chaining down your equipment

[newengland mower]

i work for a tree co in new england we use a asv rc 100 what ways do you guys chain down your machines

 

[Mace Canute]

If you Google DOT regulations for chaining down loads, the very first hit is Cargo Securement Rules - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Your individual States might have different requirements.

It's all well and good to ask what others do, but you have to remember, what counts in the end when you get right down to the nitty gritty is what the Regulations say.

The thread "Hoe tips on Mini van .fatal" is the perfect example of why you want to meet all the Regulations regarding restraining cargo. You can bet the Authorities will be looking at how that TLB was secured and if charges will be levied against the driver for having an unsecured load. An even more salient point is that if the TLB was not chained down properly, would the accident have been as severe and resulted in the injuries and death if it had been?

 

[bz1]

Yep, gotta do the chains correctly. Can anyone sum that up in a few sentences? I also think that a discussion of the best way to attach the chains to the machine would be interesting. I don't know if the regs tell you what kind of hooks or tie down points you use on each machine. My ASV does not have anything that looks like official tie down points but it has two holes in the underside of the rear frame on each side of the machine. So in the rear I hook the chain into the two holes. The difficulty I've always had is how to attach chains to the front of the machine when the bucket is installed. If you want to attach to the frame you have to find a way over or under the bucket to the frame. It just never seemed like a good idea to attach to the bucket or the loader arms since both of these can move around a bit if the bucket or loader cylinders leak down. I would be interesting in knowing if there are specific requirements or if anyone has any good ideas on how to properly secure the front of a skid loader.

 

[puckgrinder85]

Any equipment we use we chain (2) in the rear and pull the machine forward to take any slack out, then chain (2) and ratchet binder forward snug. Keep in mind if you're using chains that you feed through a metal loop or something and connect back onto itself with a grab hook you are loosing a lot of strength in the chain and creating a week spot. The best you can do is figure out where you want to tie down to and make some specific chains just for tieing the machine down, made out of a minimum of grade 70 transport chain. Sometimes sling hooks work the best if you have large loops you can hook onto instead of running the chain through and using a grab hook and hooking the chain onto itself. Keepign the chain in one straight line will retain its full load capacity. Many breaking tests for chain and 98% of the time using a grab hook you will break the chain link the grab hook is hooked onto, or it will break in the loop using the grab hook method, usually because the loop is too tight or the chain rests on a relatively sharp surface. You'll need 4 on the machine legally and usually they require a side to side chain for a backhoe if so equipped. I would prefer going over the bucket than any other way.

 

[ModMech]

There are three "rules" I go by, they may, or may not be acceptable in the eyes of the law.

They ASSUME you are using proper "Transport" grade, proofed chains and not some cheap hardware/discount store crap.

Machine under 5,000#

1) One chain at each end
2) Chains secured THRU something (eyelet, frame etc)
3) One chain for each additional item (shredder, bucket etc)

Macine over 5,000#
1) Two chains each end, CROSSED
2) Chains secured TO something (frame, eyelet - loops ok)
3) One chain for each additional item (shredder, bucket etc)

 

[puckgrinder85]

Everything requires the use of a 4 pt. tie down, meaning 4 seperate chains. Its the law here and im sure its common sense anywhere else its not.

 

[kevinj]

Everything requires the use of a 4 pt. tie down, meaning 4 seperate chains. Its the law here and im sure its common sense anywhere else its not.

Where is "here"

Mace posted the DOT rule link and 4 points starts at 10k

I do agree with the 4 point idea and use it myself when practical bu some smaller machines have no way to achieve that.

 

[ModMech]

Not "everything", no motorcycle does

The general rule (law) is that the capacity of the chains must be equal to or greater than the weight of the equipment it is securing. There are weight requirements for 4pt securement, but I don't know exactly what they are.

Obviously, 4pt securement is "best", but also total overkill for light loads.

 

[Don87]

As a former Steel Hauler(coils mainly), the thought of only 2 securements on a rolling load scares the crap out of me. If one securement breaks, or just loosens in transit...........ya now have loose load on your butt.

Overkill to use 4 securements...............I don't think so.

 

[Jerry/MT]

i work for a tree co in new england we use a asv rc 100 what ways do you guys chain down your machines

I hauled a NH TD95D with 820TL Loader from Hagerman, NM to St. Ignatius, MT through the first major snow storm of the winter in the NW. This is how I hooked it up. The tractor never moved even when I blew a tire on Raton Pass.
I used 3/8" x 14 ft chains on all four corners. I cut moving pads from HF to wrap aroud the chains so it wouldn't gouge the rims and wear the paint off. I used a couple of old tires under the bucket to elimate chaffing. I opened the rear window and placed a moving pad on the window and then closed the window on the pad trapped in the window frame to prevent glass breakage from flying stones. (The tractor was backed on to the trailer and the cg of the tractor was parked over the the point on the trailer that met the truck's rear axle load rating as best I could estimate them.) I also taped the exhaust over with duct tape to prevent the turbocompressor from windmilling without an oil supply to it's bearings.
The tractor came through with flying colors as I drove through freezing fog in Wyoming and below zero temperatures in Montana on glare ice covered highways that should have been closed. The driver (me) was sure glad to get home through all that bad weather.