Cargo securement is one of the most-checked items at a roadside inspection and one of the most cited — and unlike a worn brake or a burned-out lamp, a securement failure can put a load on the highway. The rules in 49 CFR Part 393, Subpart I are precise: cargo must be contained, immobilized, or secured so it can't shift, spill, blow off, or fall, and the securement system has to withstand real physics — 0.8g of force forward, 0.5g rearward, and 0.5g laterally, simulating hard braking and sharp turns. The number every fleet has to know is the aggregate working load limit rule: the combined WLL of all tiedowns must equal at least 50% of the cargo's weight. Get the tiedown count wrong, use a chain a grade too low, or roll on a strap with an unreadable tag, and you've built a non-compliant load even if it "looks tight." Worse, a single securement violation hits your CSA score and, after a cargo-loss event, becomes the first thing FMCSA, OSHA, and your insurer all ask about. The defense is a disciplined, documented pre-departure inspection. A digital cargo securement inspection turns the rules into a guided checklist that captures every check with a photo and proves it happened. This guide walks the full checklist, the WLL math, the tiedown counts, and the en-route rule.
The Two Numbers That Govern Every Load
Before any checklist, two FMCSA rules decide whether a load is legal. You have to satisfy both — not pick one. Miss either and it's a citation regardless of how secure the load looks.
Aggregate Working Load Limit
Under 393.104, the combined WLL of every tiedown in the system must equal at least half the weight of the cargo for forward and rearward restraint. Add up each device's rated WLL; the total must hit 50% of the load weight.
Performance Criteria (in G's)
Under 393.102, the system must hold the load against 0.8g of force forward, 0.5g rearward, and 0.5g lateral — the forces of hard braking, acceleration, and sharp turns. This is the physics the 50% rule and tiedown counts are built to satisfy.
Minimum Tiedown Count by Length & Weight
Separate from the WLL math, FMCSA 393.106/393.110 sets a hard minimum number of tiedowns based on the article's length and weight. Inspectors carry a tape measure — this is one of the most common citations.
The Pre-Departure Inspection Checklist
Walk the load before it leaves. These are the checks that catch a securement violation in the yard — grouped into the system, the devices, and the special cases — before it becomes a roadside citation or a lost load.
Confirm the tiedown count
Count tiedowns against the article's length and weight per the table above. Measure — don't eyeball. A long light load still needs the length-based minimum.
Calculate aggregate WLL ≥ 50%
Add the rated WLL of every device; confirm the total is at least half the cargo weight. Document the calculation with each tiedown's rating listed.
Verify restraint in all directions
Cargo must be immobilized forward, rearward, and laterally. Confirm blocking, bracing, and tiedown angles actually prevent movement, not just hold it down.
Check anchor points & rails
Inspect trailer anchor points, rub rails, and winches for cracks, wear, or deformation. A tiedown is only as strong as what it's attached to.
Read & record every WLL tag
Each strap, chain, or cable must have a legible WLL tag. A missing, illegible, or damaged tag means the device counts as WLL of zero — pull it.
Confirm the correct chain grade
Grade 70 (gold/yellow zinc, stamped "7"/"70") is the FMCSA minimum for securement. Grade 43 underrates WLL ~25–30% — verify by the stamp, not by sight.
Inspect straps, chains & binders
Look for cuts, frays, burns, knots, stretched links, cracked hooks, and damaged ratchets or binders. Any compromised device drops to zero WLL — replace it.
Add edge protection & secure loose ends
Protect webbing where it crosses sharp edges, and confirm excess strap tails are secured so they can't flap loose in the wind.
Apply commodity-specific rules
Logs, metal coils, paper rolls, concrete pipe, intermodal containers, and heavy equipment each have their own rules (393.116–393.136). Confirm the right one is applied.
Heavy equipment: 4 corners + chocks
Machinery over 5,000 lb needs four tiedowns minimum, one per corner, to the frame or designated points, with wheels/tracks chocked against movement.
The En-Route Rule: Securement Isn't Done at Departure
A common citation surprise: even a perfectly secured load can earn a violation if the driver can't show they re-inspected en route. FMCSA 393.100(b) requires re-checks at set points — tension relaxes as cargo settles and webbing stretches.
First 50 Miles
Stop and re-tension after the first 50 miles — cargo settling and strap relaxation loosen the system early. Log the location and time.
Every 3 hrs / 150 mi
Re-examine and re-adjust as needed every 3 hours of driving or 150 miles, whichever comes first — throughout the trip.
Every Duty-Status Change
Re-check at each change of the driver's duty status. An inspector will ask when and where you last inspected — the record is your defense.
Make Every Load Inspection Audit-Ready
Guided cargo securement inspections built for FMCSA Part 393 — tiedown-count and aggregate-WLL checks, device condition with photo capture, edge protection, commodity-specific rules, and en-route re-check logging with time and location. Defects route to repair, every inspection is timestamped, and records are ready the minute an inspector or investigator asks. Trusted by 25,000+ users worldwide.
