They want me to block and brace a shipment of fork lifts?

I’ve seen a fork lift roll right thru the closed back doors of a van , and hit the ground......

It was kinda funny.

 

Only do it if you value your life...

Feds to investigate deadly Howard truck explosion

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will probe a fatal truck explosion that happened last spring in the Green Bay area when a forklift pierced the vehicle's natural gas fuel tank.

The federal agency said the April 3 accident in Howard occurred when a Daimler 2014 Freightliner Business Class M2 truck was carrying a three-wheel electric forklift. The truck braked during the trip, and the forklift rolled forward, broke through the cargo compartment wall and hit the gas tank behind the cab.

The forklift had been loaded with its forks pointing forward, and its parking break was applied, according to the NHTSA.

The Brown County Sheriff's Office said in April that the box-style truck was slowing to turn into a driveway when the accident happened.​

 

This guy would hate flatbedding!

 

The way I see it, the guy who pays the fine supervises the load. DOT isn't going to fine the shipper.

 

By way of comment...
Nissan Forklift in Marengo, IL used to load its' CFI's forklift shipments. Removed forks from the front one and tucked them underneath, carriage against the nose. Next one complete, slightly off center to the front one with its forks underneath the first..So on and so forth for number loaded.
Each were chocked with angled wood chock blocks nailed down F and B of each wheel. Then a 2 x 4 across trailer width nailed down to jam/deadlock the chocks in place. No LPG tanks on any machines
Made a nice checkerboard pattern overall.
Never saw the actual loading nor who nailed or supervised, but received many loads at the dealership secured this way.
Disclaimer... This was 1992- 1995 time period, may have changed later.

Aside... I once hauled two (2) Farmall "M" tractors from near Chicago, IL to Starkville, MS in a 34 foot
enclosed cattle trailer. Removed mufflers and air intake from top, steering wheels, and clamped on vise grips, drove them in, locked the R and L brake pedals together and down tight and rolled.
Load rode smoother than moving than live cattle... LOL LOL.

 

The hurdle you have to get past in order to not be liable for cargo damage is the Carmack Amendment. If there is damage to cargo you are hauling you are liable and the shipper does not have to prove you were negligent. There are only a few exceptions (see the above link) and the burden of proof is yours for each of them.

 

Driver will tell you that he "Kinda felt it in his seat but did not realize fully till he looked back after turning left and saw it in the street.". Real teaching moments.

 

Liability

 

I used to haul forklifts for a local company and when got new forklifts in, they usually come on a Conestoga flats, and even in a dry van once. It was the duty of the drivers of those shipments to block and secure as well as unblock and un-secure said loads. They never looked too happy about it, but that was part of their responsibility.

 

If u complaining about blocking and bracing forklifts inside of a van, i hope u dont ever do flatbed, u would have a heart attack at some of the #### they throw on our trailer and we got to secure it