Load Securing Officer
Ensures loads are secured to the state of the art: securing-force calculations, lashing-equipment checks, loading instructions, and driver training per VDI 2700 and the carrier's duties under § 412 HGB.
VDI 2700 et seq. · § 22 StVO · § 412 HGB
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What is a Load Securing Officer?
The Load Securing Officer (Beauftragte für Ladungssicherung) makes sure goods are secured to the state of the art so they cannot shift, fall or endanger road users during transport. Load securing is a shared responsibility across loader, carrier, vehicle keeper and driver, and the officer is the function that brings method, calculation and documentation to it inside a company that loads or carries goods.
The state of the art is set out in the VDI 2700 series (Securing of loads on road vehicles) and its sub-sheets, covering securing methods, lashing equipment, friction, securing-force calculation and slip-resistant materials. VDI 2700 is widely recognised as the technical reference that courts and authorities use to judge whether load securing was adequate.
The road-traffic duty comes from Section 22 of the Road Traffic Regulations (Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung, StVO), which requires loads, including equipment for securing them, to be stowed and secured so that even on emergency braking or sudden evasive movement they cannot slip, fall, roll, make noise or otherwise create danger. Section 23 StVO addresses the driver's responsibility for a roadworthy, properly secured vehicle, and Section 31 of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO) addresses the keeper's responsibility.
In freight law, Section 412 of the Commercial Code (Handelsgesetzbuch, HGB) allocates loading and unloading duties between consignor and carrier, making the consignor responsible for load-safe loading and securing unless otherwise agreed. The officer operationalises these duties: securing-force calculations, lashing-equipment checks, written loading instructions and driver training so that vehicles leave the yard correctly secured.
Core duties of the Load Securing Officer
- Calculate securing forces and select securing methods to the state of the art per VDI 2700.
- Check lashing equipment, straps, chains and anti-slip mats for condition and capacity.
- Issue written loading instructions for recurring goods and vehicle combinations.
- Train and instruct loaders and drivers on correct load securing and load distribution.
- Allocate loading and securing duties in line with Section 412 HGB and contract terms.
- Ensure vehicles meet Section 22 StVO before they leave the loading point.
- Verify load-distribution plans against axle loads and permissible weights.
- Document securing arrangements, checks and instructions for inspection.
- Investigate load-shift incidents and feed findings back into instructions.
- Keep up with VDI 2700 updates, EN 12195 lashing standards and authority practice.
When is appointment required?
There is no statute that names a mandatory Load Securing Officer. The duties are imposed directly on the actors in the transport chain: Section 22 StVO on whoever loads and secures, Section 23 StVO on the driver, Section 31 StVZO on the keeper, and Section 412 HGB on the consignor and carrier. Because these duties are demanding and legally exposed, companies that load or carry goods commonly appoint a Load Securing Officer to organise compliance and demonstrate that the state of the art was applied.
The practical trigger is operating loading points or a vehicle fleet where goods must be secured. Once a company routinely loads trucks, dispatches freight or runs its own transport, it needs reliable securing-force calculations, fit-for-purpose lashing equipment, loading instructions and trained staff. Appointing an officer concentrates this competence and creates a documented, defensible process, which matters because load-securing failures carry fines, liability and, after accidents, criminal exposure.
The appointment should be in writing, define scope and authority, confirm the officer's qualification in VDI 2700 and the relevant standards, and grant access to equipment, instructions and training budgets. As with other officer functions, the appointment organises and evidences compliance but does not remove the underlying legal duties from the loader, driver, keeper and carrier.
- Operating loading points where goods are loaded onto road vehicles
- Running an own-account or commercial transport fleet
- Acting as consignor with loading and securing duties under Section 412 HGB
- Recurring load-shift findings or roadside-check penalties
- Handling heavy, bulky or hazardous loads needing engineered securing
- Insurer or customer requirement for a documented securing process
Industries that need this role
- Freight forwarding and road haulage
- Manufacturing with own dispatch and loading docks
- Building materials, steel and heavy goods
- Beverage and food logistics
- Wholesale and distribution centres
- Machinery and plant transport
- Timber, paper and roll goods
- Waste and recycling logistics
- Retail with own delivery fleets
- Chemical and dangerous-goods transport
How CIVAC supports the Load Securing role
CIVAC gives the Load Securing Officer a structured way to keep state-of-the-art securing demonstrable. Loading instructions, securing-force calculations and load-distribution plans live in the documentation pillar as versioned records, retrievable per goods type and vehicle combination. Recurring obligations, lashing-equipment inspections, driver and loader training under VDI 2700, and periodic review of instructions, become scheduled tasks with owners and due dates, so nothing lapses before a roadside check or audit. Load-shift incidents can be logged and tracked from investigation to revised instruction. When an authority, insurer or customer asks how the company meets Section 22 StVO and Section 412 HGB, the officer can show the calculations, checks and training in one place.
Frequently asked questions
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