According to the German Road Traffic Regulations, the cargo has to be secured in a vehicle so that it will not move, fall down, roll around, be shed or generate avoidable noise. This is required under normal conditions of operation including full braking, emergency braking, braking in a curve, fast lane changing and driving in a curve. The basis for a proper securing of cargo in delivery vans (N1-vehicles) includes a robust partitioning system which fully or partially separates the occupant compartment from the loading space, as well as lashing points. The partitioning system retains the cargo during braking, for example. Lashing points serve to hold lashing devices to secure the cargo, e.g. lashing straps for tiedown lashing.

In Germany, partitioning systems and lashing points for commercially employed new vehicles covered by the scope of the Accident Prevention Regulation for Vehicles (BDG D29) have been mandatory since 1996. DIN 75410-3 “Securing of Cargo in Truck Station Wagons (Closed Body)”, did apply here as the national technical regulation.

In order to anchor the tried-and-tested requirements regarding partition systems and lashing points in globally applicable regulations, the ISO/TC22/SC12 set up the workgroup WG9. On a voluntary basis non-governmental organisations and OEMs created the standard ISO 27956. As a result the national standard has not only been transferred into English but has also been further developed now. As the drafts ISO/CD 27956 and ISO/DIS 27956 were received favourably after their worldwide ballots, the final standard ISO 27956 has been approved now and will be published in the spring of 2009.

The paper will report on the necessity and the background as well as on the contents of this standard which may be used for self certification, for example. Prospects of further development of the Standard to cover latest additional equipment for load securing in delivery vans will be given as well.