REGULATIONS FOR STOWAGE AND SECURING CARGO IN TRANSPORTATION

This is Royal Decree 563/2017, of June 2, which regulates the technical roadside inspections of commercial vehicles circulating in Spanish territory. 

May 20, 2018 What does it say? This Royal Decree regulates the conditions under which technical roadside inspections of commercial vehicles circulating on national territory must be carried out, regardless of their State of registration, in order to improve road safety and the environment.

Those in charge of inspecting vehicles on the road will be Traffic, the Guardia Civil de Tráfico, the Mossos and the Ertzaintza.

During the cargo securing inspection, deficiencies found will be classified into one of the following categories:
- Slight deficiency: when the cargo is properly secured, but safety recommendations could be made.
- Serious deficiency: when the load has not been sufficiently secured and there is a possibility of significant shifting or overturning of the load or parts of the load.

- Dangerous deficiency: if the safety of traffic is directly endangered by the risk of loss of the cargo or parts thereof, by a hazard directly arising from the cargo or by the immediate endangerment of persons.

If several deficiencies are observed, the transport shall be classified in the highest deficiency group. If several deficiencies are observed, since the combined effect of the deficiencies can be expected to reinforce them, the transport shall be classified in the highest deficiency level.

During a roadside inspection a vehicle may be subjected to inspection according to the principles of load securing.
- Resistance of the load securing with respect to the forces generated by the acceleration anddeceleration of the vehicle.
- Load distribution depending on the maximum permissible axle loads, minimum axle loads required within the limits of the maximum permissible vehicle mass, according to the legislation on vehicle weights and dimensions.
- Strength requirements of some vehicle components such as front, side, rear and rear lashing points, and webbing used to secure the load.
- Compliance with regulations and condition of all fastening elements.

Depending on the result of the inspection and the deficiencies found, the vehicle will be sanctioned or immobilized.

the required number of appropriate measures to secure the load or the measurement of the tension forces, the calculation of the securing efficiency and the verification of the certificates, if applicable. For this purpose, traffic officers have been provided with tensiometers and tables that will calculate the restraint efficiencies.

Yes. During the inspection, load distribution shall take into account the maximum permissible axle loads as well as the minimum axle loads required within the limits of the maximumpermissible massof the vehicle, in line with the legislation on vehicle weights and dimensions.

We must take into account that the load securing must withstand the following forces generated by the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle during transport:
- in the direction of travel: the weight of the load multiplied by 0.8, and
- in the lateral direction: the weight of the load multiplied by 0.5, and
- in the opposite direction of travel: the weight of the load multiplied by 0.5, and
- in general it must prevent the load from tilting longitudinally or transversely.

To secure and immobilize the goods during transport, one or more of the following restraint methods may be used to secure the cargo:
- hitching
- immobilization (local/general)
- direct lashing
- top lashing.

This European Standard applies to the design of securing methods (blocking, lashing, and combinations) for securing loads for transport in road vehicles or parts thereof (trucks, trailers, containers and swap bodies), including transport by ship or rail and/or combinations thereof. For the dimensioning of load securing a distinction is made between stable loads and loads prone to tilting. In addition, acceleration factors for surface transport are specified. For overhead lashing, the loss of force of the lashing tension at the outer edges between the load and the lashing is taken into account. The lashing forces taken into account for the calculation of this standard are static forces produced by the blocking or tensioning of the lashings and dynamic forces, which act on the lashing as a reaction to the load movements.

This standard specifies the minimum requirements and test methods for lashing points intended for commercial vehicles and general purpose trailers whose structure has a platform and whose maximum total mass exceeds 3.5t. The standard is not applicable to vehicles designed and built exclusively for the transport of bulk materials and special goods with specific requirements for the lashing of loads.

This standard applies to commercial vehicle and trailer body structures. It specifies the basic minimum requirements as well as the appropriate tests applicable to standard vehicle bodies (side, front and rear walls) and reinforced vehicle bodies.

This part of EN 12195 specifies safety requirements for lashing straps made from man-made fibers with woven flat webbing for multiple uses, and for combinations of lashings with woven webbing intended for the safe surface transport of goods on road vehicles, e.g. trucks and trailers used on roads, or placed on ships or in railroad wagons and/or combinations thereof. Includes only tensioning devices which are operated with a maximum manual force of 500 N. Specifies test methods for lashing straps for load securing. Addresses significant hazards that could occur in the course of the use of lashing straps and under the conditions foreseen by the manufacturer.

This part of EN 12195 specifies the general safety requirements that must be met by tensioning chains and their combinations with chains for the safe transport of goods in vehicles, such as trucks and trailers used on the road or on board ships or in railroad wagons, and/or their combinations. The standard includes only hand-operated tensioning devices with a maximum force of 500 N.

This part of EN 12195 specifies the safety requirements for steel lashing wire ropes and flat lashing wire ropes as well as combinations of steel wire rope lashings for the safe transport of loads in surface transports on road vehicles, e.g. trucks and trailers that are used on roads or located on ships or in railroad wagons, and/or combinations thereof. Specifies test methods for mooring ropes and flat mooring ropes. Addresses the hazards that could occur when using lashing ropes and flat lashing ropes.

Series 1 freight containers -- Corner and intermediate fittings - Specifications.

Series 1 freight containers -- Specification and testing

Mobile boxes. Testing

This standard specifies the minimum requirements for the strength and attachment of tarpaulins used for containers and swap bodies intended for combined transport and may be used in other applications, e.g. commercial vehicles.

This standard specifies the minimum requirements for the strength and securing of tarpaulins used in swap bodies for combined transport, and can be used for other applications, e.g. commercial vehicles. The requirements for load securing are contained in EN 12640 and 12642 option XL.

The scope of the standard is limited to poles that are fixed to the vehicle platform, to be used for cargo securing purposes. It describes a test method, minimum requirements and test certificate specifications.

This standard describes a dynamic test method to evaluate the rigidity of a load unit, including a detailed description of test conditions, evaluation criteria for elastic and plastic pallet load deformation, test certificate specifications.