Figuring WLL and trailer securement points

Ok, say i have a 3/8" grade 70 transport chain-WLL of 6600 lbs. A ratchet binder rated at 12000 lbs. Then a chain cutout in my landoll trailer ( called butterflies but i think they look like space invaders). Unmarked so i assume that DOT will give it 5k. How does the DOT rate the securement points on trailers-do they get halved as well as the chain and binder? Example: a 40K lb macnine. 6 chains and binders . The chain cutout, being only 5K, means ive got 6x5k, or 30k, worth of securement. But since its indirect, we halve it, thus reducing it to 15K. Whick is 5K too little. Or does the DOT simply look at the chain and binder, and halve that? So the chain gets halved to 3300 so that tiiedown gets 3300 vs 2500 if they halve the cutout. This would make the differnce between putting either 6 or 8 chains on that 40K machine. I've been putting 8, because i suspect the trailer attachment point shoukd be factored in, but man it seems oversecured with 8. That woykd mean an 80K machine would need 16 chains (!) If the D rings or chain cutouts are only rated for 5K.
Am i overthinking this?

 

Securement points on a trailer are not required to be rated and the DOT has no authority to assign a rating. Your 6600 pound chain is your weakest point. As far as your machine weight, reducing 50% because of being direct etc. you only need to secure 50% of the machine weight to begin with. A 40,000 pound machine with 6 6600# chains hooked direct would technically be 400# short but I’d tell them it weighed 39,000. I usually end up with something on a machine that’s and indirect tiedown, a chain over a bucket or stick or forks or blade, something that gets full rating that would put you in the clear.

 

Securement points are not required to be rated so your 5k assumption is incorrect.

As far as giving 50% of the anchor point when used as a direct securement that’s a good question. I have always used the full rating. But someone could easily change my mind.

 

How about anchor points that are rated? 50 or 100 percent when used direct?

 

Well they’re not required to be rated so it’s not addressed. I’d figure them at full rating. If a stake pocket is rated at 5400 that means it’s rated to withstand 5400 pounds (actually more but we’ll stick wit WLL because we don’t know the safety factor) if you hook a strap to that 5400 pound pocket properly and then hook the other end of the strap right to the object we’re securing does that mean that pocket can’t withstand the 5400 pounds?

 

My Anchor points on the deck of my Ravens is rather small, but many. 4000 WLL each. Since i use a mess of chain I know nothing about call it 6000 WLL each. Straps 4000 WLL

Eventually I can manage a 52000 pound coil with everything hooked in reach. 24 chain and 14 straps over the top. That's around about twice WLL of entire Coil. I just don't count that high.

This is ordinary flatbed with big stuff in my time now and then when necessary. I am not a OS man and cannot get too deep into particulars. If DOT has a problem with all that stuff on it and cannot add up good, we will have a smoke and help him learn.

 

First you did not put 24 chains on a single coil second you quit driving before these laws were changed, third you just confuse people that are trying to learn something with your tenuous grasp on reality. Please stay out of this stuff.

 

Anchor points are not required to be rated, that doesn’t mean you can ignore the rating if they are.

By your logic if I hook a 6600 pound chain direct is it not able to withstand 6600 pounds? According to DOT it’s not.

Not arguing just discussing.

 

24 chains and 14 straps? Wtf!! I call BS!

 

i understand you’re not arguing and I both appreciate and enjoy it, two reasonable men should be able to discuss without becoming disagreeable.


I never said you should ignore the rating but you certainly legally could. “Could” and “should” have very different connotations. You’re 6600 pound chain should certainly still withstand in excess of 6600 pounds of force.

The DOT did not state that the chain couldn’t withstand the 6600 pound. They’ve stated in their reasoning (which I can probably find if you want) that they reduced the rating not because of the strength of the device but because of the way it interacts with the load. An indirect that is defined as “as attaching to the trailer, passing over through or around and returning to a point on the opposite side of the trailer” (from memory and probably slightly off but good enough for our purposes) that creates the effect of the load being heavier, creating more downforce and immobilizing the object. A single chain on one side does nothing to immobilize the object from lateral movement without an opposing tiedown on the other side. To some extent I can see their point but I don’t think halving the direct method is necessarily the proper answer but it probably does serve the lowest common denominator.

To the question of tiedown ratings I think the WLL is the number that it states to be. If I’m hooked to a 5400 pound stake pocket it’s going to take in excess of 5400 pounds to fail that securement device regardless if the other end of the tiedown is hooked directly to the load or on the other side to another stake pocket.