When tieing down equipment and hooking trailers wrong kills people

[Bigfoot62]

Did he point to a source for needing a chain? Over 10k pounds you need 4 tiedowns, but the FMCSA does not specify what your tiedown needs to be made from unless you are hauling crushed cars.

Aaron Z

Nope. This guy just told him two chains and four binders. Then, after he wrote the ticket, he followed my cousin home.

 

[DavesTractor]

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but you may still find yourself in trouble.

Last year, my cousin was given a ticket for an "unsecured load." The officer was a La State Police "Truck Safety" guy. (aka: DOT, Weight watcher)
Load was a CAT D3 dozer on a 12 ton g/n trailer, pulled by a Dodge 1 ton truck. Had two 4" nylon straps on it. (his trailer has the big strap winches, just like a 18-wheeler trailer) One strap across the C-frame and another across the floorboard. Straps were rated at 40,000 pounds each. The kind officer pointed out that it must be tied down with two chains.

BTW, this is the same officer that wrote me a ticket because my Kenworth had one brake that was 1/8" out of adjustment.

Being around 30k gross combined with a 1 ton will get some attention. If everything was balanced correctly, he was probably legal based on axle and tire loading maximums, but that is pushing it enough that a DOT guy might want to take a look. A little extra scrutiny probably.

I suspect the bigger issue was only having two tie downs as opposed to chains vs straps. You need to have 4 points.

 

[mfreund]

Almost every load you see on a semi is not secured in a way to prevent it from becoming unsecured in an accident. I don't even think laws are written to prevent a load from coming unsecured during an accident.

That is not true. There are laws that state the tie down devices (straps/chains) working limit must be at least equal to the weight of the cargo. Do they get enforced? No. I feel sorry for the family in the Sienna.

 

[buickanddeere]

Father-in law responded to a MVC that involved two persons on a touring bike. Bike had passed an oncoming Bubba with a trailer hauling plywood. A sheet of plywood spun loose and did a "frisbee" over the bike. Bike driver said to his wife "wow that was close" and she didn't answer. He tried the two way com system again and elbowed her but she was ignoring him. Just sitting there behind him. Biker pulled over and his wife fell forward onto the gas tank when he dismounted. Top of her forehead and helmet was missing.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Nope. This guy just told him two chains and four binders. Then, after he wrote the ticket, he followed my cousin home.

Let me just say this: just because a DOT officer writes you a ticket for it, don't make it illegal. And just because it's legal don't mean you won't get a ticket for it. As far as I know, there isn't any federal law on the books requiring chains over nylon binders (except, apparently, for crushed cars--did not know that). Especially when we're talking about small tractors in the 5000 lb and less range, I doubt DOT is likely to give a second look. But, hey, catch a guy on a bad day and what can you do? You'll have chains and he'll write you up for something else.

Did you fight the ticket? Did you ever find out what code section you were cited under?

 

[KennyG]

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration agrees with you from what I have found UNLESS you are hauling crushed cars in which case you must use metal tiedowns for some strange reason .

Aaron Z

Sharp edges?

 

[aczlan]

Sharp edges?

That or perhaps broken glass and possible spilled fluids that could weaken a strap

Aaron Z

 

[Fallon]

I cranked down the 10k straps over the bumper/brush guard on my L3200. Corners of the bar stock or plate weren't sharp, but my strap is now pretty frayed in the 2 spots on either side where it was pressing on the guard. Surprised me a dull corner could cut that well, but there is a lot of pressure there. I'll probably be using chains in the future, at least if things aren't smooth.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration agrees with you from what I have found UNLESS you are hauling crushed cars in which case you must use metal tiedowns for some strange reason .
Aaron Z

The reason they require chains for crushed cars is a chain is less likely to be cut by sharp metal edges. Sharp metal will go through a tight nylon strap like a hot knife through butter.

Nylon is fine, as long as the only thing the nylon touches is pure air, and the load won't shift into contact with the webbing; only the hooks on each end should be in contact with anything.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Let me just say this: just because a DOT officer writes you a ticket for it, don't make it illegal. And just because it's legal don't mean you won't get a ticket for it. As far as I know, there isn't any federal law on the books requiring chains over nylon binders (except, apparently, for crushed cars--did not know that). Especially when we're talking about small tractors in the 5000 lb and less range, I doubt DOT is likely to give a second look. But, hey, catch a guy on a bad day and what can you do? You'll have chains and he'll write you up for something else.

Did you fight the ticket? Did you ever find out what code section you were cited under?

I didn't see the ticket, he just told me about it. Not sure what the violation code was. If he appealed it, he didn't say, but I did talk to one of the state DOT captains on his behalf. The captain said the personally, HE would have never wrote the ticket. So, I don't know how it turned out. I need to ask my cousin. I DO know that now he carries chains and binders on that trailer.