Hotshot tie-down rules, in plain words

Every flatbed load is a math problem the officer at the scale can check in two minutes: how long is it, what does it weigh, how many tie-downs are on it and what are they rated for. Get those four numbers right and most of the federal cargo securement rules take care of themselves. This page lays them out the way you'd use them on a deck, with a chart you can print and keep in the toolbox.

AGGREGATE WLL = AT LEAST 1/2 CARGO WEIGHT

Who the rules apply to

The rules in 49 CFR Part 393, Subpart I apply to commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. For hotshots that means a truck, or truck and trailer, rated or weighing 10,001 lb or more under 49 CFR 390.5. A non-CDL rig at 26,000 lb combined is still covered. Most states have adopted the same rules for intrastate freight. All sections below were checked on Cornell LII on Oct 26, 2026.

The system as a whole must hold the cargo against 0.8 g of forward braking, 0.5 g rearward, 0.5 g sideways, and press it down with at least 20 percent of its weight if it isn't fully enclosed (393.102). You don't calculate g-forces on the shoulder. The two tests below are how the rule turns that into something you can count.

Test 1: how many tie-downs

From 49 CFR 393.110. This counts per article, not per load. Three separate crates need their own tie-downs each.

Over 10 ft, the rule is two tie-downs for the first 10 ft and one more for each additional 10 ft or fraction of it. Blocked means the article can't move forward because it's against a headerboard, bulkhead or other cargo that's itself secured; then it's one per 10 ft or fraction.

Test 2: the half-weight WLL rule

From 49 CFR 393.106(d): the working load limits of the tie-downs on an article, added up, must be at least half the article's weight. How a tie-down counts depends on how it's rigged:

• Direct tie-down, from the trailer to a point on the cargo: counts at 50% of its WLL.
• Over the cargo and back to the same side: counts at 50%.
• Over the cargo to the other side of the trailer: counts at 100%.

A tie-down's WLL is the lowest rating of any part of it: strap, hook, chain, binder or the anchor point on the trailer (393.108). A 6,600 lb chain on a 5,400 lb binder is a 5,400 lb tie-down.

Marked ratings override the table, and they're often higher. Unmarked chain is treated as grade 30, which rates far lower. If a strap's tag is gone, it's a 4,000 lb strap at best in the officer's eyes, whatever you paid for it.

Two tests for every flatbed article under 49 CFR 393: tie-down count by length (393.110) and combined WLL of at least half the article's weight (393.106).

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Worked examples

STEEL BEAMS, EXAMPLENO. 0207

EXAMPLE

Bundle

38 ft, 12,000 lb

Count rule, not blocked

5 tie-downs

WLL needed (half weight)

6,000 lb

5 x 4 in straps over the top, 4,000 lb, 100%

20,000 lb

Both testsPass

Here the count rule decides; the WLL test passes easily. On long, light freight that's usual.

SKID STEER, EXAMPLENO. 0208

EXAMPLE

Machine

11,000 lb, tracked

393.130 minimum

4 tie-downs

WLL needed (half weight)

5,500 lb

4 x 5/16 G70 chains, direct, 50%

4 x 2,350 = 9,400 lb

Both testsPass, bucket down and chained

On short, heavy machines it flips: the WLL math gets tight fast. Swap those chains for unmarked ones treated as grade 30 and you may fail. Check your binders too; they're often the weakest link.

Run your own load through the load securement calculator, which does both tests from the length, weight and gear you enter.

Commodity rules that hit hotshots

Some freight has its own section that replaces or adds to the general rules. The ones hotshots run into most:

Equipment under 10,000 lb can be secured under the heavy equipment section, the vehicle section or the general rules. When in doubt, use four chains and lower everything.

The rest of the securement rules

• Edge protection. Required wherever a tie-down would be cut or worn by the cargo's edge (393.104). Webbing over tires on vehicle loads is the exception.
• Damaged gear is out of service. Cuts, burns, knots, cracked hooks and stretched chain links all count. Under 393.104 you can't use damaged tie-downs at all.
• Rolling cargo needs chocks, wedges or a cradle that can't come loose on the road.
• Loose items in the bed and on the deck count as cargo too. Unsecured chains and binders are a common write-up.
• Recheck within 50 miles, then at every duty status change, 3 hours or 150 miles (392.9).

Printable tie-down chart

Tick through it on the deck, or print one for the toolbox lid. It saves your checks on this device.

For the full pre-trip, from lights to paperwork, use the hotshot pre-trip and load securement checklist. For the chains, straps and binders to carry, see hotshot setup.

Tie-downs and the loads you take

Securement time is work time. A 40 ft load of pipe with eight chains and edge protection on every one takes much longer to load than a pallet of fittings, and the rate should reflect it. Ask on every call what the freight is, how long it is and what it weighs, then count tie-downs before you agree to a price. Other guides for hotshot owners are on the guides page.

Loads that come with the details

When you vet a dispatcher, ask whether they tell you the securement before the load is booked; our guide to choosing a hotshot dispatcher has the other questions. On our hotshot dispatch desk, every offer arrives with the article length, weight and what it'll take to secure it, so you can count tie-downs before you say yes. Nothing books without your approval, and the rate confirmation goes from the broker straight to you. See how the TruckQuick desk handles every rig type.

Sources

• 49 CFR 393.100 to 393.136 (Subpart I, cargo securement), via Cornell LII, checked Oct 26, 2026: 393.102, 393.104, 393.106, 393.108, 393.110, 393.128, 393.130
• 49 CFR 392.9, cargo inspection; 49 CFR 390.5, definitions