You can’t make money transporting a load on your truck if the goods are damaged – or fall off – as a result of not being properly restrained. You also need to comply with legal load restraint rules.

The ATA’s new Technical Advisory Procedure (TAP) on certified load rated curtain (CLRC) systems provides trucking operators with guidance on load curtains. This will help you ensure your truck and its load meets the legal obligations in the Heavy Vehicle National Law. Failure to comply with load restraint requirements may result in penalty notices, offence reports, directions and prosecution. For operators in WA and the NT, load restraint systems must meet local legislative requirements.

Your CLRC system needs to be maintained, needs to be correctly documented, needs to be compliant, and must not become too damaged to do its job.

This TAP was developed as a result of gaps in guidance identified within the 2nd edition of the Load Restraint Guidelines (LRG). It is expected that the TAP will feed into the review of the Guide currently underway by the National Transport Commission.

The TAP also provides basic information to manufacturers of CLRC systems on certification, modification, retrofitting and repairs.