The damage prevention load plans used in transporting paper rolls on rail have changed drastically over the years. Metal strapping and wood bracing were once the norm but recommendations have changed as more effective and safe solutions were created: including air dunnage bags, honeycomb products, and synthetic cord strapping.
Not only do these changes bring increased safety to the users of these products on the docks and shipping yards, but they also improve damage prevention.
The size of paper rolls, as well as the railcars that house them, have changed in the past 30 years. The total weight these railcars can hold has nearly tripled in the last 3 decades.
You know the saying, “the bigger the tree, the harder it falls”. That may not be written in stone, but the premise holds true. Larger and heavier loads are subject to immense forces while in transit. The forces exerted on these paper rolls via shunts, turns, and other movement causes damage in many forms.
The most common types of damage that occurs to paper rolls in a boxcar are:
- Wet Damage
- Gouges / Foreign Object
- Splits / Cuts
- Chafing / Abrasion
- Crushed Core / Flat Spots
- Edge Wrinkles / Transit Burst
Many of these can be prevented by either implementing pre-load checks or injecting damage prevention products into key areas of the load plan.
As an example, use a rail carrier or AAR approved load plan and bracing method to avoid flat spots and crushed cores. Ensuring you are compliant with the AAR and other governing bodies will not only protect you from potential fines and law suits, but will ensure that your product arrives safely and without damage.
>> If you would like more information on this topic or need help with developing an AAR approved load plan, please feel free contact us by email or by calling our toll free number – 1-866-858-8800. Thank you for reading!
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