The Tropical Shipping Cargo Handling Specialist is the recipient of the 2024 Saltchuk President’s Award for Safety Innovation.
After witnessing a near-miss situation in which cargo wasn’t properly secured on a flatrack container, George Salazar had an idea.
The cargo handler at Tropical Shipping asked if he could use a 40-foot shipping container to create a flatrack inspection depot at the Miami warehouse. Inside, he stored tools — chains, cutters, straps, measuring poles, and more — that he needed to ensure each flatrack load was secure and would pass inspection.
“It made it easier. If I want to fix something right away, I have the tools,” says Salazar, winner of the 2024 Saltchuk President’s Award for Safety Innovation.
A flatrack is an open-type container that allows cargo to be loaded from the top or sides and secured with straps. It’s used for cargo that either won’t fit inside a standard shipping container, or for freight — such as bundled PVC pipe — that’s easier to load from the top or sides.
The art of the load
As Salazar will tell you, there’s an art to loading a flatrack properly so that its cargo stays secure and doesn’t spill onto the highway.
The load weight must be checked. Heavy-duty plastic corners need to be inserted to protect the straps from sharp edges that could cause them to break and give way. When possible, it’s best to combine similar cargo—metal with metal, lumber with lumber, and PVC pipe with PVC pipe.
“My position is senior cargo handling specialist, but I consider myself a loadmaster — someone who can handle any type of cargo, using any type of machinery,” he says. “I will be the one responsible if something goes wrong.
“Loading flatracks entails many risks — for the person loading, for the drivers, and for everyone on the highway daily.”
George’s nominator, Tropical Miami Warehouse Manager Brandon Johnson, explained that George worked with flatrack specialists in the Port of Palm Beach to become an expert himself. “George trained other employees in the craft of flatrack safety, and utilized his newly constructed flatrack inspection depot to inspect and re-secure all flatracks before they leave the facility,” says Johnson. “Because of George’s innovative thinking and commitment to safety, Tropical and Florida roadways are just a little bit safer each day.”
Miami to Peru and back again
Salazar was born in Miami and lived there until he was six years old. Then, his family moved back to their native Peru. There, he was enrolled in a school for Chinese speakers because the Spanish-speaking school session had already started. He still knows a few words in Chinese.
He attended university in Peru, earning a degree in economics. After graduating, he returned to Miami and worked as a price analyst, then a cargo inspector. He joined Tropical in 1998 as an inspector on the night shift. He also became part of the hazmat team, a position he continues in today.
“George is one of the original hazardous materials response specialists, with over 25 years managing hazardous materials cargo spills and protecting his fellow teammates,” says Johnson.
Salazar eventually worked his way onto the day shift and spent over 20 years on it. But he volunteered to return to nights to help teach new team members how to operate safely. He worries that new employees may not fully understand the dangers involved in handling hazardous material cargo and what could happen if they come in contact with it.
“It’s important to share what I have learned over all this time with the new guys,” Salazar says.
Where everybody knows your name
He loves the freedom that comes with working outdoors — even if that sometimes means coping with bad weather. He’s gotten used to that.
And while the night shift pay differential helps, he says his job is about more than the money.
“I’m comfortable at Tropical,” he says. “Everybody knows me there.”