Cargo Tie-Down Rules Get Regulatory Update
A new set of standards on cargo tiedown and securement could be in force as early as July 1, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The new standard will stipulate the ways in which certain cargo — such as metal coils, logs and paper rolls — is secured to a trailer. It will also order manufacturers of tie-down devices to put “capacity” labels on them so users know the load limitations of straps and chains.
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Current regulations, which are more than 20 years old, lack the engineering data to support certain requirements, such as the number of tie-downs to help keep cargo on a flatbed trailer, agency officials said.
Calls for government action to write better standards in hopes of preventing cargo from falling off trailers were raised in the early 1990s. They followed several incidents on Canadian and New York roads in which steel coils rolled off flatbeds and killed motorists. There also were instances of falling cargo causing property damage.
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