If you’re a professional tradesperson, transporting your step laddersafely is arguably just as vital a skill as safely using it. Ladders that aren’t properly secured run the risk of suffering damage in transit, which could affect their integrity and safety to use. Finally, properly securing your ladder deters thieves when your vehicle is parked – which is never a pleasant surprise to return to! In this week’s post here at Browns, we’re running you through the best ways to protect yourself from all that.

 

Obviously, if you’ve got a folding step ladder or one with a similar sort of construction you’ll need to close it fully and properly before you secure it to the vehicle’s roof. Step ladder of a certain size might require you to draft in some help to carry it onto the vehicle’s roof. Even if you don’t think you need any, try to look at it objectively – it’s going to be faster to get some help in the first place than it is to learn your lesson by injuring yourself without it.

It is less difficult to transport small ladders, but when you are transporting large ladders, such as folding ladders and telescopic ladders, the difficulty increases. Particularly, for e step ladders more than 5 metres in section length, or ladders weighing more than 18kg, make sure you don’t attempt them alone. Whether you’re lifting it alone or not, make sure to bend your knees when you lift, and take the pressure off your lower back.

Now, when loading the step ladder  onto the vehicle:

 

 

1. Create a buffer

First of all you’ll want to form a buffer that protects both your car’s roof and the step ladder  itself. If you’ve already got a proper roof rack, this issue is already sorted. If you haven’t, then pillows, foam or a thick blanket (placed between the ladder and the roof) will all do the job equally well.

2. Secure the ladder firmly

Naturally, this is a particularly vital step. Once the ladder has been carefully laid on the roof (against the roof rack or between the bars), you’ll need to secure it at both the top and lower end using clamps, ropes or bungee cords. While any of these could feasibly do the job, we’d particularly recommend specialised ladder clamps. This is a lot to do with the security eyelets on each clamp, which enable you to fasten your own padlocks through the arm and horizontal clamp bar. Not only does this effectively guard against your ladder moving around too much or suffering damage, but it’s also great at deterring thieves when your vehicle is parked.

 

 

3. Test to make sure it’s secure

This is a step that many overlook when transporting their ladder for the first time, but we think that’s actually the most important time to do it. Once your ladder is secured, it’s an excellent idea to take your vehicle on a short test drive to check that the ladder isn’t shifting about on top of it. If you’re lucky enough to find a wide, isolated space such as a mostly empty car park, you can perform some sharp turns and hard braking to ensure that it’s staying firmly secure.

 

Finally, it’s vital to ensure that you’re well within the overhang requirements for your ladder. If not, you might well be breaking the law by taking it out onto the road.

 

Zhejiang Stable Master Industry and Trading Co.,Ltd. is a professional manufacturer of ladders. We have more than 10 years in manufacturing steel tube and steel bars exceeds 20000 tons for one year.

Our main products:

18 ft ladder    

folding stairs for home    

white step ladder    

3 step step ladder    

step stool wheels    

dock stairs aluminum    

6 foot aluminum ladder    

portable step ladder    

4 tread step ladder    

one step ladder    

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