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Securement Equipment Inspection Checklist

Securement equipment should be inspected before it is counted in a WLL or tiedown plan.

Risk: medium Last reviewed: Indexable

Quick Answer

Securement equipment should be inspected before it is counted in a WLL or tiedown plan.

How to use this checklist

Use this checklist when drawing equipment for a load, at the pre-departure inspection, and at reinspection stops when devices have been under load for a period. Remove questionable equipment from service under company policy and manufacturer guidance — not on field judgment about what looks 'close enough'.

For each device, the inspection question is: can I confirm the WLL and is the device in the condition required to perform at that rating? If the answer to either part is no, the device should not be counted in the securement plan.

Straps and webbing

Read the WLL tag or stencil. Walk the full webbing path from one end hardware to the other. Look for cuts, burns (heat discoloration or melted sections), chemical staining, crushed or kinked webbing, stitching failure at loop ends or hardware terminations, and any section that appears abraded or thinned.

Inspect ratchet or winch condition: clean pawl engagement, no bent components, proper strap insertion slot. Inspect hook condition: no throat deformation, latch engages cleanly. Check any anchor hardware or fittings that will be used with the strap.

Chains, hooks, and binders

Find and read the grade and size markings on the chain. Inspect links for cracks, deformation, elongation, corrosion, and gouges. Confirm the chain size matches the hooks and binders being used with it.

Inspect hooks for throat deformation, latch condition, and load-bearing surface wear. Inspect lever binders for handle and weld condition, hook ends, and over-center lock function. Inspect ratchet binders for thread integrity, pawl function, and hook ends. A binder that will not stay locked is out of service.

Anchors, dunnage, and edge protection

Inspect trailer deck rings, stake pockets, and floor track for deformation, cracking, loose mounting, and obvious overload damage. A visually intact anchor point mounted to a cracked deck section may not transmit the rated force.

Inspect dunnage boards or pads for splits, crushing, moisture damage, and whether the material is still rigid enough to support the intended load. Inspect edge protectors for cuts, crushed sections, and whether the profile still fits the edge configuration of the intended cargo.

Printable Workflow Checklist

Straps and webbing

  • Readable WLL tag or marking.
  • No cuts, burns, knots, chemical damage, crushed webbing, missing stitching, or severe abrasion.
  • Hooks, fittings, and winches match the intended use and remain serviceable.

Chains and binders

  • Readable grade or rating information where required by policy.
  • No cracked, stretched, twisted, heavily corroded, welded, or modified links.
  • Binders seat correctly and do not show bent handles, damaged threads, or release problems.

Vehicle and load-control hardware

  • Anchor points, trailer tracks, load bars, rub rails, and winches are not cracked, loose, or visibly overloaded.
  • Dunnage, blocks, braces, and protectors are sound and suited to the cargo contact point.
  • Questionable equipment is removed from service under company policy.

Practical Notes

Use this checklist as a prompt to support your own review, not a replacement for it. Carrier policy, shipper instructions, site conditions, and the current regulation may add requirements not listed here.

Regulation Coverage

Mapped source sections used for this page. This is a source map, not a replacement for the current regulation.

  • 49 CFR 393.104Damaged or weakened securement devices · confidence: high

    Mapped to inspection-oriented pages. The site discusses review triggers without creating substitute out-of-service tables.

Primary Sources / References

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