Cargo securement training is needed by commercial motor vehicle drivers who load, secure or haul freight, along with dock workers and loaders who prepare shipments. Dispatchers and safety managers also benefit, since they plan loads and enforce company rules. Improperly secured cargo can injure other motorists, damage freight and trigger roadside violations.

The FMCSA cargo securement rules are in 49 CFR Part 393, Subpart I, sections 393.100 through 393.136. They set performance requirements, standards for tiedowns and other securement devices, general securement rules and commodity-specific rules for items such as logs, metal coils and heavy equipment. The rules are aligned with Canadian requirements.

A truck driver must check cargo securement before the trip and again within the first 50 miles. After that, the driver must recheck it whenever the driver changes duty status, or after 3 hours or 150 miles of driving, whichever comes first. Sealed loads the driver cannot access have limited exceptions.

The number of tiedowns required depends on cargo length and weight. Under FMCSA rules, an article 5 feet or shorter and 1,100 pounds or less needs at least one tiedown, while longer or heavier articles need at least two, plus one more for each additional 10 feet of length. Aggregate working load limit must be at least half the cargo weight.

FMCSA's cargo securement performance requirements say the system must withstand 0.8 g of deceleration forward, 0.5 g rearward, 0.5 g sideways and 0.2 g upward for cargo not fully contained. Following the general tiedown and commodity-specific rules is treated as meeting these limits, so drivers don't need to do the engineering math themselves.