Cargo Securement General Rules

---
name: cargo-securement-general-rules
description: |
  Use this skill to understand the FMCSA cargo securement standards. Covers § 393.100-§ 393.136 general rules, tiedown requirements, working load limits.
---

# Cargo Securement General Rules

Cargo securement rules under § 393 ensure cargo cannot shift, fall, or escape during transport. Violations are common roadside inspection findings.

## Working Load Limit (WLL)
- Each tiedown has a manufacturer-stated WLL
- Total tiedown WLL must equal **at least 50% of cargo weight**
- Some commodities require more (e.g., 80% for steel coils)

## Number of tiedowns required
- 1 tiedown for 5 ft or less of cargo length
- 2 tiedowns for 5-10 ft of length
- Additional tiedown for each additional 10 ft

## Tiedown spacing
- Cargo extending beyond vehicle must be tied at the cargo edge
- Tiedowns must not chafe against the cargo
- Tiedowns must be tightened sufficiently to prevent movement

## Common commodity rules
- **Logs/lumber**: specific to wood + species
- **Steel coils**: dedicated rules with chains + dunnage
- **Heavy machinery**: stronger tiedowns + chocks
- **Pipes**: rigid + secured against rolling
- **Bricks/concrete**: specific to block dimension
- **Light vehicles**: specific to passenger vehicles being hauled
- **Specialized vehicles**: agricultural, military, etc.

## Common violations
- Insufficient tiedowns (lower than required count)
- Tiedowns not tightened
- Tiedown attachment points inadequate
- Tiedowns chafed against cargo
- Cargo extending beyond rated vehicle capacity

## Compass cargo securement
- Pre-trip cargo securement checklist
- Compliance scoring per load
- WLL calculator
- Commodity-specific rules

## CFR citations
- **49 CFR §§ 393.100-393.136**

## How Compass surfaces this
Searchable in Compass Ask. Runs against carrier fleet data when invoked from the relevant tracker. Read-only; no actions without explicit user approval.


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*This skill is published under the X3 Compass open skills initiative. Contributions welcome at https://github.com/x3fleetsafety/skills*