Apart from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requiring all commercial vehicle operators to have Cargo Securement Training, it is extremely important for multiple different reasons.
FMCSA regulation subpart 392.9 requires commercial truck drivers to inspect and secure cargo before starting their vehicle. In addition, drivers must:
Inspect the cargo within the first 50 miles of a trip to ensure nothing has shifted
Reexamine the cargo when making change to duty status, the vehicle has been driven for three hours, the vehicle has been driven for 150 miles, whichever occurs first.
FMCSA regulation subparts 393.100 – 393.136 provide specific details on the types and minimum of tiedowns allowed and rules for securing cargo such cargo such as lumber, poles, plywood, steel coils and heavy equipment.
The consequences of not following FMCSA cargo securement regulations can be costly because of the number of accidents that occur due to debris-related crashes caused by items falling from vehicles due to either lack of maintenance or improper securement. By enrolling drivers in cargo securement as initial onboarding training and then periodically as refresher training can potentially save your company thousands in fines and prevent from potential accidents.
Properly secured cargo not only prevents accidents but also protects your equipment. The equipment can either be the load your vehicle is hauling or the vehicle itself. In the photo to the right, the front end loaded wasn't properly secured to the truck and ended up completely crushing the cab of the tractor.
As stated above, there have been many accidents caused by debris being on the road from lack of securement. In a four-year study conducted by the by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found debris on U.S. roads caused more than 200,000 crashes, resulting in 39,000 injuries and more than 500. The study was conducted between the years of 2011 and 2014.
Lucky for you, Front Range Compliance has you covered with our online Cargo Securement Training through DOT University. Our cargo securement training includes inspection of cargo and securement devices, standards of securement devices, general requirements of cargo securement, working load limit, securement by commodity type, and more! Click the link below to check it out.
Use code FRCS25 for $25 off the purchase of Cargo Securement Training!
Make sure to check out our other classes on our online DOT Training platform, DOT University! We currently are offering Reasonable Suspicion for Supervisors, Defensive Driving, and Pre/Post Trip Inspection. In the coming months, we plan on releasing DOT Compliance Essentials and Appendix A.
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