Bullet Liner offers a number of benefits for recreational-use vehicles, which is why it’s a favourite among auto, off-road and truck enthusiasts. However, our spray-on protective coating is also an essential technology for commercial and industrial customers across Europe who depend on it as a key automotive aftermarket accessory to enhance their business operations.

Bullet Liner’s elastomer sealant is an essential add on for fleets, cargo and delivery vans, semi-trucks and flatbeds, industrial trailers and other commercial utility vehicles that rely on physical transportation for the success of their business.  And while Bullet Liner’s consumer-facing applications help auto owners to take greater pride in their prized sports cars, pick-up trucks, roadsters, motorcycles and ATVs (by enhancing their appearance and protecting against road debris, damage and weathering), for enterprise vehicles, Bullet Liner serves yet an additional purpose.  Keeping that fleet or series of company branded vehicles in top physical shape is always a plus, but commercial customers often choose to treat their vehicles with Bullet Liner out of economic and safety considerations. The same applies for independent van owner/operators who know that managing logistics comes first.

Why is this?

The majority of commercial vehicles that can benefit from a spray on coating application are likely involved in the commercial transport of goods, packages, or equipment.  A cargo van driver makes his or her living by toting gear back and forth across town—typically loading and unloading multiple times per day. Not only do those deliveries have to arrive on time, packages must arrive unscathed and unbroken.  Bullet Liner’s premier elastomer protection adds an industrial grade, tensile strength to cargo and loading surfaces that helps to improve “grip” and steady items during transport.

The need to avoid cargo slippage has a dual impact—on both the state of the goods once they reach their intended destination, and, most importantly, in keeping drivers and cargo workers safe on the job.

• Fact #1:  In a report from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), it was reported that “when cargo slips and slides en route, it has a higher risk of damage, plus it creates a potentially dangerous scenario for workers, who are more vulnerable to injury during the unloading process.”  It also stated that “one of the most hazardous activities for the drivers apart from driving itself is loading and unloading of goods.”  When workers who are often hurried to load their cargo in the first place—then also hastily unload it—if that cargo has slid around during transport and doors are opened without care, significant injury can occur.  This is especially true if cargo comes flying out of the vehicle.  Typical injuries resulting from this type of scenario can include Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), if drivers or cargo unloading personnel are struck in the head.
• Fact #2:  Additionally, sliding cargo also poses a risk for drivers whose front seat area is exposed to the rear section of the vehicle.  According to BMJ Journals’ Injury Prevention, and Atlmetric Statistics, “unrestrained cargo in the rear of a vehicle represents a significant hazard to front seat occupants in the event of an accident.”  While certified cargo barriers are necessary to properly stop projectile cargo holdings from flying from the boot of the car into the driver cabin, Bullet Liner’s non-skid surfacing helps to mitigate this danger by providing additional support.
• Fact #3:  Separately, slippery surfaces also make workers more prone to themselves actually falling (for example, off of a truck flatbed).  According to analysis from HSE included in the above European evaluation, “the parts of vehicles from which falls most commonly occurred were: trailer (39% of accidents), flatbed (21% of accidents), tail lift/rear (7.5% of accidents) and roof etc. (7.5% of accidents).

While Bullet Liner isn’t a cure all, and it doesn’t take the place of authorized cargo barriers and other government mandated preventative measures, it does help to offer additional grip support on a variety of exterior vehicle surfaces.  When these surfaces are prone to workers “slipping and sliding,” elastomer coating can reduce the risk of cargo damage—and worker injury—in the trucking and transport industries.

Dock, Deck and Hull Safety

The same applies for personnel working in and around a marine environment—on cargo and mercantile boats, in and around dock areas, or in any other space that is frequently doused with water and can present a slipping hazard.  For boat decks, a coat of Bullet Liner not only keeps UV damage and weathering from the elements from denigrating boat surface exteriors, but it makes for a more controlled situation for individuals walking, working or climbing over objects typically found on or around marine vessels and equipment in dry dock, in the harbour, or out on the open seas (where the risk of falling has particularly dangerous consequences).

Regardless of the form of transit or the type of vehicle, safety should always come first for all businesses, when it comes to protecting employees—whether that business is one-person indy operation or a large scale commercial fleet.  Bullet Liner helps to make cargo transportation less hazardous out in the field, and that’s something any logistics operator can embrace.  And when safety measures are properly observed, businesses across vertical industries are able to better focus on the tasks at hand—including growing their operation, generating more customer business and improving a track record for greater performance and economic efficiency.

Please contact a representative from our European team to find out how Bullet Liner technology can help contribute to your business’ safety record and economic bottom line.  Click here to find out more.