Cargo
Securement Safety
This
page covers the following topics:
- Overview
- What is Cargo?
- To What Vehicles Do the Cargo Securement Rules Apply?
- What Must Drivers and Carriers Do Before Cargo is Transported?
- How Must Cargo be Secured or Restrained?
- What Requirements Must Cargo Securement Devices Meet?
- What are the Rules for Transportation of Specific Commodities?
- Additional Information
Overview
Cargo being
transported on the highway must remain secured on or within the transporting
vehicle:
- Under all
conditions that could reasonably be expected to occur in natural driving; and
- When a driver is
responding in all emergency situations that are not crashes.
Improperly
secured cargo can result in loss of life, loss of load, damage to the cargo or
vehicle, and a crash. Motor carriers must observe the U.S. Department of
Transportation's (DOT) cargo securement rules to ensure cargo is transported safely.