The Hidden Costs of “Small” Collisions If they’re just scratches and dings, what’s the big deal? Fixed/stationary object collisions and backing collisions, while typically occurring at very low speed, can still be costly. The fact is the truck itself usually only sustains the scratches and dents due to the low speeds associated with these collisions. The same cannot be said […]
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PARKING LOT & BACKING COLLISIONS (PART ONE): MUCH MORE THAN YOU THINK!
Introduction On a single fact-finding trip to the Distribution Centre and Loading Bay of a major Manufacturing Company located somewhere in Lagos, Nigeria, the following notes were taken bearing in mind the issue that is about to be discussed in this paper: Two trucks had rammed their cabin into the height restraint bar located just before accessing the loading bay. Reason, […]
Continue reading »SECUREMENT OF CARGO 4: Understanding Tiedown
There are three standard ways in which cargo of all categories can be transported: Condition 1: Cargo is fully contained by structures of adequate strength. Cargo cannot shift or tip Cargo is restrained against horizontal movement by vehicle structure or by other cargo. Horizontal movement includes forward, rearward, and side to side. Note: If the cargo is contained in a sided vehicle, the […]
Continue reading »SECUREMENT OF CARGO 3: The Cargo Securement System
Understanding Securement System A securement system is a securement or retraining method that uses one or a combination of the following elements: Vehicle Structure Securing Devices Blocking and Bracing Equipment The choice among the above stated securement system must be appropriate for the cargo and this will be defined by the Cargo’s size, shape, strength, and characteristics. The Cargo to […]
Continue reading »SECUREMENT OF CARGO 2: Principle of Cargo Securement
Understanding Cargo Securement: The guiding principle This principle states that Cargo being transported on the highway must remain secured on or within the transporting vehicle under all conditions that could reasonably be expected to occur in normal driving and also when a driver is responding in all emergency situations, EXCEPT when there is a crash. This is important because an […]
Continue reading »SECUREMENT OF CARGO 1: Facts About Cargo Securement
INTRODUCTION In early February 2011, a truck conveying a 14-foot container fell and killed a man at the junction of the New Garage bus stop along Ikorodu Road in Lagos. On the 21st of November 2012, no fewer than three persons were crushed to death when a 40-feet containerized vehicle fell on a Mazda car along Badagry-Seme Expressway. On the […]
Continue reading »REASONS WHY HUGE TRUCKS ‘BEHAVE’ DIFFERENTLY FROM YOUR CAR
Based on a rough estimate, Nigeria has over 5 million large trucks on the road. It’s no wonder then that we often find ourselves frustrated, stuck behind a tractor-trailer that is blocking our vision or waiting for a semi-truck to make a tight turn. The fact is, nearly 2,000 people were killed in large truck crashes last year and tens of […]
Continue reading »TRICKS AND TIPS FOR SHARING ROAD SAFELY WITH HAULAGE TRUCKS
CARS BESIDE TRUCKS Never, and I mean never, drive beside an eighteen wheeler for long periods of time. It is extremely dangerous. First off the wind turbulence is bad and absolutely can push you off the road or pull you into the truck if you are not watching! Also, if one of those tires does blow it can rip your […]
Continue reading »EPISODE FIVE- TRUCKER’S WILD EXPERIENCE: ANGER MANAGEMENT- TRUCKER & HIS MOTOR BOY
The relationship between the truck driver and the motor boy (driver’s assistant) has always been a frosty one. It’s instructive to note that some haulage firms elected to keep it that way or deliberately ‘engineer’ it to probably maintain a check on what they call ‘the excesses of the truck driver’ (well, that is the logic some of them have […]
Continue reading »FOUR DAYS, FOUR PETROL TANKER DISASTERS: BERGER SUYA INCIDENT IN RETROSPECT
Four days, four petrol tanker accidents in densely populated areas of Lagos and one major fatality! On the 8th of January, in Berger Suya, Apapa, Lagos at about 9.30-10pm, a petrol tanker fell, spilled its products and went up in flames leaving a trail of unimaginable loss of lives and properties. On the 9th of January, around 2am, another […]
Continue reading »EPISODE FOUR- TRUCKER’S WILD EXPERIENCE: ‘TROUBLE SLEEP, YANGA WAKE AM UP’ ALONG SAGAMU-BENIN HIGHWAY @ IJEBU-ITELE
It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon sometime in the month of July when it happened. The truck driver had been away for close to 1week on a delivery job that had seen him haul a dead weight cargo of 40tons all the way from Lagos for delivery at Uyo in Akwa-Ibom State of Nigeria. Everything about the journey up till […]
Continue reading »WHEEL SEPARATION IN TRUCKS
While in other climes, the issue of wheel separation seems to have been roundly addressed and reduced to the barest minimum, in our geographical space, that surely may not be our testimony. Rough estimates suggest that unplanned separations still occur at a rate of probably several per day. Exact numbers are hard to determine because most incidents go unreported. A […]
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