Flatbed Securement Basics Every New Flatbedder Needs

On a flatbed, securement is your job, your liability and the most common reason for an out-of-service order. The federal rules can look complicated, but most loads come down to a few calculations: how strong your tiedowns are, how many you need, and whether the freight has its own special rules.

Here are the basics every new flatbedder should know. Always check the full rules for the exact freight you haul.

Where the rules come from

Cargo securement rules are in 49 CFR 393.100 to 393.136. They apply to commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce and set performance standards (the forces cargo must be held against), general rules for all cargo, and specific rules for certain commodities. FMCSA's cargo securement page has a driver's handbook that explains them with diagrams.

The basic standard: cargo must be contained, immobilized or secured so it can't leak, spill, blow off, fall off, shift or fall through the vehicle in a way that affects the truck's stability or handling.

Working load limits: the core math

Every chain, strap, binder and anchor point has a working load limit (WLL), the maximum load it's rated to handle. The key rule: the combined WLL of all your tiedowns must be at least half the weight of the cargo.

Illustrative example. The tiedown count rule below may require more, and the higher number wins.

A tiedown's WLL is limited by its weakest part: the strap, the binder, the hook or the anchor point on the trailer. Use gear that's marked with its WLL. Unmarked gear is assigned a default value under the rules, which is often lower than you'd expect.

A tiedown that goes from one side of the trailer, over the cargo, to the other side counts its full WLL; one that attaches the cargo directly to the trailer counts half.

How many tiedowns you need

Separately from the WLL math, 49 CFR 393.110 sets a minimum number of tiedowns based on each article's length and weight, when nothing blocks it from moving forward:

So a 25 ft article needs at least 4 tiedowns: 2 for the first 10 ft, then 1 each for the next 10 ft and the remaining 5 ft.

If the article is blocked from moving forward by a headerboard, bulkhead or other secured cargo, the rule is at least 1 tiedown for every 10 ft of length or part of it. Meet both the count and the WLL rule. Whichever requires more, that's your minimum.

Commodity-specific rules

Some freight has its own rules that replace or add to the general ones. Know them before you book that freight:

• Logs and dressed lumber or building materials
• Metal coils, with separate rules for coils with eyes vertical, crosswise or lengthwise
• Paper rolls and concrete pipe
• Intermodal containers
• Automobiles, light trucks and vans
• Heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery of 10,000 lbs or more, which need at least 4 tiedowns, placed as close as practical to the front and rear, and attachments like booms and buckets lowered and secured
• Flattened or crushed vehicles, roll-on/roll-off containers and large boulders

If you're new, start with freight that's simpler to secure, like palletized building materials, and work up to coils and heavy equipment. Our flatbed dispatchers book you at your level.

Tarping basics

Many steel and lumber loads ship tarped. Tarping is slow, physical and dangerous in wind, so plan for it:

• Know the tarp type before you book: lumber tarps, steel tarps or smoke tarps, and how many the load needs.
• Secure tarps so they can't flap loose. A loose tarp can tear, damage the cargo and become a hazard to other drivers.
• Check tarps at every securement check, and re-tighten bungees and straps as they loosen.
• Get tarp pay on the rate confirmation. If it isn't written down, it isn't agreed.

Gear checklist

• Straps with ratchets or winches, with readable WLL tags
• Grade 70 transport chains and binders, sized for the freight you haul
• Edge protectors and corner protectors, so straps don't cut or get cut
• Tarps and bungees, if you'll take tarped loads
• Dunnage and blocking material
• A headache rack or front-end structure in good condition
• Spare straps and a way to replace damaged gear on the road

Inspect your gear before every load. Cut, frayed or knotted straps, cracked hooks and stretched chain links all reduce strength, and an inspector can count a damaged tiedown as zero.

Checking your load on the road

Under 49 CFR 392.9, you must inspect the cargo and its securement within the first 50 miles of a trip and adjust as needed. After that, re-check whenever you change duty status, after 3 hours of driving, or after 150 miles, whichever comes first. Loads settle, straps stretch and tarps loosen, especially in the first hour.

Mistakes that get flatbedders put out of service

• Too few tiedowns for the article's length
• Aggregate WLL below half the cargo weight
• Damaged or unmarked straps and chains
• No edge protection where straps cross sharp edges
• Skipping the 50-mile check
• Using the general rules on a load with commodity-specific requirements

Getting paid for the extra work matters too. Tarps, extra straps and difficult loads deserve tarp pay or a higher rate, written on the rate confirmation. Our flatbed dispatchers confirm dimensions, weight, tarp needs and loading method before you accept, and negotiate tarp pay with the rate.