I was recently advised that several southern states truck scales are requiring a chain over the blade or mast of wide load machines in excess of 10,000 lbs, in addition to the 4 point chaining already required. The justification for this is that "the blade is a seperate piece of equipment only partially secured." This intrepretation may be applied to a large ripper, too. We rarely cross scales with heavy equipment because there are no scales in a 80 mile radius of our location. We cross scales with quarry size loader buckets for rebuild but the securement rules for loader buckets are different than for machines. If any of you have some information or updates on securement enforcement, we would all benefit from hearing from you. Thanx
Maybe we can get this thread going again as there seems to be some confusion concerning the laws in different places, in reqards to proper and legal ways to chain down machinery. In Canada it is the law that when hauling heavy machinery whether it is wheeled or tracked you must have it secured by four(4) individual chains and four(4) binders. Boom or Shovel has to be secured as well. This is a minumum requirement. Light vehicles as cargo can be secured with two(2) chains and binders. To me even if this was not the law, securing your equipment with the four chains is the safest approach. It doesn't take that much longer and it give you a better piece of mind, knowing that your machine is well secured to your trailer.
They are begining to push this as well around here. Here's what I've been told: 10000 lb machines or larger need 4 grade 70 3/8" chains preferably crossed from corner to corner. All appendages (excavator arms, loader buckets/arms etc) need to be secured as well. Machines weighing less than 10000 lbs. need 2 5/16" grade 70 chains or more. All appendages shall also be secured. As far as the blade, if they are considering it an appendage, it would stand to reason. Has anyone had issues with DOT/CVE about binders? Some guys aroung here have been told they need screw type binders, no arm type. When I've been checked, they never bothered me about my standard binders. It's been my experience that if your properly chained, or over chain, the DOT guys seem to cut you a little slack. It's worth the extra effort to chain down properly to buy some wiggle room from DOT.
I forgot to add, you need 2 chains on everything and 2 for every 8'. If it's 12' long (like a loader bucket or in my case, logs) you need 3 chains.
atgreene First, thanks for your reply. I noticed in your post that you said "I have been told" so I have a question... Is all the information you gave in your post (all good!) now the law in Maine, or just what you think(or been told) may be coming in the future? Would this law apply throughout the states? or just for Maine? The reason that I am asking is that the laws (as stated in my previous post) are for all of Canada, at least this is what I understand it to be according to the NSC. There is no issue as far as I know with binders in our country.
This is what the DOT enforcement has told me and others. Unfortunately it has been my experience that they tend to make some rules up as they go. Although I have asked for a written copy of these rules, I have yet to see them. It would appear it is their interpretation of the law, and as we all know, if DOT say's that's the way they want it you're best to do it their way. :notworthy Otherwise you may win the battle but I guarantee you'll lose the war. They have a way of making life miserable if you go out of your way to prove them wrong. :crying
Wow thanks for the info....very imformative!! I know the CVE has even fined our guys for minor infractions:Banghead but they definately don't make up the rules as they go. They have to back up (with regulations) what they preach:yup
One of their more recent "rules" was that lever binders aren't allowed anymore. Almost everyone I know went out and bought the screw type, only to find out afterward that standard lever binders apparently are still allowed. It was 1 DOT inspectors interperation that caused the wholescale change, to the tune of lots of $$$ for those who thought they had to swap over. But there again, if you swap to screw type without arguement, he probably would cut you some slack on other issues. It's one big game.:Banghead
Chaining requirements. Everything atgreene said is pretty much the standard, and I agree. I haul heavy and wide all over the country, and my philosophy on securing equipment (or anything for that matter,) is to OVERSECURE everything. The Fed. law states that "there shall be no forward, aft, or lateral movement", meaning simply to chain at 4 points of contact, preferrably crossways when applicable. A backhoe or loader wants 6 chains; 4 points of contact from the chassis, and one over each impliment. Dozers want one over the blade, even though it would take one loolapalooza of an incident in my feable mind, to initiate a "blade detachment" while in transit. That is unless the blade is not connected as normal. Usually they would be. I just always spend an extra 10-15 minutes securing every load so as to "impress" a DOT officer, so that he might channel his energy to something (or someone,) else. As for lever binders being outlawed, I don't necessarily agree. Every day I see a lot of trucks traveling with brand new lever binders. Why...I don't know. The last one I used, I raked across my shin so bad when it released, I saw 9 kinds of hell, and had to sit down on the trailer and regroup my thoughts for a while.:dizzy Ratchet binders are the only way to fly... I use a set of 1/2 inch "mankiller chains" and binders for the big toys over 25 tons, like the load I have on now is a 65K machine. I crossed two 1/2 inch chains front and rear on this feller buncher on tracks, and even threw an extra set of 3/8" chains on crossways also for double protection. If a DOT man has a problem with the way I secured this machine as ALL the ones I move, he's nuts...period. I chain rippers down with 2 opposing chains, and sometimes use two binders for one chain, to ensure both sides will stay super tight. ANYTHING that may swing, flap in the breeze, or attract unwanted attention, to put it bluntly, warrants a securement device. I move portable screening plants with fold-up conveyers, and I take the time to throw a few 2" ratchet straps around the belts so I don't look like "Dumbo the Elephant" going down the road with the belts flapping. In other words, using common sense, good judgement and having an engineering mindset really is advantageous in the movement of heavy equipment this day and age. Good luck.
I totally agree with this.There has been a lot of discussion on this forum about securing equipment and a lot of confusion as well (myself included) as to proper securement etc. Your philosophy as far as I am concerned is right on the money. I have to get it right because our guy's haul equipment, and it is my job to ensure that they know and understand these new laws, and secure properly. Well said. This is what it really boils down to. Thanks for sharing this information
subject When moving a backhoe,2 chains pulling front,two chains pulling rearward,one over the boom,I have never put across the front bucket abd really dont see a reason to do it.I do cross chain every thing I chain down and use ratchet type binders,screw type or what ever ya wanna call them.:drinkup
I grab the pads on all 4 corners, usually thats all. If I happen to be going past where DOT frequently sets up then I will chain the boom or blade.10 miles for me is a long move. So a good portion of my move is chaining/binding, but I chain it the same regardless of how far I am going.
subject With a tracked machine,I boom the 4 corners or the tracks.Track hoe,4 corners,2 pulling rear 2 pulling front.Chain over the boom,and if there is securement points under the rear I will cross chain there also.To this point in time,I havent lost anything off the lowboy.Knock on wood.:usa
Blade chain down Evening. In NY the DOT requires that any extra hydraulic unit on a piece of equipment be chained separate. If you have a backhoe you would have to have six chains on it. I operate a lowboy and some times I'll have two backhoes. In that case I have to have 12 chains. In NY the scales are mobile, In the back of vans. You may even be stopped on a country road for an inspection. Also the chains and binders strenghts have to be => than the 1/2 weight of the piece of equipment. Hope this helps. (Toomaker)
My problem is the right equipment and I think all of us have delt with damaged equipment like stretched chains, bent boomers, rusted chains and damaged tie down points.O don't forget your son went to pick up a friends jeep and borrowed some chain. We enjoy securing big weird loads properly and the key is to make sure you have the gear to do it.
Texas wants the 4 point tie down.The the attachments too.Ripper,Blade Boom,etc.Log trucks need two chains unless it is double decked then four chains. Wish the small trucks hauling scrap metal had to do this. I have seen a CAT 140 tied with 4 inch straps.Seen one with one chain.Worked at a Dealer where a truck hauled a Compacter in with one chain run across the floor board.He was told one more time and your company will not be hauling for us.
I think binding the tracks on a excavator tends to bend and damage them. I see guys do it all the time but the more i think about it the more i think its the wrong way!
Here is the link to the FMCSA web page it does not cover each state, just the federal regs. http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/truck/vehicle/cs-policy.htm
I have never seen a bent track from chaining down on 20 ton hoes on up. Even when you hit the brakes so hard you snapped 3 1/2" G80 chains off them.
what about how much chain to use? I was always under the impresion that it was that all your chains should add up to 150% of the load.
Minimum Working Load Limit for Cargo Securement Devices and Systems The aggregate working load limit of any securement system used to secure an article or group of articles against movement must be at least one-half the weight of the article or group of articles. The aggregate working load limit is the sum of: One-half the working load limit of each tiedown that goes from an anchor point on the vehicle to an attachment point on an article of cargo; and The working load limit for each tiedown that goes from an anchor point on the vehicle, through, over or around the cargo and then attaches to another anchor point on the vehicle. This is from the FMCSA regs
There is another section that contradicts this. The safest thing is to count all of then at 1/2 the WLL
I allways used more chains than was needed. When it comes to tying down a load more is better, in my opinion.
How about not even setting the blade down? I have hauled larger dozers (8's and 9's) with the blade all the up in the air on occasion when I knew I would be on a tight road. The advantage is being able to clear mile markers, guard rails and bridge railings, as well as being able to see your trailer axles in the mirrior under the blade. Whenever I have done this I have always used 1/2" chain to hold the blade up, more for looks than anything else. With the smaller dozers (6's and down) on my beavertail trailer I chain the blade down but leave the rippers all the way up, I have crossed quite a few scales including the infamous cordelia scales with both methods and never had a problem.
According to the Case Operator’s Manual Loader Backhoe 580 Super M, The machine with loader bucket and with universal backhoe bucket has weight ranging from 14, 285 to 17,545 lbs depending upon configuration. The length of the machine is 22’ 10” to 22’ 8” with loader bucket down and backhoe bucket curled inward fully. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Regulations states that: 393.106 What are the general requirements for securing articles of cargo? (a) Applicability. The rules of this section are applicable to……vehicles. The rules of this in this section apply to the cargo types covered by the commodity-specific rules of 393.116 through 393.136. 393.110 What else do I have to do to determine the minimum number of tiedowns? (a)When tiedowns are used as part of a cargo securement system, the minimum number of tiedowns required to secure an article or group of articles against movement depends on the length of the article(s) being secured, and the requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. These requirements are in addition to the rules under 393.106. (c) If an individual article is blocked, braced, or immobilized to prevent movement in the forward direction by a headerboard, bulkhead, and other articles which are adequately secured or by an appropriate blocking or immobilization method it must be secured by at least one tiedown for every 3.04 meters (10 feet) of article length, or fraction thereof.” 393.130 What are the rules for securing heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery? (a) Applicability. The rules in this section apply to the transportation of heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery which operate on wheels or tracks, such as front end loaders, bulldozers, tractors and powered shovels and which individually weigh 4,536 kg (10,000 lb.) or more. Vehicles, equipment and machinery which is lighter than 4,536 kg (10,000 lb) may also be secured in accordance with provisions of 393.100 through 393.114 (b) Preparation of equipment being transported. (1) Accessory equipment, such as hydraulic shovels, must be completely lowered and secured to the vehicle. (2) Articulated vehicles shall be restrained in a manner that prevents articulation while in transit. (c) Securement of heavy vehicles, equipment or machinery with crawler tracks or wheels. (1) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section, heavy equipment or machinery with crawler tracks or wheels must be restrained against movement in the lateral, forward, rearward, and vertical direction using a minimum of four tiedowns. (2) Each of the tiedowns must be affixed as close as practicable to the front and rear of the vehicle, or mounting points on the vehicle that have been specifically designed for that purpose. With these regulations in mind, drivers are to secure the backhoe to the trailer by: 1) Placing the Loader Bucket (Front Bucket) against the trailer bulkhead, 2) Four chains and four ratchets that use the Backhoe’s mounting points on the vehicle that have been specifically designed for that purpose. 3) A chain and ratchet that goes across the trailer bed and is placed on top of the Backhoe Bucket (Rear Bucket). This will be done avoiding any contact with the machined and polished surface of the hydraulic actuator. As of this time, I do believe that this method of securement complies with federal regulations and surpasses all applicable safety concerns. Any comments?
I use at least 4 chains for everything, crossed when possible, and tightened in opposing directions. Also, with the new regs I always throw one over excavator buckets, and rippers, and two on a dozer or loader bucket. It always looks counterproductive to see one chain on a dozer attached to the top of one side and tightened to the other. It may be legal but it is stupid (IMHO), balance the chaining is better. I have been told by others that you get as much credit for one chain (for example going over both track frames on an excavator) that is secured to anchor points on each side of the trailer as you do two chains that are cross chained with one end to the machine, and the other to an anchor point. Dozerboy highlighted this in post #22. Legal or not I do not do that. Cross chaining is much more secure to me.
It seems to me that cross chaining can often be less secure than just simply chaining 4 points in a radial pattern from 4 corners of the machine, when possible. See this picture to explain why it can possibly flip over: HeavyEquipmentForums Seems like shorter chains are generally better.
I have the privaledge of having a DOT officer as a neighbor , yes - he is one of the good ones - he will help as much as possible. We had this discussion on a few occasions and here is hie description. 1) Each corner of the track must be chained. a) each chain and binder needs to be cross binded towards the center of the machine. 2) Any attachment that can be removed from the machine - must have chain and binder and resting on trailer. This includes on my big dozers a chain for the blade and also one for the ripper. 3) One thing he also cleared up - if you are using a long chain to do both points of the track , the chain MUST have slack between the two binders, or use individual chains. I have a assortment of short chains with one hook for each binder. Hope this helps !
i chain the blade of every dozer, loader, stick on every backhoe, and boom of rock drills. but i also have enough chain for tie down to be able to pick the machine. so a 100k lb machine i have enough chain for over that weight all rachet binders no snap over binders. snap overs are still legal here but i have been told they have to be secured shut tie wire
Interesting topic I have recently moved away from using the old over centre dog style load binder and now use Ausbinder Loadmax Series 3 ratchet binders it is a combination of the old style dog and ratchet tie down. Not sure if they are available or approved for use OS buy here is a link with an instruction manual download to show how they work. They aren't cheap but are way safer you can get them for less than $100 if you shop around I used this site as a example because of the download manual. http://www.tiedownsdirect.com.au/products/Ausbinder-Series-3-8mm.html
Interesting topic...one thing I'm curious about is if you guys who regularly haul heavy loads (I don't) are concerned with the angle of the chains in the 'front to back' relation to the centerline of the trailer. Because the closer the chain is to straight across the trailer the less forward or rearward load the chain can handle reletive to its' rating. In other words, if the chain is rated for 6,600 pounds, as an example, and the angle is less than 30 degrees perpendicular to the centerline of the trailer, the forces applied by the load could be effectively multiplied because of the 'load angle factor'. For instance, in rigging a load to be hoisted by a crane the angle of the sling legs plays a big part in how much weight the sling can support. As the sling angle between the load and vertical becomes smaller it increases the forces on the sling dramatically. So a 10,000 pound weight will excert a 10,000 pound load on each leg of a two leg sling (think crossed chains) if the angle is at 30 degrees, but if the angle decreases to 10 degrees each leg of the sling will see 28,735 pounds of force to support the 10,000 pound load. So using the DOT formula of 0.8 Gs for forward motion, a set of two crossed chains at 10 degrees perpendicular to the centerline of the trailer will not hold back as heavy a load as two crossed chains at 30 degrees. Simple physics, and no doubt incorporated into the regs, but I'm just curious to see if anyone actually goes through the mental exercise of using 'load angle factors' when chaining down a load. Sorry if this is long winded or unclear, but sometimes I see loads where the chains go almost straight across the trailer and I tend to tie my loads down with some thought as to what load the tie downs will see if I'm hard on the brakes.
I may chain perpendicular to the centerline of the trailer, but only if they are additional tie downs to the four corner chains. I try to balance the angle pulling forward and back and not go too flat (perpendicluar to center) on any of the four corner chains. One thing that many people do that I don't do is to run a chain through a tie down point and then back to the binder. I prefer to hook the chain back to itself on both ends and then bind in between the two loops. I don't like pulling the chain through the tie down point upon tightening as it is hard on the chain and tie down point. Others like that it gives a reduction and you can tighten more, but I prefer to adjust where the chain hooks back to itself to get the 1/2 link adjustment.
This is perhaps the best response to the issue I have seen. It would do for all who haul heavy to get a riggers handbook to study. I continually think of the angles and stress involved both with the chain, and also of the attachment points. I try to school my employees in thinking things through like I do as well. Over many years I have seen and learned from the misfortunes of others, without any serious incidents of my own, and try to make sure I do nat have any. I chain things like my children will be riding in the car in front, beside, or behind me. As a general rule, I try to pull to the rear much harder than to the front. brakes create much more force trying to move your load than the throttle ever will. The exception is when runniong steep uphill grades, especially if the roads are rough. Another important point is to remember the tire flex and bounce. The heavier the machine, the bigger the problem. A large bump in the road can compress the tires, leaving slack in the chains. When the tire rebounds, the force can break even good chains and binders. I once had two out of six binders break on a Cat 980 loader after 30 miles of slab damaged CA freeway travel. These were 1/2" grade 7 binders on 3/8" grade 100 chain, so it was good gear. If it is rough, your chains will loosten due to flex of the trailer, load, etc. You need to retighten them when on bad roads. Before I get criticised for the 3/8" chain on large machines, I use grade 100, and it has very near the same rating as grade 70 1/2", plus it is easier to use and actually fits through most tie down holes. We used to have a 988 A with no park brake. That is a bad load to haul. It got the normal chains, plus 4 extra 1/2" grade 80 chains pulling to the rear. We started this after breaking 4 rearward pulling 3/8" chains once in a panic stop. In other words, know your load, and if it has issues, put extra effort into making it stay. Properly chained we have hauled it up and down grades in excess of 25% in the local mountains. It does make for a tense trip though. The perpindicular chains are only to secure side to side movement of an attachment or such for me. I run the main securement at as close to a 45* angle as I can in both up and down as well as forward and back. I also find it easier to use 4-10 ft chains than 2-20 ft chains. It is easier to handle and most tie downs are close to the corners. I have longer chain, but it rarely gets used. Always do your best to get to where you are going with the load still exactly where it was when you started out.
I wasn't aware you could use lifting grade chains for load restraining. Don't they meet different standards and are rated according to the intended use i.e. Working Load Limit or Lashing Capacity. How do you go using 1/2" binders on the 3/8" chain are the clevis/grab hooks loose in the chain link?
tjcoogan You can use lifting rated chain for load securing, as it is rated far beyond what is required, but you should never use load chain to lift with. A good rigging handbook will show capacities of different size chain in each grade. Most chain manufacturers have it on their website as well. 1/2" binders work with 1/2" or 3/8" chain with no problem. The only exception I have found to that is that when using poor quality transport chain, the links can deform enough to pull through. I have never had that problem with grade 80 or 100 chain, and I test my chain to the limits. I have had good 1/2" binders break the connecting link from the screw to the hook, with not even a bent link on the 3/8" chain. I quit using 3/8" binders after 2 of them broke at the same time with only a 12H blade on. The bounce from a bridge approach that I did not realise was so rough did them in. With that being one of the lighter loads I haul, I decided the 3/8" binders had to be relegated to only tying down small items and accessories, never machines. Especially rubber tired machines since they bounce so hard.