FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION • OFFICE OF MOTOR CARRIERS

FHWA Contact: Ron Knipling, HCS-30, (202) 366-2981; NHTSA Contact: Paul Rau, NRD-13, (202) 366- 0418

Development of the North

American Cargo Securement

Standard

Introduction 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is responsible for regulations concerning

the securement of cargo on commercial motor vehicles operated in interstate commerce. The regulations specify minimum requirements for restraint systems used to

prevent cargo from shifting on the vehicles, or falling onto the roadway. Although

cargo securement-related accidents are a small percentage of all accidents involving

commercial motor vehicles, many of these accidents have resulted in serious injuries

and fatalities.

A series of fatal accidents, most involving steel coils that had fallen off commercial

motor vehicles during transit, prompted a Congressional hearing on July 27, 1993. This

hearing concerned the adequacy and enforcement of Federal regulations on cargo

securement. The FHWA Administrator indicated that the agency would be participating in an international research program organized by the Canadian Council of Motor

Transport Administrators (CCMTA) to evaluate cargo securement regulations and

industry practice.

The project received broad technical support in the United States, Canada, and

Mexico, and met the needs of the FHWA, which had planned its own cargo securement research program to gather and evaluate the relevant information to begin in

fiscal year 1995.

As a result of this multi-year, international research program, the FHWA and other

agencies responsible for establishing and enforcing cargo securement regulations have

identified areas in which current cargo securement regulations could be improved to

further reduce the likelihood of cargo securement-related accidents, and to make the

requirements easier to understand, use, and enforce. The research provides the safety

agencies and industry partners with a sound technical foundation to support the

development of a uniform North American Cargo Securement Standard.

The CCMTA published a series of 19 research reports covering each testing module and

summarizing the research project as a whole. This Tech Brief outlines the research,

findings, and subsequent recommendations; individual reports are available through

the CCMTA.

Purpose

The current U.S. cargo securement regulations are more than 20 years old. When the

FHWA conducted the rulemaking that led to the adoption of the current rules, the

agency relied upon the best available information from the States and industry

groups, and a limited number of published research reports and technical papers 

concerning cargo securement. Very little technical information was available to justify

Tech Brief

The vision of the Office of

Motor Carriers is to help 

move people, goods, and

commercial motor vehicles on

our Nation’s highways in the

most efficient, economical,

and crash-free manner 

possible. The OMC research

and technology program

focuses on improving safety

in interstate commercial

motor vehicle operations and

serves a trucking and motor

coach industry that carries

more than 40 percent of all 

intercity freight.

Studies are conducted in the

following areas: commercial

driver human factors, health,

and performance needs; 

new and emerging driver 

and vehicle technologies;

safety-related data collection

and analysis needs; and 

performance-based changes

to the Federal Motor Carrier

Safety Regulations.

The OMC’s technology

research promotes safety by

identifying, collecting, and

communicating information

about technological advances.

Office of Motor Carrier Research

and Standards

400 Seventh Street, SW

HCS-30; Room 3107

Washington, DC 20590
or support the specific details (e.g., longitudinal, 

lateral, and vertical accelerations used to determine

whether a cargo system is adequate; the number of

tiedowns required; etc.). Given the lack of engineering data, the adequacy of the current requirements

and industry practices is uncertain.

The CCMTA and the provincial governments in

Canada faced the same problems the FHWA was

attempting to resolve and suggested an international

research program to understand the mechanics of

securement systems on heavy trucks. The research

program had three objectives:

• To determine how parts of cargo securement 

systems contribute to the overall capacity of those

systems;

• To demonstrate the adequacy of cargo securement

system components, and the overall capacity of

cargo securement systems; and

• To develop principles, based on sound engineering

analysis, which could contribute to a North

American Cargo Securement Standard.

Methodology

In 1993, the CCMTA held a meeting to bring together

various stakeholders to review a draft research plan

covering the scope of the research program and all

types of testing that would be performed. The final

research plan was published later that year and

explained the research needs and the testing that

would be performed.

Preliminary discussions and analysis indicated that

many key mechanisms of cargo securement are not

readily amenable to simple analysis. Therefore, the

research was based almost entirely on the testing of

real loads, and included investigations into the 

behavior of components of cargo securement systems.

The design of cargo securement systems is based on

acceleration values that are close to the stopping and

maneuvering performance limits of most heavy 

vehicles. Researchers set up conditions to ensure 

that the performance capabilities of interest could 

be measured reliably, without the influence of 

uncontrolled factors. Some tests were performed

using trucks, either during stationary tests with 

simulated loads, or by driving the instrumented truck

and monitoring the vehicle and cargo securement 

system responses.

The research program involved the testing of trailer

anchor points (i.e., stake pockets, D-rings, tensioning

ratchets, etc.); investigating the effect of binder type,

chain size, and chain length on the tension of the

tiedown assembly; equalization of tension in the

spans of chain and webbing tiedowns; investigating

the effect of lateral and longitudinal movement of

the cargo on tiedown tension; blocking and bracing;

friction between the load and the vehicle, and

between individual articles being transported (e.g.,

concrete pipe, dressed lumber, etc.). Examples of 

truck floors, floor surface conditions and cargo 

materials that researchers used to determine friction

coefficients are shown in table 1. The research 

program also examined securement practices for steel

coils and intermodal cargo containers.

Findings

The research provided a number of important 

findings that will help improve government agencies’

and the industry’s understanding of how cargo

securement systems work, and provide useful 

information to support the drafting of improved

cargo securement regulations. The findings included:

• Friction plays a major role in keeping cargo from

sliding forward and sideways on a truck. However,

friction alone is not an acceptable means to ensure

that loads stay in place while the vehicle is moving.

Table 1. 

Examples of truck floors, floor surface conditions, and cargo materials used to determine 

friction coefficients.*

Truck Floors Floor Surface Condition Cargo Materials

Solid hardwood Clean and dry Machine feet

Smooth steel Wet Steel pads

Grooved aluminum Sandy Concrete

Transdeck Oily Rubber

* Researchers tested combinations of truck floors, surface conditions, and cargo materials that best represented the range of conditions found in

daily operation.
• The use of anti-skid mats between certain cargoes

and the floor of the vehicle help to increase the

coefficient of friction and improve the performance

of the cargo securement system.

• Trailer anchor points vary considerably in strength

which makes it difficult for truck operators to 

determine or estimate the performance limits of 

the anchor points.

• Blocking is an important part of a cargo securement

system but only in cases in which a large number of

nails — a much larger number than most drivers 

use when securing loads — are used in certain

arrangements, as illustrated in figure 1.

• When a chain or strap goes from one side of the

trailer, over the cargo, to the opposite side of the

trailer, the tension in the chains and straps does not

equalize. The side on which the ratchet or other

device used to tighten the chains is located remains

much tighter than the opposing side, especially

when the cargo has sharp edges.

Recommendations

Researchers sought to create clear statements that

could serve as a basis for a new cargo securement 

standard. The recommendations included:

Anchor Points

An anchor point is the part of the structure of a 

vehicle, or a device firmly attached to that structure,

that is designed or commonly used for attaching a

tiedown assembly. Anchor points exist in a wide

range of designs, with a wide range of load capacity.

• All anchor points should be marked with a load

capacity rating.

• The possible directions of loading should be 

considered in developing the load capacity rating 

of anchor points.

• The manufacturer of an anchor point is in the best

position to specify its load capacity rating and

intended use. Manufacturers should develop anchor

point standards and ratings of existing equipment.

• A systematic method should be developed to 

evaluate when a damaged anchor point should be

repaired or replaced.

Tiedowns

Tiedowns are devices capable of taking tension, 

including cable, chain, strapping, and webbing. They

can be attached to a vehicle and a unit of cargo, or

they can be attached to a vehicle, passed over,

around, or through a unit of cargo, then attached to

the vehicle again.

• The current requirement concerning the aggregate

working load limit for tiedowns may be adequate

for general commodities secured by transverse

tiedowns, but other cases could require different

tiedown capacity, depending on the other 

securement provided.

• Where a vehicle is equipped with a rub rail, the

tiedown should be passed inside the rub rail on

both sides of the vehicle, to make use of the 

protection offered.

• Manufacturers should rate and mark all tiedown

equipment with a working load limit.

• Manufacturers should clarify the meaning of

tiedown ratings.

Friction

Friction is always present between tiedowns and

cargo, and between cargo and the deck. It is a major

factor in preventing cargo secured with tiedowns

from shifting.

• The role that high friction coefficients play in 

preventing cargo movement should be formally 

recognized in the proposed standard to encourage

Figure 1.

Blocking Nailing Techniques
Researcher

This study was performed by

the Ontario Ministry of Transportation; the Quebec Ministry

of Transportation; Concordia

University, Montreal, Quebec;

CAMTECH, St-Nicolas, Quebec;

and the Forest Engineering

Research Institute of Canada,

Pointe-Claire, Quebec.

Distribution

This Tech Brief is being distributed according to a standard

distribution. Direct distribution

is being made to the Regions

and Divisions.

Availability

The research reports are 

available from the Canadian

Council of Motor Transport

Administrators, 2323 St.

Laurent Blvd., Ottawa, Ontario

K1G 4J8, Canada. Telephone:

(613) 736-1003

Key Words

Canadian Council of Motor

Transport Administrators, 

cargo securement, anchor

points, blocking, bracing, steel

coils, working load limit,

tiedown, friction.

Notice

This Tech Brief is disseminated

under the sponsorship of the

Department of Transportation

in the interest of information

exchange. The Tech Brief provides a synopsis of the study’s

final publications. The Tech

Brief does not establish policies

or regulations, nor does it

imply FHWA endorsement of

the conclusions or recommendations. The U.S. Government

assumes no liability for its 

contents or their use.

development and use of high friction surfaces and materials for use in areas where

cargo is secured.

• Trailer manufacturers should develop and offer trailer decks with specified high 

coefficients of friction.

• Cargo handling equipment and materials, like pallets, skids, and wraps that are also

used during transportation, should be designed with high coefficients of friction on

both surfaces.

• Rubber mats, and any other materials with equivalent friction properties, appear to

increase the coefficient of static friction over 0.5 (considered high) for many typical

combinations of cargo and deck. Their use should be encouraged.

• No matter how high the level of friction, it remains inherently unreliable, and should

never be considered the sole means of cargo securement.

Standard Development Process

Currently, the FHWA and the CCMTA are working together with U.S. and Canadian

industry groups to draft the North American Cargo Securement Standard. The 

standard is being developed using an innovative approach to rulemaking. The FHWA 

is working very closely with all interested parties through a series of public meetings

prior to developing a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). 

A drafting group is responsible for developing the format of the draft standard and

adding the detailed performance criteria and securement methods as the research

reports for the various testing modules are completed. Membership in the drafting

group includes representatives from the FHWA, Transport Canada, CCMTA, the Ontario

Ministry of Transportation, Quebec Ministry of Transportation — Ontario and Quebec

conducted most of the research — and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

Public meetings have helped to ensure that all interested parties have an opportunity 

to participate in the development of the standard, and to identify and consider the 

concerns of the Federal, State, and Provincial governments, carriers, shippers, industry

groups, and associations as well as safety advocacy groups and the general public. 

In addition, CCMTA posted information on the Internet. Individuals and organizations

with Internet electronic mail addresses have the opportunity to e-mail comments to the

drafting group. The website is http://www.ab.org.ccmta/ccmta.html.

The FHWA and CCMTA expect to finish drafting the standard and a set of model 

regulations that could be adopted by all North American jurisdictions by the end of

1998. The FHWA and CCMTA will establish an implementation committee to ensure 

that educational and training materials are developed to assist motor carriers and

enforcement officials in understanding the North American Cargo Securement

Standard and to resolve any issues that may come up during the State and Provincial

governments’ legislative and rulemaking processes.

Once the final versions of the standard and model regulations are published, the FHWA

will publish an NPRM to replace its current regulations with the standard. Thus, all

interested parties will have an opportunity to comment on the specific regulatory 

language and the FHWA’s estimates of the costs and benefits for implementing the

new requirements. If the NPRM is published in early 1999, the FHWA could issue a final

rule by the end of 1999 with an effective date sometime in the year 2000. October 1998

Publication No. FHWA-MCRT-98-005