§ 393.106 What are the general requirements for securing articles of cargo?
Wording in the annual edition revised as of Oct. 1, 2003, superseded by the 2006 annual edition.
(a) General ruleApplicability. (1)The Exceptrules as provided in paragraph (g) of this section, everyare cargo-carryingapplicable motorto vehiclethe musttransportation be equipped with a headerboard or similar device of sufficientall strengthtypes to prevent load shifting and penetration or crushing of thearticles driver's compartment.of
(2) On and after the effective dates specified in paragraph (h) this sectioncargo, everyexcept cargo-carryingcommodities motorin vehiclebulk mustthat havelack a front-end structure thator conformsfixed toshape the rules in this section.(b) Locatione.g., Theliquids, front-endgases, structuregrain, mustliquid beconcrete, locatedsand, betweengravel, the vehicle's cargo and the vehicle's driver.aggregates)
(cHeight and width.are Thetransported front-endin structure must extend either to a heighttank, ofhopper, 4box feet above the floor of the vehicle or tosimilar adevice heightthat atforms whichpart it blocks forward movement of anythe itemstructure of cargoa beingcommercial carriedmotor on the vehicle, whichever is lower. The front-endrules structurein mustthis havesection aapply width which is at least equal to the widthcargo oftypes thecovered vehicleby orthe whichcommodity-specific blocksrules forward movement of any§ item393.116 ofthrough cargo§ being transported on the vehicle, whichever is narrower393.
(d) Strengthfrontcommodity-endspecific structurerules musttake beprecedence capableover of withstanding the horizontalgeneral forwardrequirements static load specified in either paragraph (d) (1) or (2) of this section.
(1)Forwhen aadditional front-endrequirements structureare lessgiven thanfor 6 feet in height, a horizontalcommodity forwardlisted staticin loadthose equal to one half sections.
(1/2b) ofGeneral. theCargo weightmust ofbe thefirmly cargoimmobilized beingor transportedsecured on theor vehicle uniformly distributed over the entire portion of the front-end structure that is within 4 feet above the vehicle's floor or that is at or below a height above the vehicle's floorby atstructures which it blocks forward movement of anyadequate itemstrength, ofdunnage theor vehicle'sdunnage cargobags, whichevershoring isbars, less.tiedowns
(2)For a front-end structure 6 feet in height or higher, a horizontalcombination forward static load equal to four-tenths (0.4) of the weight of the cargo being transported on the vehicle uniformly distributed over the entire front-end structurethese.
(ec) PenetrationCargo resistance.placement The front-end structure must be designed, constructed and maintainedrestraint. so(1) thatArticles it is capable of resisting penetration by any item of cargo that contactsare itlikely whento theroll vehicle decelerates at a rate of 20 feet per second per second. The front-end structure must havebe norestrained apertureby largechocks, enoughwedges, toa permitcradle anyor itemother ofequivalent cargomeans in contact with the structure to passprevent through itrolling.
(f)Substitute devices. The requirementsmeans of thispreventing sectionrolling maymust not be metcapable by the use of devicesbecoming performingunintentionally theunfastened sameor functionsloose aswhile a front-end structure, if the devicesvehicle areis atin least as strong as, and provide protection against shifting cargo at least equal to, a front-end structure which conforms to those requirementstransit.
(g2) Exemptions.Articles Theor followingcargo motorplaced vehiclesbeside areeach exemptother fromand thesecured rulesby intransverse thistiedowns sectionmust either:
(1i) ABe vehicleplaced whichin isdirect designedcontact andwith usedeach exclusively to transport other vehicles, if each vehicle it transports is securely tied down by devices that conform to the requirements of § 393.102.or
(2ii) ABe poleprevented trailerfrom orshifting semitrailertowards beingeach towedother bywhile a truck tractor that is equipped with a front-end structure that conforms to the rules in this sectiontransit.
(3d) AMinimum fullstrength trailerof beingcargo towedsecurement bydevices aand vehiclesystems. thatThe isaggregate equippedworking withload alimit front-end structure that conforms to the requirements of thisany sectionsecurement forsystem aused front-endto structure.secure
(4)Aan fullarticle traileror beinggroup towedof byarticles aagainst vehiclemovement thatmust isbe loadedat inleast suchone-half atimes manner that the cargoweight onof the towingarticle vehicleor conformsgroup to the requirements of this section for a front-end structurearticles.
(5)rulesaggregate inworking paragraphsload (d)limit andis (e)the ofsum this section do not apply to a motor vehicle manufactured before January 1, 1974.of:
(h1) Effective dates. CargoOne-carryinghalf motorof vehiclesthe whichworking areload notlimit exemptedof byeach paragraphassociated (g)connector ofor thisattachment sectionmechanism mustused conform to thesecure rulesa inpart thisof section as follows:the
If vehiclearticle wasof manufactured— Itcargo must conform to the rulesvehicle; in paragraph— On and after—Before Jan. 1, 1974 (a2), (b),One-half andof (f) October 1, 1973 or the dateworking itload waslimit manu-for factured,each which-everend issection later.of
Before Jan. 1, 1974 (c) January 1, 1975.
On or after Jan. 1, 1974 (a) through (f) inclusive The date it was manufactured.
Paragraphs (d) and (e) this section do not apply to a motortiedown vehicle that wasis manufacturedattached beforeto Januaryan 1,anchor 1974point.Effective Date Note:[67 FR 61225, Sept. 27, 2002,
At subpartas Iamended toat part68 393FR was revised effective December 2656208, 2002Sept. For the convenience of the user30, the revised text is set forth as follows.2003]
(a) Applicability. The rules in this section are applicable to the transportation of all types of articles of cargo, except commodities in bulk that lack structure or fixed shape (e.g., liquids, gases, grain, liquid concrete, sand, gravel, aggregates) and are transported in a tank, hopper, box or similar device that forms part of the structure of a commercial motor vehicle. The rules in this section apply to the cargo types covered by the commodity-specific rules of § 393.116 through § 393.136. The commodity-specific rules take precedence over the general requirements of this section when additional requirements are given for a commodity listed in those sections.
(b) General. Cargo must be firmly immobilized or secured on or within a vehicle by structures of adequate strength, dunnage or dunnage bags, shoring bars, tiedowns or a combination of these.
(c) Cargo placement and restraint. (1) Articles of cargo that are likely to roll must be restrained by chocks, wedges, a cradle or other equivalent means to prevent rolling. The means of preventing rolling must not be capable of becoming unintentionally unfastened or loose while the vehicle is in transit.
(2) Articles or cargo placed beside each other and secured by transverse tiedowns must either:
(i) Be placed in direct contact with each other, or
(ii) Be prevented from shifting towards each other while in transit.
(d) Minimum strength of cargo securement devices and systems. The aggregate working load limit of any securement system used to secure an article or group of articles against movement must be at least one-half times the weight of the article or group of articles. The aggregate working load limit is the sum of:
(1) One-half of the working load limit of each associated connector or attachment mechanism used to secure a part of the article of cargo to the vehicle; and
(2) One-half of the working load limit for each end section of a tiedown that is attached to an anchor point.
[67 FR 61225, Sept. 27, 2002, as amended at 68 FR 56208, Sept. 30, 2003]
Amendment history
4 distinct wordings on file since Oct. 1, 1996- [67 FR 61225, Sept. 27, 2002, as amended at 68 FR 56208, Sept. 30, 2003; 71 FR 35833, June 22, 2006]
- [67 FR 61225, Sept. 27, 2002, as amended at 68 FR 56208, Sept. 30, 2003; 71 FR 35833, June 22, 2006]
- [67 FR 61225, Sept. 27, 2002, as amended at 68 FR 56208, Sept. 30, 2003]
- Oct. 1, 1996 → Oct. 1, 2003annual editions 1996–2002
A new entry appears whenever the regulatory words change between government snapshots. Day-precise from the eCFR (2017 onward); before that, one snapshot per annual CFR edition (revised as of October 1). Bracketed citations are the Federal Register history printed with the section.