FMCSA Revises Cargo Tie-Down Rules

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he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced its final revisions to its 2004 cargo tie-down rule, clarifying placement of straps and easing the standard for how securely cargo must be tied to prevent it from moving while a truck is in operation.

The changes, made after petitions by several industry associations including American Trucking Associations and the Canadian Trucking Alliance, take effect July 24.

An official with FMCSA said the changes in the “rub-rail” rule, as it is called, made it easier for truckers and law enforcement officers to understand and enforce.

“We recognized that there were some issues that needed to be clarified in the old regulation, so we used this as an opportunity to clean up some of the language and we did not want to create issues with enforcement officers,” said Larry Minor, FMCSA director of bus and truck standards and operations.

For the full story, see the July 3 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.