I was taught that each binder/tie down point must have it's own chain. One chain cannot be used for two tie down points.

If you look at your chains and binders and tie downs,you will see a working load limit. Your securment must be at least half of your load. We will use a 50,000 lb coil. So you go to your lowest wll point and start adding. Your binders will most of the time 5400 wll this is you lowest point. You take this and add untill you get to at least 25,000 lb and start chaining. I allways have at least 5 chains and binders on even if it is smaller. A good friend of mine had a 38,000 lb coil on loaded eye to the side had 5 chains on it. A wreck happened in front of him. He locked up the brakes the coil came lose and rolled through the trailer and into the sleeper and out the right side of the truck not hurting him, well maybe his boxers. But they still charged him with unsecure load becuase it came lose. It pulled the tiedowns out of the floor. It is always better to have more than you need but if it comes off then it is still a unsecure load.

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I must gather the information and study the facts before I make my opion on my point of view

Welcome and nice to see another Seabee. I sent you a PM on how you can get the FMCSR's pocketbook so you can see what DOT says about securing loads. You'll find the information in part 393 subpart I Protection Against Shifting or Falling Cargo. E-mail me if you can.

And it helps to keep the load from shifting sideways and fore and aft. Your right about tie down points nevr in the right spot.I have hauled some new machinery that have less tiedown points than the old one.Rubber bounces and steel slides. Best one well two realy,one when a driver had one chain over and through floorboard of a roller.Seen one with a D5H chained same way.These two would never haul anything for me.

Coil laying flat on the trailer floor (most times on a skid). I'd criss-cross (X) my chains over each with a slide chain in front of the first coil & behind the the rear coil. Depending on the weight of the coil I'd add more chains with the next chain placed straight across the coil from side to side of the trailer.

Because of some of the more aggressive arches on some flatbeds I always put a slide chain on the back of the back coil also.

I used to cross chains when the tie-down lugs of the equipment were close to the sides of the trailer. If the chains are pulling almost straight down near the sides I won't hold too well. Crossing in this situation holds better

Sure it can. If the one chain is long enough to serve as 2 seperate tie-downs, one on each side with the excess simply laying limp in the middle, there's nothing wrong with that as long as you have a binder on both sides.

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Z-Lady's devoted hubby.

Yes, I see it done that way all the time and understand the mechanics of it. But it was of my understanding that it is Illegal.

I know, if you cut a link out of the slack of the chain it will become two chains. But most legislative branches of government and those who enforce those laws do not rely on logic.

Better read the book, our safety guy is a retired Ohio dot cop, and when I went through orientation 4 months ago it was brought up. He showed me in the FMCSA book where it is illegal, I said thats stupid, he said its the law. Does it make cents, no but then again neither do most things the government does.

Obviously. You may be right but this is the first I'm hearing about that being illegal.

Another reason I like to do that is that is also secures the excess.

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Z-Lady's devoted hubby.

Need a little refresher on the coil load style? Sucide & Shotgun. Which style is this when the coil eye to the sky? And i know when you stand beside the trailer it's the other one...

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"YouR To BleSS To Be StResS"