Driving for Work: Mythbusters
52 common misconceptions – and the facts employers and drivers need to know
Myth 52: Loads inside a van don’t need to be secured
Unsecured or poorly secured loads can cause severe handling problems, particularly during emergency braking or cornering.
A heavy load shifting to one side can cause a vehicle to roll or become uncontrollable.
Items moving in the load area during a collision can injure the driver.
Under the Road Traffic Act, drivers are responsible for ensuring their load is properly secured, and the employer must also ensure appropriate training and equipment are provided.
Even apparently minor loads should be secured correctly.
Driver takeaway:
You are legally responsible for your load being properly secured, regardless of who loaded it. Check security before moving off and after any stop. If the load shifts during the journey, pull over safely and re-secure it before continuing.
Manager takeaway:
Make walkaround checks non-negotiable and build adequate time for them into driver schedules. Where drivers are consistently skipping checks due to time pressure, the problem is not the driver, it is the schedule. Defect reporting must be acted on promptly and visibly, or drivers will stop bothering to report.
