Equipment Tie-down Question

[rasimmo]

The only regulations that get specific are for commercial use. Noncommercial laws that I have been able to find only say the load has to be secure. The federal regs from the link provided in a previous post says "commercial motor vehicles (as defined in 49 CFR 390.5) operated in interstate commerce". If you fall in this catagory you must follow the regs. If you are not commercial it is not a bad idea to follow them anyway for safety reasons, but not reauired.

 

[Ken45101]

The only regulations that get specific are for commercial use. Noncommercial laws that I have been able to find only say the load has to be secure. The federal regs from the link provided in a previous post says "commercial motor vehicles (as defined in 49 CFR 390.5) operated in interstate commerce". If you fall in this catagory you must follow the regs. If you are not commercial it is not a bad idea to follow them anyway for safety reasons, but not reauired.

Agreed.

But there is another issue: If you have an accident, you will be on a lot safer ground if you are meeting the federal regs rather than having your load tied down with bailing wire.


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Okay, I have to tell a little story. We saw a local tow company moving a small motorhome on a rollback without having it tied down at all! :confused2: Sure, they were probably only going a couple of blocks but..... this is the same outfit that had a neighboring city's fire department ladder truck come loose on the highway for a total loss! Hmmmm...... That city's paid fire department was without an aerial truck for a year and had to call on an out of state volunteer department for all major fires.

Ken

 

[rasimmo]

with the way lawsuits are nowadays, you need to take every precaution.

While we are telling stories, a couple weeks ago I saw a guy hauling two tractors on a tandem dual gn trailer. One was a M9540 Kubota with loader, the other was a T100 NH (I think). One was all the way forward on the trailer with bucket on the top of the hitch. the other was loaded backwards with the bucket on the top of the ramps. No straps, chains, or even baling wire holding them on. He was towing that with a 1 ton truck. there is no telling how many laws that thing broke. I just hope he made it where he was going without any problems.

 

[joshuabardwell]

there is no telling how many laws that thing broke. I just hope he made it where he was going without any problems.

It always amazes me what kind of BS people get away with when towing or loading their trucks.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I think if I were the guy who got the ticket for not having the FEL tied down I would have asked for a jury trial. The federal regs are clear that a piece of equipment is treated just like a car. Tie off the axles and that is all that is required. I am pretty sure any judge would have thrown out the case by just quoting the regulation. A few photos wouldnt hurt either.
Regarding chains, the regs are also clear that straps and chains must be marked. An unmarked chain is automatically regarded as proof coil grade 30 (lowest grade made) regardless of actual grade. Binders must be rated for the max load that is applied regardless of chain load rating. That is why I have 9200# rated binders to bind my 4000# TLB. and my minimum chain WLL is 5400# so even one chain will hold the max load.

 

[boggen]

living on farm all my life. if it is not farm tuff, then it is a piece of junk.

torn up more chains, cables, straps, bolts, metal, than i care to admit.

in IL there is a catch them all phrase in the laws. ""load must be safely tied down"" for when you get in an accident.

my experience, if i try say 2 small chains vs a larger beefer higher grade chain. the 2 smaller chains rated half of the single large chain. both small chains will break first. before the larger chain.

ya you might have really put your muscle and body weight into tightening things down and perhaps even used a cheater bar to do so. but what ever you have in the bed of pickup truck or on the trailer. when ya get in an accident or hit large bumps, the load will shift and move around on you. and it will not move perfectly. it will cause one chain to loosen and another chain to get tighter. and as soon as you get in an accident. the one smaller chain taking all the weight. is going to bust first, then next one, and so on and so forth. and by the time tractor or what ever you are hauling moment slows down enough, what ever you are hauling is off and out of the pickup or off the trailer.

another thing to think about. smaller rated chains, the metal of the chains are more likely to stretch and individual pieces of the chain will pull apart. on a larger rated chain. the metal is thicker and will require that much more force to physically stretch the metal to point of pulling the chain apart.

i am not real keen on "straps" on some things. half the time hauling junk out that has "sharp edges" that could easily cut through portion of a strap. and weaken the strap enough to break. other times hauling stuff out i really do not want chains to scratch up and dent. and use straps.

 

[creekbend]

I am finding this thread informative. Especially in regards to the FEL bucket issue. It seems that if the FEL and bucket were attached to the tractor, there would be no requirement to secure it if the tractor, itself, was properly and lawfully tied down and secure.Thanks for posting.

 

[Dr Dave]

If you have a boom lock, and pivot lock, on a smaller backhoe and mechanical lock for outriggers, then they dont have to be tied to trailer. On older equiptment, my employer had us add restraint chains, from outriggers to each side of backhoe boom. This keeps outriggers up, backhoe up, and prevent swaying side to side. This was OK with DOT. Mini excavators and large backhoes, have buckets chained to deck. We run front tie down chains over FEL bucket, keeps DOT happy.
Tie down straps loose 25% rated capacity when wet, and if exposed to UV light,or chemicals they are also derated, interesting info, from a Dakota Riggers presentation.

 

[glkingar]

[/QUOTE] hit large bumps, the load will shift and move around on you. and it will not move perfectly. it will cause one chain to loosen and another chain to get tighter. and as soon as you get in an accident. the one smaller chain taking all the weight. is going to bust first, then next one, and so on and so forth. and by the time tractor or what ever you are hauling moment slows down enough, what ever you are hauling is off [/QUOTE]

This is why drivers of flat bed loads are required to check the load often. When I haul my tractor I always check my load about 15 minutes down the road or right after what passes as a road out of our property. Any shifting will happen by then for sure.

 

[Ken45101]

This is why drivers of flat bed loads are required to check the load often. When I haul my tractor I always check my load about 15 minutes down the road or right after what passes as a road out of our property. Any shifting will happen by then for sure.

^^^ What he said.

That too is an advantage of the ratchet type adjusters rather than the boom type. The ratchet types are easier to get tight and easier to take up the slack after a few miles.

Ken