CVSA made cargo securement one of two focus areas of the 2026 International Roadcheck (May 12–14), alongside ELDs. In the 2025 Roadcheck, out of 56,178 inspections, 18.1% of vehicles went out of service, and cargo securement produced roughly 11% of all vehicle OOS violations (CVSA Roadcheck results).
The legal base is 49 CFR Part 393, Subpart I (§§393.100–393.136). The §393.102 standard: securement must withstand 0.8 g deceleration forward and 0.5 g rearward and laterally. If the math fails on paper, the violation is written before anything falls.
Under §393.108, the WLL of a tiedown assembly is the lowest WLL of any component — chain or strap, tensioner, hooks, anchor point. A 6,600-lb chain hooked to a 2,000-lb rub-rail anchor is a 2,000-lb tiedown. Second trap: unmarked welded chain is rated as Grade 30 proof coil by default, whatever you paid for it.
| Tie-down | Size | WLL (marked) | WLL if unmarked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain Grade 70 | 5/16" | 4,700 lbs | 1,900 lbs (as Grade 30) |
| Chain Grade 70 | 3/8" | 6,600 lbs | 2,650 lbs (as Grade 30) |
| Chain Grade 30 | 1/4" | 1,300 lbs | 1,300 lbs |
| Synthetic webbing | 2" | per label (~3,300 lbs typical) | 2,000 lbs |
| Synthetic webbing | 4" | per label | 4,000 lbs |
Practical rule: buy marked Grade 70 chain and keep grade stamps and strap labels legible — unmarked, a 3/8" G70 chain drops from 6,600 to 2,650 lbs on paper.
§393.106(d): the aggregate WLL of all tiedowns securing an article (or group) must be at least one-half the cargo weight. The aggregate is not a simple sum:
§393.110 sets the minimum count for cargo not blocked against forward movement:
| Article | Minimum tie-downs |
|---|---|
| ≤ 5 ft AND ≤ 1,100 lbs | 1 |
| ≤ 5 ft AND > 1,100 lbs | 2 |
| > 5 ft and ≤ 10 ft (any weight) | 2 |
| > 10 ft | 2 for the first 10 ft + 1 per additional 10 ft or fraction |
| Blocked against forward movement (headerboard, bulkhead, other cargo) | 1 per 10 ft or fraction |
Example: a 24-ft bundle of beams, not blocked in front — 2 tiedowns for the first 10 ft plus 2 for the remaining 14 ft = 4 minimum. Then run the §393.106(d) math separately: both tests must pass.
| Commodity | Section | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Logs | §393.116 | Vehicle designed/adapted for logs (bunks, bolsters, stakes); each outside log touches ≥ 2 stakes; ≤ 4 processed logs may use general rules |
| Dressed lumber | §393.118 | Bundle-specific tiedown and blocking rules for packaged lumber |
| Metal coils | §393.120 | Applies at ≥ 5,000 lbs (single or grouped); rules differ by eye orientation; X-pattern through the eye prohibited for eyes-crosswise coils |
| Concrete pipe | §393.124 | On flatbeds and lowboys; pipe bundled rigid or in a sided vehicle follows general rules |
| Autos, light trucks, vans | §393.128 | ≤ 10,000 lbs: restrain front AND rear, min 2 tiedowns; webbing on tires needs no edge protection |
| Heavy equipment | §393.130 | ≥ 10,000 lbs: min 4 tiedowns; lower and secure booms/shovels; prevent articulation in transit |
§393.104(f): whenever a tiedown would be subject to abrasion or cutting where it touches the cargo — and the protector itself must resist abrasion, cutting and crushing. Related rules: tiedowns must not contain knots, and any damaged component (cut webbing, cracked hook weld) makes the whole tiedown illegal — a cut strap counts as zero toward your aggregate WLL.
§392.9(b) puts three checkpoints on every trip (what officers check roadside: Roadside Inspection Survival Guide):
Flatbed vs dry van: the duty is identical, the exception is not. Under §392.9(b)(4), a driver of a sealed load ordered not to break the seal — the classic dry-van scenario — is exempt from physical cargo inspection. A flatbedder has no such shelter: everything is visible, so everything is his responsibility, even when the shipper's crew loaded and strapped it.
Cargo securement violations land in the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC of the SMS (how percentiles work: CSA Scores Explained). Each violation carries a severity weight of 1 to 10, an OOS finding adds 2 points, capped at 30 per inspection. A triple hit in one stop, time-weighted over 24 months, is often what pushes a small carrier over the intervention threshold and triggers the audit letter (what happens during a DOT audit).
Most securement violations are process failures: nobody ran the WLL math, nobody re-checked at 50 miles. TruckerNavi Safety Compliance ($189–$499/mo) builds securement into driver training, monitors your Vehicle Maintenance BASIC monthly, and disputes bad violations through DataQs. Starting from scratch? The Authority Bundle $799 sets up LLC, USDOT, MC, BOC-3, UCR and Clearinghouse. We work in Russian and English.
Call (315) 871-0833 — Free Securement Compliance Check§393.106(d): total tiedown WLL ≥ 1/2 cargo weight. Direct and same-side attachments count 50% of WLL; a tiedown crossing to the other side of the vehicle counts 100%.
§393.110: one for ≤ 5 ft and ≤ 1,100 lbs; two if ≤ 5 ft but heavier, or 5–10 ft long; over 10 ft — two plus one per additional 10 ft or fraction. Blocked-in-front cargo: one per 10 ft.
Unmarked chain defaults to Grade 30: 1/4" = 1,300 lbs, 5/16" = 1,900 lbs, 3/8" = 2,650 lbs. Unmarked webbing: 2" = 2,000, 3" = 3,000, 4" = 4,000 lbs. Marked G70 3/8" = 6,600 lbs.
Before driving, within the first 50 miles, then at every change of duty status, 3 hours, or 150 miles — whichever comes first (§392.9(b)). Sealed loads under orders not to open are exempt.
§393.120 applies from 5,000 lbs, individually or grouped. Securement depends on eye orientation; for eyes-crosswise coils the X-pattern through the eye is prohibited and rolling must be chocked.
Whenever a tiedown is subject to abrasion or cutting where it touches cargo (§393.104(f)). The protector must resist abrasion, cutting and crushing. Knots and damaged components are prohibited.
Vehicle Maintenance BASIC, severity weights 1–10, plus 2 for OOS, capped at 30 per inspection. Cargo securement was ~11% of vehicle OOS violations in the 2025 Roadcheck.
Yes — §392.9 puts the duty on the driver, except sealed loads he is ordered not to open. TruckerNavi Safety Compliance from $189/mo adds securement checks: (315) 871-0833.