Keep it tight: Latest cargo securement products for 2025

Most in the transportation industry (and anyone who’s seen ‘Final Destination 2’) are aware of the importance of cargo securement. And yet, in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) 2024 International Roadcheck, cargo securement violations was the top-fifth out-of-service violation in North America, with 1,303 OOS violations (9.6%).

Decreasing these violations may take a combination of better training for drivers and better equipment to drive both efficiency and safety for fleets.

For the former, here’s a refresh on the rules of cargo securement, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These regulations cover all cargo carrying commercial motor vehicles (as defined in 49 CFR 390.5) and apply to all types of cargo except liquids, gases, grain, liquid concrete, sand, and gravel in a tank, hopper, or box.

First, FMCSA’s general rules states that: “Cargo must be firmly immobilized or secured on or within a vehicle by structures of adequate strength, dunnage (loose materials used to support and protect cargo) or dunnage bags (inflatable bags intended to fill space between articles of cargo or between cargo and the wall of the vehicle), shoring bars, tiedowns or a combination of these.”

This means that articles that might roll need to be restrained by chocks, wedges, or a cradle, and that there must be a certain number of tiedowns depending on the length and width of the cargo being carried. For items 5’ long or less and under 1,100 lbs., only one tie down is needed. If your cargo is over that weight limit but still 5’ long or less, or is between 5-10’ long, then two tie downs are needed. Then, drivers need an extra tiedown for every additional 10’ of length for their cargo.

Additionally, cargo securement systems need to be able to handle the deceleration and acceleration of a commercial vehicle. This means they need to be able to take:

• 0.8 g deceleration in the forward direction;
• 0.5 g acceleration in the rearward direction; and
• 0.5 g acceleration in a lateral direction.

Finally, FMCSA also requires that fleets tag and stencil their working load limit (WLL) on the flatbed, which states the maximum allowable load for each tiedown.

As for the latter, here’s a couple new products displayed at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week to assist with cargo securement, with everything from chains to drumclips.