Load Securement – Don’t Get Tied Up in the Legalities of Tie Downs

Peter J. Trimble Fred Kovall

Fred KovallAnderson Trucking Service

Pete TrimbleKeen Transport

What would you like to know about Cargo Securement?

Load Securement• §393.100 General rules for protection against

shifting or falling cargo

Why do we secure loads?• Prevent damage • Protect the public• Protect ourselves• Comply with DOT regulations

The top three reason for the OOS

• D.O.T. requires that a load check be completed the first 50 miles after loading and thereafter

every 150 miles or 3 hours which ever occurs first.

• Additionally, every change of duty status a load check is required to be performed.

Calculate DOT Minimums• Know what loads are commodity specific

• 393.130 what are the rules for securing heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery?

Commodity Specific Load

Know securement for specific commodity types

• - Logs• - Dressed Lumber• - Metal Coils Paper Rolls• - Concrete Pipe• - Intermodal Containers

Know securement for specific commodity types

• - Automobiles, light Trucks and Vans• - Heavy Vehicles, equipment and Machinery• - Flattened or Crushed Vehicles• - Roll on / Roll off Containers• - Large Boulders

• 393.110 What else do I have to do when determining the minimum number of tie downs?

Calculate DOT Minimums1 securement device for every 10’ of length– Example load is 51’ long

• How many devices are needed?• Add “2” to the first number in the load length 5+2 = 7 devices needed

51 ft

Calculate DOT Minimums

1 securement device for every 10’ of length– Example load is 51’ long

• How many devices are needed?• Add “2” to the first number in the load length

51 ft

5+2 = 7 devices needed51 ft

1 securement device for every 10’ of lengthExample load is 51’ long

How many devices are needed?Add “2” to the first number in the load length

5+2 = 7 devices needed

Calculate DOT Minimums

9 ft12 ft

9 ft12 ft ft ft

9 ft

What if the load is multiple pieces?The second stack is considered as the first piece on the trailer

If there isn’t a marking on the chain then it drops to the lowest WLL for it’s size.

Chain Grade

Chain Size

Gr 30 Gr 43 Gr 70 Gr 80 Gr 100

lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs

5/16 1,900 3,900 4,700 4,500

3/8 2,650 5,400 6,600 7,100 8,800

1/2 4,500 9,200 11,300 12,000 15,000

5/8 6,900 13,000 15,800 18,100 22,600

Calculating the minimum number of tie downs to use.

Weight of load / WLL = Direct securement

Direct securement / 2 = Indirect securementYou must always round your decimal point up (3.02 would round up to 4).

• In addition to weight you must also take into consideration the length of your cargo.

• 5 foot or less 1,100 pounds or less = 1 tie down • Over 1,100 pounds but 5 foot or less 2 tie downs

• 5 – 10 foot = 2 tie down’s• Longer than 10 foot = 2 + 1 for every additional 10 foot

or fraction thereof.

• Strap A has two cuts/tears in it that are each ½” long. Since both cuts/tears are on the same side and neither one is over ¾” this strap is still legal.

• Strap B has cuts/tears on both side of the strap. Since the cut or tears are on opposite side they are added together. Strap B has a 1” cut/tear and the driver would be put out of service.

• Strap C has cuts/tears and a hole in it. The cuts/tears from both sides are added together and so is the hole in the strap. This driver would be placed out of service for having a ¾” cut/tear.

• The cuts/tears do not have to be across from each other; if they are 10’ apart they still add up of they are on opposite sides.

4”

½”

A

4”

½”

½”B

¼”

4”

¼”

C

¼”

• - Driving• - Adjust driving habits to load and conditions.• - Machines can run over top of your cab!• - Sheet steel can cut your cab in two!• - Steel pipe can punch holes through cab!• - Coils can crush your cab!• - Top heavy loads can turn you over!

1-15-2013, CLARKSVILLE, TENN. — Police on Monday identified the man killed Saturday afternoon when a front-end loader he was hauling on a flatbed truck shifted forward and crushed the cab.

Securement Review• Securement OOS reasons

– Loose – complete timely load checks, especially soon after loading– Commodity – Is the piece over 10,000 lbs: then it needs minimum 4 pts

+ additional– Insufficient – usually not having 2 straps in first 10 feet of load– Damaged – straps cut more than ¾ of an inch is an OOS strap– Dunnage – anything that is sitting on the deck of the trailer not tied

down. Dunnage, bolts, dirt, anything

Calculate DOT Minimums• 28,750 / 4700 = 6.11 = 7 chains direct• 28,750 / 6600 = 4.35 = 5 chains direct• Where to place securement?– Any DOT required securement methods?

• Load is Commodity Specific – on wheels >10,000lbs

Commodity Specific Load

Calculate DOT Minimums• Don’t forget about length when securing.– 1 securement device for every 10’ of length– 2 devices must be in the first 10’

>5 ft in length and/or >1,100 lbs

Loose Items

Do you have any other questions, thoughts, comments or concerns?