TEA PAM 55-20 Tiedown Handbook for Truck - Military Surface ...

FOURTH EDITION SDDCTEA PAMPHLET 55-20
SECTION I. GENERAL CARGO AND LOADING
PRINCIPLES
Single-unit and tractor-semitrailer trucks both commonly transport general cargo.
General cargo can be loose, palletized, or containerized. Because each cargo load is
different, this pamphlet cannot show tiedown patterns for all possible loads. This section
presents general principles for tying down cargo. The driver who follows these general
principles and uses extra tiedowns, when in doubt, will have a properly-loaded vehicle.
Always secure a load, even if the trip is just a short distance on a military
installation. A jolt, during starting or stopping, or a road vibration could topple an
unsecured load. Accidents caused by unsecured loads have occurred on trips of less than
1/10 mile. Generally, the first requirement to conduct a halt to check the load during a
convoy is at the 1 hour mark. All other halts are 10 minutes every 2 hours. On longer
trips, check tiedowns about 2 miles from your origin, at all halts (rest stops), and
whenever you suspect a problem with your load. Vibration may reveal a problem with a
load that appeared to be adequately secured at the origin. If the load has a turret and gun
or other rotating parts, be sure to secure those parts to prevent rotation into the path of
oncoming traffic. Weather proofing exposed loads is also recommended.
Based on FM 55-30, Army Motor Transport Units and Operations, 27 June 1997,
Figure 1 shows some common do's and don’ts for loading cargo vehicles. The payload
should be as symmetrical as possible about the longitudinal centerline of the cargo
vehicle. It should also be distributed as uniformly as possible over the cargo vehicle’s
bed.
Improperly placed cargo can make vehicles unstable and difficult to control. It can
also overstress the frame. Of course, you should never overload a cargo vehicle. The
vehicle data plate shows the rated cargo (payload) capacity. The names of most military
cargo vehicles also tell the payload capacity. For example, a 5-ton truck can carry up to 5
tons (10,000 pounds). The rated cargo capacity is for a vehicle with a properly distributed
load.
Munitions must be restrained by specific procedures, which can be obtained from
the U.S. Army Defense Ammunition Center (DAC). For ordering procedure pamphlets,
start at the following web link: https://www3.dac.army.mil/
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