Flatbed Securement: Working Load Limit, Tiedowns and Edge Protection
Securement is where open-deck work differs most from van work, and it is where roadside inspections concentrate. The rules sit in 49 CFR Part 393, Subpart I. Here are the parts that come up on almost every load.
Working load limit and the half-the-weight rule
Under 49 CFR 393.106, the aggregate working load limit of the tiedowns securing an article must be at least one half the weight of that article. Working load limit is not breaking strength. It is the rated capacity marked on the strap, chain or binder, and it is the only number that counts for compliance. A 20,000 pound coil needs tiedowns adding up to at least 10,000 pounds of working load limit.
How many tiedowns the load needs
49 CFR 393.110 sets the minimum count by length and weight. One tiedown for an article 5 feet or shorter weighing 1,100 pounds or less. Two tiedowns if the article is 5 feet or shorter but heavier than 1,100 pounds, or if it is longer than 5 feet and up to 10 feet at any weight. For anything longer than 10 feet, two tiedowns plus one more for every additional 10 feet or fraction of it. These are minimums, not targets.
Edge protection is a requirement, not a courtesy
49 CFR 393.104(f)(4) is explicit: edge protection must be used whenever a tiedown would be subject to abrasion or cutting at the point where it touches the cargo. Steel plate, machined parts and anything with a square corner will chew through a strap under load. Corner protectors cost very little compared with a cut strap at highway speed.
No knots, no damaged gear
49 CFR 393.104(f)(1) states plainly that tiedowns and securing devices must not contain knots. 393.104(b) requires that everything in the securement system is in proper working order, with no damaged or weakened components such as cracks or cuts that would affect performance. A frayed strap you were planning to replace next week is a violation today.
Check it again after you roll
Under 49 CFR 392.9 you have to inspect the cargo and the securement devices within the first 50 miles of a trip and make any adjustments needed. After that, re-examine whenever you change duty status, after three hours of driving, or after 150 miles, whichever comes first. Straps settle and loads shift in the first few miles. That first check is the one that catches it.
Some commodities have their own rules
Sections 393.116 through 393.136 set specific requirements for logs, dressed lumber, metal coils, paper rolls, concrete pipe, intermodal containers, vehicles, heavy equipment, flattened cars, roll-on containers and large boulders. If you are hauling any of those, the general rules above are the floor and the commodity rule is what you actually have to meet.
None of this is optional, and none of it is obscure. Inspectors know these sections by number, and a securement violation can put the truck out of service on the spot. Carrying the right gear and knowing the four or five numbers above is most of the job.
OpenDeck is the open-deck front end for the Load Work platform. Filter by trailer type and lane, set alerts for the freight that fits your setup, and book through Load Work.
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