Unsecured load causes fatality in Lancaster, PA

Posted on March 18, 2008 
Filed Under GENERAL, IN THE NEWS

On Monday, March 17, 2008, a driver was killed by a piece of wood flying off a pickup truck. The victim was driving north, while the truck was driving south, when two pieces of wood fencing flew off his truck, one of which smashed through the windshield, killing the driver. The police officer stated the wind caught the lumber, and that the load had been secured, but somehow the two pieces got loose.


My comment: No, the load was not secured. If it was, it wouldn’t have ended up inside another car. The DOT standard for load securement is that everything must be tied down. If a DOT officer turned the vehicle upside-down, nothing should fall out. This means, shovels, cones, rakes, buckets, cords, ladders, everything needs to be secured. When I teach my safety classes, many of the drivers look at me like I’m from Mars, but this is why.

The article doesn’t say how big these two pieces of wood fencing were, but they probably were not more than 5-10 pounds each. A 10 pound piece of wood, traveling 50 MPH in the southen direction, hitting another vehicle going 50 MPH in the northern direction is 100 MPH of force. Even smaller objects flying off your truck can cause other vehicles to swerve and lose control. If you look at construction, or landscaping vehicles, it is commonplace that stuff is strewn all over the bed of the truck. Tools, cones, ladders, wheelbarrows, you name it. ANYTHING can fly off a truck, and if it does, this can be the result. Use bungee cords, ropes, straps, boxes, tarps, etc., but tie down your load.

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Eric Arnold is a Former Enforcement Agent with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and a leading expert on USDOT compliance for small businesses. Do you have a question for Eric Arnold? Email him at eric@arnoldsafety.com.

Arnold Safety simplifies D.O.T. Compliance for commercial vehicle operators. Get Eric Arnold’s USDOT Compliance Guide, DVD, & Regulations at ArnoldSafety.Com.

Learn more about Arnold Safety compliance consulting services at ArnoldSafety.Com.

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