Idealease Safety Bulletin - Cargo Securement Regulations 2/5/21

Read the latest Idealease Safety Bulletin "Cargo Securement Regulations" online, or click the image below to download a full PDF version.  Remember to sign up to have them delivered straight to your inbox each week for instant access to the latest safety news, tips and information!  

Looking for past safety bulletins? Check out the complete archive at: https://www.idealease.com/safety-compliance/safety-bulletins

CARGO SECUREMENT REGULATIONS

Anything and everything carried on a truck must be properly secured to prevent loss of control or falling cargo from injuring drivers, passengers, or pedestrians. While safe cargo securement principles (and of course regulations) apply to every single item carried for delivery, they also apply to anything else on the truck, including dunnage, tools, and equipment you need to get your job done. Shovels, blocks, webbing, chains, spare tires, brooms, forklifts, pallet jacks, winches, ratchets, etc., all must be secured. 

1. KNOW THE REGULATIONS

• Cargo securement standards represent the minimum safety requirements for general cargo and some specific commodities. They are available at no charge from FMCSA in the U.S. and from Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators in Canada.

2. INVEST IN THE ILLUSTRATED CARGO SECUREMENT HANDBOOK

• It includes both U.S. and Canadian regulations for reference
• Visit www.cvsa.org and order a copy of Practical Cargo Securement: Guidelines for Drivers, Carriers & Shippers, 406 pages, USD$30

3.  DOWNLOAD THE FMCSA DRIVER'S HANDBOOK ON CARGO SECUREMENT

• Provide a copy to your drivers
• Integrate the handbook sections that apply to your type of operation in your Driver's policy and procedures manual

4. PROPERLY SECURE ALL EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS YOUR LOAD

• One of the most frequently cited violations is for improper securement of dunnage or equipment, such as tarps, blocks, chains or other tie downs, spare tires, brooms, forklifts, pallet jacks, winches, ratchets, etc. 

5. INSPECT TIE DOWNS FOR WEAR AND DAMAGE

• CVSA's North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria includes the tie down defect cables for chain, wire rope, cordage, synthetic webbing, steel strapping, fittings or attachments and anchor points. If worn out, tie downs should be discarded.

6. BRACE AND BLOCK CARGO PROPERLY WITHIN SIDED OR VAN TRAILERS

• Loads that shift can cause both crashes and damage to your equipment, as well as violations that will affect your safety rating.

7. USE BEST PRACTICES OR DUE DILIGENCE

• Ensure your load is contained, immobilized, or secured so that it cannot:
  1.  leak, spill, blow off, fall from, fall through or otherwise be dislodged from the vehicle, or
  2.  shift upon or within the vehicle to such an extent that its stability or maneuverability is affected
• If needed, hire a professional specializing in vehicle loading

CDL DRUG AND ALCOHOL CLEARINGHOUSE STATS FROM 2020

The CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is now fully operational and has been in effect for a little over a year.  The number of portal accounts, data submissions and requested queries continue to rise.  

Here are some statistics provided by the FMCSA as of January 1st to summarize 2020 operation.

Of the positive drug tests reported, the drug of choice was marijuana with 29,511 positive test results.  Cocaine was a distant second with 7,940 positive tests. 

RETURN TO DUTY PROCESS

As of January 1, 2021, almost 52,000 drivers had at least one violation entered in the Clearinghouse. 

Of those drivers:

• 45,475 currently remain in a prohibited status; and
• 6,513 were no longer in a prohibited status.

A driver is in a prohibited status, if:

• there is no record in the database of both a completed SAP evaluation and treatment
• negative return-to-duty test

The Clearinghouse reports 34,769 of the 45,475 drivers in a prohibited status have yet to start the return-to-duty process. In other words, the Substance Abuse Professional has not entered a record of an assessment.

Of the 6,513 drivers who are no longer in the prohibited status, none have completed their follow-up testing plan. 

ROADCHECK 2021 TO EMPHASIZE HOS AND VEHICLE LIGHTS

Roadcheck 2021 is scheduled May 4th through 6th.  Inspectors will use the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria to help identify vehicle and driver related out-of-service conditions.  Vehicles that are placed OOS cannot be operated until the identified out-of-service conditions have been corrected. 

In 2020, 34% of driver OOS conditions were the result of Hours of Service Violations. 

According to roadside inspection data from 2020, HOS violations accounted for half of the top 20 driver violations. They include:

• 395.8E, False report of drivers record of duty status
• 395.8, Record of Duty Status violation (general/form and manner)
• 395.8AELD, No record of duty status (ELD Required)
• 395.24D, ELD cannot transfer ELD records electronically
• 395.22H2, Driver failing to maintain ELD instruction sheet
• 395.22H4,Driver failed to maintain supply of blank drivers records of duty status graph-grids
• 395.8F01, Drivers record of duty status not current
• 395.22G, Portable ELD not mounted in a fixed position and visible to driver
• 395.22H1, Driver failing to maintain ELD user's manual
• 395.24C2III, Driver failed to manually add shipping document number

In addition, the top two critical violations discovered during the audits in 2020 were:

In respect to components, commercial vehicle lighting is consistently a concern.  Section 393.9, inoperable required lamp, was the top vehicle violation discovered during roadside inspections in 2020, followed by inoperable turn signal (393.9TS) at number 6, and no or defective lighting devices or reflective material as required (393.11) at number 7. 

HOW WILL COVID-19 AFFECT 2021 ROACHECK INSPECTIONS?

Similar to 2020, enforcement will conduct inspections following regional health and safety protocols during 2021. 

Vaccine shipments will not be held up for inspections unless there is an obvious, serious violation that is an imminent hazard. 

*The Idealease Safety Bulletin is provided for Idealease locations and their customers and is not to be construed as a complete or exhaustive source of compliance or safety information. The Idealease Safety Bulletin is advisory in nature and does not warrant, guarantee, or otherwise certify compliance with laws, regulations, requirements, or guidelines of any local, state, or Federal agency and/or governing body, or industry standards.