Flatbed tarping and steel coil loads

Steel coils: the pattern for each position

Rules below were checked against the official sources at the bottom of this page on October 30, 2026. 49 CFR 393.120 covers one or more metal coils that weigh 5,000 lb or more, alone or grouped.

• Eyes vertical, one coil: one tiedown diagonally across the eye from left front to right rear, a second from right front to left rear, one tiedown over the eye from side to side, and blocking, bracing, friction mats or tiedowns to stop it moving forward.
• Eyes vertical, a row of coils: at least one tiedown at the front of the row against forward movement, one at the rear against rearward movement (each at 45 degrees or less to the deck where practical), and one over each coil or row close to the eye so it can't slip off.
• Eyes crosswise: stop rolling with timbers, chocks, wedges or a cradle that can't loosen in transit, held by coil bunks or similar. Nailed blocking or cleats alone, or a nailed wood cradle, isn't allowed. Run one tiedown through the eye against forward movement and one against rearward movement. Chains that cross in an X through the eye, seen from above, are prohibited.
• Eyes lengthwise: the same rolling restraint, plus blocking or friction mats against front-to-back movement, and one of three patterns: two diagonal tiedowns through the eye plus one over the top; two straight tiedowns through the eye plus one over the top; or one tiedown over the top near the front of the coil and one near the rear.
• Sided van or container without anchor points: load the coils so they can't shift or tip, using blocking and bracing, friction mats, tiedowns or a mix.

Practice these in our cargo securement practice test.

Working load limit, tiedown count and edge protection

• Aggregate WLL: the working load limits of your tiedowns must add up to at least half the weight of the article or group (49 CFR 393.106(d)). Depending on how a tiedown is attached, its full WLL or half of it counts.
• WLL markings: if the manufacturer marked a WLL on the chain, strap or binder, that number applies; the default tables in 49 CFR 393.108 apply only to unmarked gear.
• Minimum count for cargo not blocked against forward movement (49 CFR 393.110): 1 tiedown for an article 5 ft or shorter and 1,100 lb or less; 2 for one 5 ft or shorter over 1,100 lb, or longer than 5 ft up to 10 ft; over 10 ft, 2 plus 1 for every extra 10 ft or part of it.
• Condition: no damaged or weakened components and no knots (49 CFR 393.104).
• Edge protection is required whenever a tiedown would be subject to abrasion or cutting where it touches the cargo (49 CFR 393.104(f)(4)).

The system as a whole has to hold 0.8 g forward and 0.5 g rearward and sideways before breaking (49 CFR 393.102). The cargo securement guide covers the general rules for every load.

Tarps: what the rules say

The federal cargo securement rules don't require a tarp on steel or coils. What they do require: cargo can't leak, spill, blow or fall off the truck (49 CFR 393.100(b)), and any tarp you do use has to be secured, along with doors, tailgates and other equipment (49 CFR 392.9(a)(2)). Loose bulk material is different, and many states require it covered; see the dump truck guide.

Shippers often require tarps to protect steel, lumber and machinery from water and road grime, and the rate confirmation should say so. Before you accept a tarped load, confirm what kind of tarp (steel, lumber, smoke), how many, and whether tarping is paid as a separate line. Tarping takes time on the shipper's dock, so put it in your detention plan too.

Checking the load on the road

The driver inspects the cargo and securement within the first 50 miles and adjusts as needed, then re-checks whenever the duty status changes, or after 3 hours or 150 miles of driving, whichever comes first (49 CFR 392.9(b)). The first check catches straps and chains that loosened as the load settled.

Cargo securement is part of the CVSA out-of-service criteria, which are updated every year. A load found unsecured at an inspection can be put out of service on the spot. See DOT roadside inspections and out-of-service criteria.

Hauling steel? Flatbed dispatch and step deck dispatch are a simple percentage of each load, quoted for your truck, and your first load is free if you have your own active MC. Call (747) 210-0227.

Questions carriers ask