The new standards for cargo securement have been in place since December 2002, and the clock is running out on a Jan. 1 deadline for compliance.

The effort to impose stricter rules goes back to 1993, when a number of accidents caused by falling cargo prompted congressional hearings. Through joint meetings with government and industry representatives, the U.S. and Canada came up with a North American Cargo Securement Standard model on which the new rules were based. At the same time, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has tried to eliminate confusion regarding acceptable cargo securement systems.
A key change that drivers should be aware of is the requirement that they inspect the cargo and securement devices within the first 50 miles of a trip instead of 25 miles previously required. FMCSA said that research concerning cargo vibration indicate that adjustments are more likely to require readjustments between 25 and 50 miles rather than 0 to 25 miles. Securement systems should be re-examined whenever the driver changes duty status and when the vehicle has been driven for three hours or 150 miles.
The rules cover all commercial vehicles, including van trailers, but FMCSA said tie-downs are not required for cargo in van trailers as long as the cargo is properly loaded.
There are more detailed instructions for determining the load limits of securement devices when they aren’t labeled by the manufacturer and for determining how many tie-downs are needed.
The rules establish standards for transporting general freight and standards for specific commodities determined to be the most difficult to secure, including logs, dressed lumber, metal coils, paper rolls, intermodal containers; cars, light trucks and vans; heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery; flattened or crushed cars, roll-on/roll-off containers; and large bounders.
A copy of the rules can be downloaded on the Internet at www.fmcsa.dot.gov. In the Rules & Regulations section look for part 393, subpart I. Inspection requirements are found in 392.9. Printed rules are also available from J.J. Keller & Sons, (800) 327-6868. Driver training programs are available from Keller and from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, (202) 775-1623.