FMCSA grants cargo securement exemption for agricultural, food transporters

Posted April 18, 2019

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) granted a limited five-year exemption to the Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference (AFTC) of American Trucking Associations (ATA) to allow alternate methods of securement for agricultural products.

The exemption, effective through April 15, 2024, allows any motor carrier operating in interstate commerce to use alternative securement methods when transporting:

• Agricultural commodities transported in wood and plastic bins or large fiberglass tubs; or
• Hay, straw, and cotton bales that are grouped into large singular units.

An FMCSA test program conducted in collaboration with the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the California Trucking Association, found that the alternative securement methods are just as safe as methods required under federal regulations in 49 CFR Part 393.

FMCSA granted the exemption based on the results of cargo securement tests from 2007 and 2008. The tests included lifting a semitrailer to simulate the g forces that act on cargo during a vehicle’s acceleration or deceleration and gauging the reaction when a trailer goes around a curve. Commercial semitrailers and semitrailers with converter dollies were used for each test.

A summary of the alternate securement methods can be found in the Federal Register.

J. J. Keller's cargo & load securement solutions help keep your cargo secure for regulatory compliance.

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