Car hauler securement rules: how many tie-downs, where, and how strong.

The rule for cars, light trucks and vans

49 CFR 393.128 covers automobiles, light trucks and vans that each weigh 10,000 lb or less, which is almost every car a car hauler carries:

• At least two tiedowns per vehicle, restraining it at both the front and the rear.
• A tiedown fixed to the vehicle's own structure must use the mounting points designed for that purpose, not any part of the frame that looks strong.
• Wheel straps must hold the vehicle in all three directions: side to side, front to back and up and down.
• Edge protection is not required where the webbing touches the tires.

Two tie-downs, front and rear, strong enough together for half the car's weight.

How strong: the 50% rule

The general rule (49 CFR 393.106) applies to cars too: the aggregate working load limit of the tiedowns holding a vehicle must be at least half its weight. How a tiedown counts depends on how it runs:

• From an anchor on the trailer to an anchor on the car: half its working load limit.
• From the trailer, over or around the cargo, back to the same side of the trailer: half.
• From the trailer, over or around the cargo, to the other side: its full working load limit.

A worked example: a car weighing 4,000 lb needs counted working load limits adding up to at least 2,000 lb. Two unmarked 2-inch straps from the trailer to the car's tie-down points have a working load limit of 2,000 lb each and count at half, 1,000 lb each: exactly 2,000 lb, the minimum. A tiedown at each corner gives you margin above it.

Working load limits when the strap is not marked

• Synthetic webbing: 2,000 lb for 2-inch, 3,000 lb for 3-inch, 4,000 lb for 4-inch.
• Grade 70 chain, 3/8 inch: 6,600 lb.
• A tiedown is only as strong as its weakest part: the strap, the hook, the ratchet or the anchor point on the trailer.

The limits are designed around the forces of hard braking and swerving: 0.435 g forward, 0.5 g rearward and 0.25 g sideways.

Condition of the equipment

• No damaged or weakened parts: cut or frayed webbing, cracked hooks, stretched chain.
• No knots in straps.
• Tiedowns must not loosen or come free on the road. Check them after the first miles and at every stop.

Heavier vehicles

A vehicle weighing 10,000 lb or more on its own, such as heavy equipment or a large truck, falls under 49 CFR 393.130 instead: at least four tiedowns, as close as practicable to the front and rear, with articulating parts prevented from moving.

At a roadside inspection

Cargo securement is part of the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria that inspectors use (Part II, Item 2), updated every year on April 1. A load that fails can be put out of service on the spot until it is secured properly.

Loading that protects you twice

• Inspect before you load. Walk each car and photograph it before it goes on the trailer; a damage claim is decided on what the BOL says at pickup. Car hauler BOL template.
• Mind height and overhang. Top-deck cars set your height; federal length and overhang limits are in car hauler trailer types.
• Re-check after the first miles. Straps settle, and a loose one is both a violation and a claim.

On loadez, the driver's inspection photos at pickup and delivery carry GPS and time stamps, and the BOL with the receiver's signature reaches the broker the same minute. It is included in every plan, including the free one.

A plain-language summary of 49 CFR 393.102 to 393.130, not legal advice. Read the sections for the exact wording.

Common questions

How many tie-downs does a car hauler need per car?

At least two per vehicle under 49 CFR 393.128, restraining it at both the front and the rear, for cars, light trucks and vans weighing 10,000 lb or less each. Their counted working load limits must add up to at least half the vehicle's weight. Vehicles of 10,000 lb or more need at least four tiedowns under 393.130.

Are wheel straps legal for securing cars?

Yes. 49 CFR 393.128 allows wheel straps as long as they restrain the vehicle laterally, longitudinally and vertically, and edge protectors are not required where the webbing touches the tires. Tiedowns attached to the vehicle itself must use the mounting points designed for that purpose.

What is the working load limit of a 2-inch car hauler strap?

If it is not marked, a 2-inch synthetic web strap is rated at 2,000 lb under 49 CFR 393.108; 3-inch is 3,000 lb and 4-inch is 4,000 lb. A tiedown is rated at its weakest component, including the hook, ratchet and anchor point.