, or to handle unloading, use a portable safety ladder. Using one of these safety devices can benefit you in many ways. It will ensure that you do not fall while climbing up and down your trailer. The ladder eliminates the need to use the tires or other areas of the truck to get to the load you are carrying. Using a ladder can also help you load and unload faster because it provides quick access to your flatbed trailer. The best trailer safety ladders are sturdy, have good traction on the steps, and have support handles. All of these features enhance safety.

Camera Source for A Safer Road

One of the most effective ways to avoid accidents with a trailer is to install a backup camera. At Camera Source, we have hundreds of different backup camera models for many different uses, vehicles, and situations. If you’re looking to make your trailer safer, we’re your first and last stop. Get in touch today.

Share:

Copyright 2022 © Camera Source. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy | Enable Cookies