Hotshot pre-trip and load securement checklist

A good pre-trip takes about 15 minutes and catches almost every problem that would get you written up at a scale. The checklist below covers a hotshot rig from bumper to dovetail, plus the load and the paperwork. Tick items as you go; your progress saves on this device.

A walk-around order that works

Start at the driver's door and walk the rig clockwise so nothing gets skipped. Check the cab first: gauges, horn, wipers, mirrors and the paperwork folder. Then the front of the truck, the passenger side, the bed and hitch, the trailer's neck and passenger side, the rear lights and dovetail, the driver's side of the trailer and back to the cab. Turn on the hazards and headlights before you start so you can check lights on the way around. Doing it in the same order every day is what makes it fast.

The rules behind the checklist

SOURCE: Rules: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (checked Oct 2026). States enforce these and may add requirements.

Securement in brief

1. Count tie-downs by length. One for an article 5 ft or shorter and 1,100 lb or lighter; two up to 10 ft; one more for each extra 10 ft or part of it, when the article isn't blocked at the front.
2. Check the working load limit. All tie-downs together must add up to at least half the cargo's weight.
3. Use edge protection wherever a strap passes over a sharp edge.
4. Follow commodity rules for heavy equipment, vehicles, coils, logs and other cargo with their own sections.
5. Re-check within 50 miles and at the intervals above.

Count your tie-downs with the load securement calculator, and check weight with the hotshot GCWR and non-CDL weight checker.

Securement by load type

• Equipment that drives on: chain each corner of the machine to the deck with chains rated for its weight, lower buckets and blades to the deck, and secure attachments separately. Heavy equipment over 10,000 lb has its own rules in 49 CFR 393.130.
• Steel and pipe: use enough tie-downs for the length, edge protection on beams and bundles, and blocking or a headboard against forward movement. Pipe can roll; chock or crib it.
• Lumber and building materials: straps with edge protectors, dunnage between bundles and tarps if the shipper requires them.
• Pallets: straps over each row, with corner protectors on boxed freight.
• Vehicles: wheel straps or chains on each wheel or axle as the vehicle rules in 49 CFR 393.128 require, parking brake set and transmission in park or gear.

Post-trip and defects

When you finish driving for the day, note any defect you found or that developed on the road. Federal rules require a written post-trip report when a defect is found, and the defect must be repaired, or confirmed as not needing repair, before the vehicle runs again. Keep the reports with your maintenance records; they're part of what the new entrant safety audit reviews.

Night and winter pre-trips

Use a good flashlight or headlamp and check lights with them on. In cold weather, check that air lines, cords and the breakaway system aren't stiff or frozen, clear snow and ice from the deck and the load, and give tires a careful look, since pressure drops in the cold. Ice on straps and chains can loosen as it melts, so re-check securement more often.

Exceptions and edge cases

• The CDL line. Non-CDL rigs follow the same inspection and securement rules; the weight check is what keeps them non-CDL.
• Intrastate. States enforce similar rules for in-state carriers; details can differ.
• Hazmat. Placarded loads add placards, shipping papers, emergency information and more checks.
• Leased equipment. You're responsible for any trailer you pull, owned or not.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the trailer walk-around on short runs
• Straps over sharp edges without protection
• Counting tie-downs by weight but forgetting the length rule
• Brake controller left on the setting for the last load
• Missing the 50-mile re-check

Tie-down condition

A tie-down that's damaged can't be counted toward your total. Retire straps with cuts, burns, broken stitching or knots, and chains with stretched, cracked or gouged links. Check that binders close fully and are secured so they can't open. Store straps rolled and dry, and keep chains off the ground where they collect grit. A quick look at each tie-down as you throw it over the load takes no extra time and keeps you from finding the problem at a scale.

Pre-trip for the load itself

Before you strap down, look at the load: is it what the rate confirmation says, does the weight seem right, is anything damaged or poorly packaged? Note problems on the bill of lading. Place the load so weight sits where your trailer and truck can carry it, usually over or just ahead of the trailer axles, and balanced side to side. Then secure it.

Before you leave the shipper

Take photos of the secured load from both sides and the rear, and of the bill of lading. They protect you in a cargo claim and help in a dispute. Note any damage or shortages on the bill before you sign. More on coverage in hot shot insurance.

Where the loads come from

Securement needs vary with the freight. Board posts often leave them out, so ask before you accept. Load sources are covered in hotshot load boards and hot shot loads; leased drivers can compare carriers' equipment policies in hotshot companies to lease on to.

Dispatch that preps you for every load

With hotshot dispatch, every offer includes weight, dimensions and the securement it needs. You approve every load, and the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you.