EUMOS 40509

Load unit securing has increasingly attracted the attention of legislators over the last 10 years. Fortunately, that is, because ultimately no safe transport of goods on the road can be achieved without adequate load unit securing.

What is EUMOS 40509?

Section 22 of the German Highway Code (StVO) requires safe loading in accordance with the recognized standard of technology. Many people think primarily of load securing here, i.e. securing the pallet on the truck. However, there must be a good interplay between load and load unit security in order to fulfill the criteria listed in the legal text. No matter how firmly a pallet is placed on the truck, if the load unit deforms by 20% during emergency braking, it is no longer safe to transport.

Sadly negative example - Unfortunately, very many loading units are still inadequately secured.

§ 22 (1) StVO

The load, including load securing devices and loading equipment, must be stowed and secured in such a way that they cannot slip, fall over, roll back and forth, fall down or generate avoidable noise, even during emergency braking or sudden evasive action. The recognized standards of technology must be observed.

WHAT IS EUMOS?

The EUMOS (European Safe Logistics Association) is a European non-profit association dedicated to the development of safety standards for the logistics sector. EUMOS members are high-ranking logistics, cargo and load unit security experts and specialists who contribute their experience and expertise to the standards.

Since the German Highway Code (StVO) does not further specify what the "recognized standards of technology" are, reference is often made in connection with load unit securing to the EU Directive 2014/47, which, in Annex 3, uses EUMOS 40509 as a standard for the securing of loading units. EUMOS 40509 is a standard that defines how one can measure whether a load unit is stable enough to meet the requirements of road transport. If you have your loading units certified according to EUMOS 40509, you can make a well-founded statement about your loading unit stability, for example to your customers.



What does EUMOS 40509 state?

EUMOS standard 40509 describes the maximum deformations and displacements that may occur on a stable pallet during transport. A distinction is made here between dynamic deformation, permanent deformation and the displacement of the individual layers (vertical gap).

  • Dynamic deformation

Dynamic deformation describes the behavior of the load unit during a traffic event, such as emergency braking. The abrupt movement causes the loading unit to move and deform briefly. According to EUMOS 40509, this deformation must not exceed 10%.

Pallet showing dynamic deformation during transport

Dynamische Deformation < 10 % während des Transports

Pallet showing permanent deformation after transport

Permanente Deformation < 5 % nach Transport

  • Permanent deformation

When the load unit has calmed down again after a traffic event and is no longer in motion, the permanent deformation is measured. According to EUMOS 40509, this must generally not exceed 5%. If a pallet is higher than 120 cm, the maximum value is 6 cm. The lower 20 cm of the pallet may only move by 4 cm in any case.

How do I test whether my load units are EUMOS 40509 compliant?

If you want to check whether your loading units comply with EUMOS 40509 for certification, this is done by means of dynamic testing on a so-called acceleration bench. Uniquely in Germany, the Enviro Group has a mobile test center that can be used for on-site testing. Otherwise, there is the less flexible option of transporting a pre-packed load unit to an external test center, in which case the results are not comparably significant, as the original condition of the pallet can be distorted by the transport.

Conclusion The EUMOS standard 40509 determines how to measure the stability of a load unit. With an EUMOS certificate, you can make an informed statement about your load unit stability. EUMOS-compliant load unit security is clearly beneficial, as transport damage and complaints are minimized. Learn more now about Testing and certification according to EUMOS 40509 =>