Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2007IN214B

Securing The Load - A Guide to Safe and Legal Transportation of Cargo and Equipment

Institute: Indiana
Year Established: 2007 Start Date: 2007-03-01 End Date: 2008-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $10,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $20,006

Principal Investigators: Fred Whitford

Project Summary: Losing cargo on the road is serious business. Unfortunately, cargo falling on highways results in material loss, destruction of personal property, and, sometimes, human injury to driver or bystander or environmental impacts. There are times when cargo spills are chemicals, and wind up in a nearby creek or other body of water. If there is not adequate pollution insurance and adequate liability insurance to cover the remediation of the property or water body contaminated by the chemical, the farm or business would be required to use "out-of-pocket" revenues to pay for cleanup and restoration. Properly loading, positioning, and securing cargo within a truck or on a trailer prevents highway accidents and contamination to surface- and ground water supplies. The proper selection and use of tie downs can make a significant impact in keeping the roads safe from falling cargo and the environment clean. This publication will describe how to properly place and correctly sized tie downs to hold cargo on and within farm and commercial trucks and trailers.