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Get ready for some "NEW, IMPROVED" reg's...

LowBoy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
1,149
Location
Southern Vt. on the Mass./NH borders
Occupation
Owner, Iron Mountain Iron & Equipment (Transport)
I learn something new every day. I always said, "the day I quit learning, I'd better get out of this arena and do something less dangerous"...
Today was yet another learning experience, for me anyways.
I leave home this morning with a 1989 Peterbilt rear-discharge cement mixer chained down, as I usually do, over-chained. I started out a little higher than normal, at 13'9" tall to the top of the hopper.(Not a life-threatening situation, the hopper's made of thin steel, so even if I did boff something up there, the hopper would just be shaped a little differently afterwards, that's all...)
Upon entering the NYS Thruway to head south to Brooklyn, NY (Wooof...:Banghead ), I noticed I tripped the height detector in the EZ Pass booth. No big deal...I stopped at the very next service plaza, get my wrenches out, and drop my ride height at the leveling valve down low enough to be 13' 6"...All set to go.
I follow the directions given to me over the cellphone by a guy named "Dominic" (go figure,) right to a tee. At the intersection of Flushing Ave. and Rust St., (appropriately named after the dealer that bought these used mixers, I believe,) I have to make a HARD left turn over a bridge with granite curbing about 24" high. I tried 3 times, but my little 53' lowbed just wouldn't cooperate with the front half, so I decided to back up again, and take a RIGHT instead, go find a spot to do an about face, and head over to Dominic's place. I am literally 100 feet from his doorstep at that point, but couldn't make the swing, unless I pulled a JB Hunt or Swift manuver and ran the 2 foot high curbs over, demo'ing whatever was in the way, including the 3 rims and tires. I opted not to go that route today.
I take the right, and 100 yards down the street I see a perfect "island" with a diner in the middle of it, so I'm planning to make a right, a right, and a left and be pointed in the proper direction. WRONG...
As I approach the stoplight to make my first right, there was a guy in a very bright, seemingly flourescent orange jumpsuit, signaling me to come straight to him, up against the curb. My first analysis of this deal is, "geez, what a nice guy for being in Brooklyn...he's helping me out..." Then, reality set in that he's not a nice guy from Brooklyn...he's The Man With The Plan...an official NYS D.O.T. inspector.This ain't good...
Now here I am, 150 yards away from where this mixer is going, and me, "Mr. Lucky", has to walk into a DOT check, in the freakin' city of all places!:Banghead
I did luck out with this guy, though. He was a peach. He asked for ever piece of paperwork I could imagine, including my logbook which wasn't finished from Tuesday's workday yet, but being I left from Troy, NY (so he thought, as it says on the door anyways,) he let me slide on the logbook. We did a level 2 inspection, which is just a walkaround, lights, wipers, horn, etc. without the creeper.
Came out with NO violations...nice. But...he taught me something new today. As of this month, there's a WHOLE new set of securement regulations coming into effect. ANYTHING not secured down to a truck or trailer, including, but not limited to, the very chains and binders that hold stuff in place, MUST be secured themselves. In other words, no more throwing your chains and binders in the well, (which by the way, is a factory standard item on this 2007 Fontaine Specialized trailer I pull,) and even a single 4X4 block must be secured in some fashion, or you're gonna get whacked. He let me go on it, but suggested I build a cover with hinges to keep the chains and binders from "jumping out" of the well.
Now I don't know about anyone else on this forum, but the only time I have ever personally seen any chains and binders fall out of the well of a lowbed, is when the truck was capsized in a ditch somewhere. I carry 3/8" and 1/2" chains and screw binders, and pile them all on top of each other, and in my mind, if you ever hit a bump hard enough to have those things jump up out of the 10" deep well they're riding in, you're gonna have a lot bigger problems with your equipment than just loose chains...probably gonna snap the truck in half once you land, eh?
In any event, the enforcers of the new laws will be writing tickets for "unsecured securement" devices from now on. The weight of the objects are not sufficient securement in itself, according to the inspector.
I left happily from my new lease on life after DOT, and utilized his and a city cop's official authority to get me backed out into the 4 way intersection, and make my right, right, and finally, the left that I had so innocenty planned on making, 45 minutes prior to all this trauma.
I got to Dominic's place, broke the trailer down, drove the mixer off, put it back together and left the fair city of New York I think, just a wee bit wiser than I entered today...:wink2
I just thought I'd share that tidbit of information with you folks, so fire up the mig welders men, get those pieces of diamondplate cut to size, and use those electric glue machines to stick a set of hinges to the plate, and finally to the trailers, because Beufort T. Justice WILL be looking hard at your unsecure securement devices from this point on...
Thanx.
 

Lashlander

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Messages
1,226
Location
Kodiak Ak.
I am literally 100 feet from his doorstep at that point, but couldn't make the swing, unless I pulled a JB Hunt or Swift manuver and ran the 2 foot high curbs over, demo'ing whatever was in the way, including the 3 rims and tires.

Now I don't know about anyone else on this forum, but the only time I have ever personally seen any chains and binders fall out of the well of a lowbed, is when the truck was capsized in a ditch somewhere.

:lmao :lmao

Lowboy, Your trying to use common sense here and you should know better!:yup
 

surfer-joe

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2007
Messages
1,403
Location
Arizona
You got guts hauling anything into that city on a loboy, I'll say that! I hate to even walk around there, let alone drive something.

I'd like to have a dollar for every chain, boomer, ratchet strap, tarp, tarp strap, piece of rope, cribbing, belting, and other pieces of junk I've seen coming off a loboy over the years. I can't say much tho, I dropped a 20000 pound P&H counterweight off a loboy once right in the middle of the road. Ahem, but that was a long time ago you see.

In other words, I wish drivers didn't have to get ticketed for leaving stuff loose on the trailer bed or in an open well, but I've seen people get hurt when the stuff comes off, and have suffered damage myself when a piece of 4x4 came off a trailer and went thru my windshield some years ago. Good thing my girlfriend wasn't with me, I'd a had to get a new one after that.

I used to rag on my loboy driver in Bakersfield cause he would leave his chains and boomers loose on the bed. He was a lazy cuss and he'd put everything away for a few days, then start leaving it out again. DOT nailed him in Wyoming for it, which surprised me as that state doesn't have many DOT people out on the roads. Just lucky I guess.

Anyway, it's better to put it up proper, than take a chance getting someone hurt or killed.
 

LowBoy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
1,149
Location
Southern Vt. on the Mass./NH borders
Occupation
Owner, Iron Mountain Iron & Equipment (Transport)
You got guts hauling anything into that city on a loboy, I'll say that! I hate to even walk around there, let alone drive something.

Anyway, it's better to put it up proper, than take a chance getting someone hurt or killed.

I wouldn't refer to it as "guts," surfer-joe, it's from a little lower down in the anatomy that I have, and I have less of what's required between the ears I think.:D

As far as the guy you referred to leaving stuff on the deck loose, yes, he is lazy, and yes, deserving of any violation that comes along in my opinion. I admit, if I'm just going a couple of miles down the street to pick something back up once I've just unloaded one, I might be guilty of leaving 2 chains and binders right up against the gooseneck to ride the distance, but normally I'd hook the hooks on the gooseneck itself anyways to ensure their trip.It's just not a good habit to get into.

What is really bothering me about the "new" regulations just coming out, is the DOT inspector that I was visiting with yesterday says he's going to be at a seminar in Albany, NY soon for a refresher course in load securement through his agency. It would be fair to say, at the very least, that everyone interested should be eligible to attend such a meeting, but unfortunately, he didn't invite me. That means that these inspectors are going to leave that seminar much smarter than they are now, and us poor, innocent cusses that actually perform the task of securing our loads down, are going to be in the dark until it hits us in the wallets as usual. What a concept, huh?:beatsme

One of our other drivers got into a DOT check last week out in western NY state, and being a cop himself, tends to abide by the rules 100%, which is fine. He was told that from now on, (just in Western New York, not everywhere,) if he was to use a binder hooked to the flange of the trailer beam, and a chain hooked into a track pad as usual when the binder itself won't reach from beam to track pad, that they will only give him 50% of the device rating for that.I wonder if they're going to draw a line of demarkation across the grass and the roads somewhere out in western NY state to let us know when we have to stop and change the way we've chained the loads down at that point to avoid a fine? What do you think they'd use to draw the line...spraypaint...? or maybe they'll be nice, and put down that sticky fluorescent highway tape so we know we've crossed the new securement regulations line...:naughty :laugh
 

Grader4me

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
1,792
Location
New Brunswick, Canada
8. Securement of Chains and other Equipment
Can chains, load binders and other equipment be hung from racks or hooks on the vehicle?

Comments: Yes, provided they are firmly immobilized or secured on or within the vehicle by
structures of adequate strength, blocking, bracing, dunnage or dunnage bags, shoring bars, tiedowns or
a combination of these. Extra chain and securement equipment are considered to be cargo for the purposes of NSC Standard 10.
I just looked this up. Notice the section that I highlighted. I don't think this rule is new. Maybe the officer in question is just catching up to it? If the chain & binders are considered cargo then it has to be secured as such? :beatsme
 

nedly05

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2006
Messages
1,801
Location
Adk. Mtns, NY
Thanks for the heads up bro, I now know I have some fab work to do so my mexican jumping chains don't bound off my trailer!!!
 

mflah87

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Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
186
Location
Waltham
Occupation
owner of excavating company
They make it harder and harder to make a buck today. This is only going to raise prices because now lowbed companies are going to figure this into their price raising lowbed moves, which will raise construction project prices. It never ends.
 

Ford LT-9000

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B.C. Canada
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Rolling around in the dirt
In the Republic of British Columbia you need to secure everything even thats been enforced for over a year or more. Lowbedders used to leave their chains and cinches on the deck in the center its not allowed anymore. Any blocking used to be thrown in between the frame rails not anymore. Chain wells where you could throw chains into needs a lid over it.

If you have a hanging rail for chains you need to have a guard over top to prevent the chains or cinches from bouncing off. I never heard of a hook bouncing off the hanging rail. Even headache racks on the lowbed tractor needs a cover over the chain hanging bar.

Talking to a guy that works for a excavation contractor the other day he got pinched for not having his blocking chained down to the trailer. It was two 6x6 blocks 16 inches long he got a insecure load fine.

The fine for out of adusted brakes is 138 dollars per wheel the insecure fine is 288.

These rules and regs are desinged by people with no clue about trucking. The fines are just a cash cow for the gov't.
 

crash935

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Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
99
Location
West Michigan
Occupation
Co-Owner of Lakeland Transportation
Supposedly they are adding some new rules for Vans also. Picked up a load where i had to run some of the skids down the center. Another driver watched it get loaded and told me that they are going to start checking for blocking on the floor to prevent the skids from moving around in the trailer.

Cant wait to get another load of, dripping with juice pigskins, loaded down the center, "whats that officer, you need to check in my trailer, sure go ahead, but i aint opening the door for you".
 

LowBoy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
1,149
Location
Southern Vt. on the Mass./NH borders
Occupation
Owner, Iron Mountain Iron & Equipment (Transport)
I just looked this up. Notice the section that I highlighted. I don't think this rule is new. Maybe the officer in question is just catching up to it? If the chain & binders are considered cargo then it has to be secured as such? :beatsme

I have a sneaky suspicion that the Canadian reg's. are slightly different than U.S. in this regard. If it were the case, then these U.S trailer manufacturers such as Fontaine, Talbert, Rogers, Eager Beaver, Etnyre, etc., would not offer an optional chain well built in at the factory without a proper covering device to be compliant. They have to abide by the FMCSA regulations before we, the end users, have to.

I was stopped several years ago by a numb city cop who was disguised as a wanna-be DOT man. I had a brand spanking new Fruehauf triaxle aluminum tanker behind me. He stopped me because it had amber lights in the rear as turn signals, and said it was illegal to have amber back there, and fined me for it. I told him he might better read a little more into it, because every trailer I have seen coming from the same factory as this one has amber directionals in them. He said that the state of New York was involved in a legal battle as we spoke with Isuzu Motor Co. due to the fact that they build trucks with amber lenses, and NY state doesn't allow them in the rear.

The Federal D.O.T. inspector that I spoke with later that month agreed with me that the cop doing that inspection needs to stop drinking so much.:drinkup

The moral to the story: none of them agree on anything, and it's all about the almighty dollar generated for the authority in control. Bottom line, friends.
 

Ford LT-9000

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B.C. Canada
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Rolling around in the dirt
There are all kinds of stupid regulations now that I haven't kept track on.

These new regulations are to make the gov't look good they think they are trying to make trucking safer. The public has this idea that all trucks are bad and dangerous when 90% of the truck accidents are caused by some freaking idiot in a 4 wheeler cutting off a truck that can't stop on a dime.

There wouldn't be problems if companies provided proper training, pay decent wages so you get people with a brain in their head.

I also think the DOT/CVI inspectors should know who pays their wages if there is no trucking there is no work for the inspectors. Some of these idiots get on a power trip trying to prove themselves.
 

Grader4me

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Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
1,792
Location
New Brunswick, Canada
I have a sneaky suspicion that the Canadian reg's. are slightly different than U.S. in this regard. If it were the case, then these U.S trailer manufacturers such as Fontaine, Talbert, Rogers, Eager Beaver, Etnyre, etc., would not offer an optional chain well built in at the factory without a proper covering device to be compliant. They have to abide by the FMCSA regulations before we, the end users, have to.

You could be right lowboy, but I was always under the impression that the U.S. was ahead of us when it came to these regulations. Here is a link to the FMCSA regulations concerning securment of the cargo securing equipment.
The following conditions must exist before a driver can operate a commercial motor vehicle and a carrier can require or permit a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle.

The commercial motor vehicle's cargo must be properly distributed and adequately secured.
The commercial motor vehicle's structure and equipment must be secured:
Tailgate
Doors
Tarpaulins
Spare tire
Other equipment used in the vehicle's operation
Cargo securing equipment.
This is quite vague, but all that I can find in the regulations. Can anyone add to this? Officers could have a field day with that.
 

Grader4me

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Jan 11, 2006
Messages
1,792
Location
New Brunswick, Canada
Is this a surprise?

No, It's not a surprise. Maybe I'm going overboard refering to all the rules and regulations as well, but I am still trying to understand it. When they (CVE Officers)say we need this and we need that, you have to have it this way or that way, then I would hope that they can provide the documentation to back it up. If not, then their day in court would not be a good one.
I am not out to try and prove anyone wrong on what they are saying. I just wish that the government would get their act together and provide accurate , documented rules and regulations that is clear to them and clear to us.
The written rule for securement of the extra chains etc. is so ill written, how would you interpret it? :beatsme So much more could be added to this to help clarify.
Maybe I am looking in the wrong place for more detailed information on cargo securement?
 

LowBoy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
1,149
Location
Southern Vt. on the Mass./NH borders
Occupation
Owner, Iron Mountain Iron & Equipment (Transport)
The written rule for securement of the extra chains etc. is so ill written, how would you interpret it? :beatsme So much more could be added to this to help clarify.

I'm in agreement with that statement, Grader4me. My only initial discrepancy on this issue is the "securing of extra cargo securing equipment." I'm really struggling with the fact that the inspectors that are doing their jobs, keeping things "safe", are missing the mark on the core issue of extra cargo seruring devices placed into an O.E.M., factory built storage compartment designed for this sole purpose. I will post some pics later on to show in living color what I am referring to. The chain wells in the trailer I use every day are 10" deep X 24" long X 3' wide, with a heavy diamond mesh screen bottom to keep dirt and stuff from collecting in it. The simple laws of physics and gravity will always prevail in this situation. Just a few miles of traveling, and when you go to remove the chains and binders from the well, they're usually so tangled into themselves from the settlement that you have to struggle to get them apart again.That's MY beef with the securement rules..."The continuous lack thereof, of simple common sense..."
Obviously leaving loose chains, binders and/or blocks on a level deck trailer by themselves is not kosher. But placing them in the intended storage area in my opinion, is...
In short, it's probably not worth wasting any sleep over voicing our opinions though, because they will still have the last say in the matter.:Banghead
 
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digger242j

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Joined
Oct 31, 2003
Messages
6,628
Location
Southwestern PA
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Self employed excavator
When?
The cargo must remain secured on or in the transporting vehicle:

Under all conditions that could reasonably be expected to occur in normal driving.When a driver is responding in all emergency situations, EXCEPT when there is a crash.


How Well Must Cargo be Secured?
So that it does not:


Leak
Spill
Blow off the vehicle
Fall from the vehicle
Fall through the vehicle
Otherwise become dislodged from the vehicle
Shift upon or within the vehicle to such an extent that the vehicle's stability or maneuverability is adversely affected.

It seems to me that the case could be made that leaving your chains and binders in the well, under the specified "normal" conditions, they will never cause you to be in violation of the rest of the rule.

That having been said...


It seems to me, that the way rule is being enforced, you could be written up for a single rubber bungee laying loose in your well. :beatsme
 
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