Are You Chaining Down Your Equipment Wrong?

This is gonna be controversial. Here’s the right way to chain down a piece of equipment. This Cat weighs about 10,500 pounds. Anything over 10,000 needs a separate tiedown on all four corners: two pulling forward, two pulling back. The rule is your tiedowns have to add up to at least half the machine's weight. Half of 10,500 is 5,250. Each tiedown is only as strong as its weakest part. My D-rings are rated 6,130, my chain and hooks are over 6,600, and my binders are 12,000. The D-rings are the lowest, so each tiedown counts as 6,130. But here's the part most people miss. When a chain runs straight from the trailer to the machine, you only get to count half its rating. Half of 6,130 is 3,065. Times four is 12,260, more than double what the law requires. Last, the forks have to sit flat on the deck. I throw a ratchet strap over them so nothing moves, and keep it off sharp edges. There's only one thing left to say. That's not going anywhere!@hausplans #construction #heavyequipment #trailer #howto #contractor