Why are most flatbed tie down points rated so low?

I think I will sit this one out.

 

Different trailers have different ratings. I'm pretty sure the East spools have a 6600 WLL rating. My fontaine revolution is 5400 for everything I believe. The other issue is anything securing a load over 10k with tracks or wheels needs a WLL of 5000 lbs or higher or it doesn't count. So you still need 3/8 chain even though you're not getting the full rating.

 

Cite the reg, please. I've never seen anything to that effect, only that the aggregate must meet the minimum standards. You could use 1/4" G40 chain if you wanted to, so long as you used enough of them to have sufficient WLL for the commodity being secured (which on a large machine would be a stupid large number of chains...which is why nobody uses them) Given the typical rating on trailer securement points, 5/16" G70 is the most practical for use. Only trailers built with heavier securement points will benefit from the heavier chains.

 

I swear I added Canadian to that. Since I cannot haul across the States, anything I pick up needs to abide by the Canadian regulations. All of my 16' stuff is 3/8.

393.130 states:

§ 393.130 What are the rules for securing heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery?
(a) Applicability. The rules in this section apply to the transportation of heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery which operate on wheels or tracks, such as front end loaders, bulldozers, tractors, and power shovels and which individually weigh 4,536 kg (10,000 lb.) or more. Vehicles, equipment and machinery which is lighter than 4,536 kg (10,000 lb.) may also be secured in accordance with the provisions of this section, with § 393.128, or in accordance with the provisions of §§ 393.100 through 393.114.
(b) Preparation of equipment being transported.
(1) Accessory equipment, such as hydraulic shovels, must be completely lowered and secured to the vehicle.
(2) Articulated vehicles shall be restrained in a manner that prevents articulation while in transit.
(c) Securement of heavy vehicles, equipment or machinery with crawler tracks or wheels.
(1) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section, heavy equipment or machinery with crawler tracks or wheels must be restrained against movement in the lateral, forward, rearward, and vertical direction using a minimum of four tiedowns.
(2) Each of the tiedowns must be affixed as close as practicable to the front and rear of the vehicle, or mounting points on the vehicle that have been specifically designed for that purpose.

I'm guessing that's the most recent version of the law and it was changed at some point, because there's also this:

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulatio...ecurement-chapter-10-heavy-vehicles-equipment

"
Tiedown requirements

• Restrain cargo using a minimum of four tiedowns, each having a WLL of at least 2,268 kg (5,000 lb.)."

 

That's the cargo securement handbook, and it is correct. IF you are using the minimum number of tiedowns to secure a >10,000# machine, then you must have 2 tiedowns in the rear each rated at 5,000# to reach the required 0.8g of deceleration force required by the regulations. If you choose to use MORE than the minimum number of tiedowns, you can use a lighter weight chain...so long as the aggregate WLL is sufficient. So instead of using 2 chains that are 3/8 G70, you might use 3 chains that are 5/16 G70.

 

The 0.8g applies to breaking strength not WLL.

 

On the .8g stuff do they count direct tie downs as 1/2 like they do for aggregate WLL or are they counted full strength?

 

Gone are the days of using judgment and common sense to tie down a load...

 

So @macavoy, I'm sitting in a truckstop. When I read your post earlier I still had some driving to do. Anyways, I'm the kind of person who, if I had a trailer with spools and pockets with a WLL of 5000 lbs, I would still use 3/8 chain. I've never used 2 spools to get a higher WLL to utilize the bigger chains to the full, because to me, that's like beancounting on securement.

If you and I had a Stepdeck, and we were loading the same 47000lb machine, you using 5/16, and I'm using 3/8, same style trailer, odds are I would use the exact same number of securement. The only wayI could see using 2 spools is if I had bare minimum space to secure an extremely small but extremely heavy load with 1/2 inch chain. And 2 spools would have to have equal to or greater than the WLL of 1/2 chain.

I've yet to see that load.

I think of trying to secure a 50000 lb coil that doesn't hand an eye. A whole lot of weight in 1 spot. On coil racks. Take my 1/2 chain, make a loop that's fits snugly 6 inches above the "waistline" of the load, hook 4 point on 4 corners, double spool. Take another 1/2 chain, put it snug on the "neck", 4 points on 4 corners, double spool. 8 points total, and it should look like a chain net. Unfortunately, that would probably qualify as direct and the two 1/2 chain loops wouldn't have enough WLL for 50k.

"Ummm, Six, you lost me."

Yeah...sorry. Think tire lasso.

 

It's like arguing semantics