Motor carriers operating in interstate commerce must comply with the new requirements beginning january 1 2004.
Properly securing loads to roof rack.
A roof rack s load rating is based on a static load the weight of the load when the vehicle isn t moving.
The basic steps to properly and safely secure cargo to the roof of your vehicle are the same whether you re securing your cargo to roof cross bars side rails ladder racks or baskets.
With the third option crossbars with side rails you can secure an item to the side rails and run tie downs from front to back securing them to the crossbars.
Consider a roof rack.
On each side of the roof you ll see a rack that runs the length of the roof of the vehicle.
Use a tie down that wraps around the item and the rails.
On september 27 2002 the federal motor carrier safety administration fmcsa published new cargo securement rules.
When you own a car at some point or another you 39 re going to want to put things on your roof.
Lighter goes lower place heavier items on top of lighter items.
Wood said most roof rack systems for cars have a dynamic roof load of about 165 pounds.
For a video and step by step instructions on how to tie down a kayak please see our article on how to tie down a kayak to a vehicle.
Stack items evenly across the roof and in the center of the doors.
This means that assuming you ve strapped everything down properly and your load doesn t exceed that weight you should be in the clear to drive as you normally would at highways speeds.
Learn how to properly store cargo on the roof of your car.
A roof rack acts as a support when securing your load.
Cover the entire load with a tarp or netting to prevent things from falling out.
First verify whether your vehicle has a roof rack.
Always pay attention to the load limits of your roof rack either printed in the manual or stamped on the rack itself.
If you have a bunch of small things your best bet is to bundle them together as one big item before securing it to the rack making it much less likely that one will escape without notice.
If you have a roof rack the straps ropes can be looped around the side and cross rails.
The second option is the side racks.
The new rules are based on the north american cargo securement standard model regulations reflecting the results of a multi year research program to evaluate u s.
