What 393.100B means in plain language
When you're cited for 393.100B, it means an inspector found that the cargo securement devices on your vehicle—straps, chains, binders, or other tie-down equipment—do not have sufficient aggregate working load capacity for the cargo being hauled.
In practical terms: each piece of securement hardware has a rated strength (its working load limit). The regulation requires that the total combined strength of all devices securing your cargo must meet or exceed a specific threshold based on the weight and type of load. If you're using straps rated for 5,000 pounds each but only have two of them holding down a 15,000-pound load, you're violating this rule.
This is not about whether your cargo actually shifted or fell. It's about whether the devices you're using are strong enough on paper to do the job. An inspector measures the aggregate (total) working load capacity of your securement system and compares it to what the regulation requires for your load.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million inspection records, 393.100B citations are relatively uncommon—ranked 679th out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by all-time citation volume. We've recorded 1,156 total citations for this code, with 534 citations in the last 12 months and 104 in the last 90 days.
What matters most: this code has a 95.5% out-of-service rate, meaning drivers cited for 393.100B are kept off the road 95.5% of the time. This is dramatically higher than the all-FMCSR average OOS rate of 31.4%. When inspectors find your cargo securement system inadequate, they typically pull your vehicle from service immediately. This is not a citation and warning—this is a citation and downtime.
The monthly trend over the past 12 months shows citation volume peaked in May 2025 at 73 citations, then settled into a range of 23 to 50 citations per month. We're now seeing lower numbers, with only 3 citations recorded in April 2026 so far.
Who gets cited most
Our inspection records show North Carolina leads by a substantial margin, with 133 citations in the last 180 days and a 93.2% OOS rate. Illinois follows with 35 citations and a 91.4% OOS rate. New Mexico has recorded 24 citations with a 100% OOS rate, meaning every single citation there resulted in the vehicle being placed out of service.
Kentucky shows only 2 citations in the same period, with a 50% OOS rate—still high, but a smaller sample. The variation across states suggests that either enforcement intensity differs by region, or certain cargo types and routes are more prevalent in high-citation states.
Our data shows individual operators and small fleets account for most citations. The carrier with the highest citation count is Ruth Esther Flores Navarro (USDOT 3848149) with 26 all-time citations, followed by Adrian Edmundo Cordova Bernal (USDOT 2273644) with 23 citations. This pattern reflects that cargo securement violations are distributed widely rather than concentrated in a few large carriers.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
393.100B sits in the vehicle maintenance category alongside codes like inoperable required lamps, inspection and repair violations, and brake defects. The comparison is striking:
Inoperable required lamps (393.9(a)) has generated 660,737 citations but only a 15.4% OOS rate. Drivers cited for a burned-out light usually get a chance to fix it and roll.
Inspection/repair/maintenance violations (396.3(a)(1)) show 236,919 citations with a 45.3% OOS rate—serious, but still less than half result in immediate removal.
No proof of periodic inspection (396.17C-PI) has 212,081 citations with a 0.0% OOS rate, meaning it's typically a correctable administrative issue.
By contrast, 393.100B's 95.5% OOS rate places it among the most enforcement-heavy codes in the maintenance category. Inspectors treat inadequate cargo securement as an imminent safety hazard, not a paperwork problem or a minor repair.
How to avoid it
Prevention starts with a disciplined pre-trip inspection of your securement system:
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Know your hardware's rating. Before you load, verify the working load limit (WLL) of every strap, chain, binder, or web belt you're using. Write it down or photograph it. Calculate the total aggregate WLL and compare it to your load weight and the regulatory requirement for your cargo type. If you're unsure about requirements, ask your dispatcher or consult the FMCSR 393.100 series before you load.
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Replace or upgrade worn equipment. Our data shows that inoperative turn signals, missing fire extinguishers, and flat tires frequently appear alongside 393.100B citations. This suggests that older, poorly-maintained vehicles often have aged or degraded securement hardware. If your straps are frayed, chains are rusted, or binders are bent, replace them. Don't assume they're still rated for their original capacity.
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Carry a variety of securement options. Different loads require different systems. Keep a selection of straps in different strengths, chains in various gauges, and binders rated for different capacities. Having the right tool for each load prevents you from improvising with undersized equipment.
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Inspect securement devices as part of your DVIR. The data shows that many 393.100B citations occur on vehicles that also lack proof of periodic inspection. Make securement hardware part of your regular maintenance and documentation routine, not an afterthought at load time.
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Watch for vehicle-specific patterns. Our records show 393.100B appears most often on Freightliners (211 citations), Kenworths (176 citations), and Peterbilts (158 citations). If you drive one of these makes, pay extra attention to securement—either because these vehicles are more common in cargo-hauling roles or because their securement systems wear differently over time.
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Recognize fatigue and illness as co-factors. When 393.100B appears with codes 392.2RG and 392.2FT (operating while fatigued or ill), it often means the driver's judgment was compromised during loading or pre-trip inspection. If you're tired, slow down and take extra care inspecting your cargo setup. A few minutes of careful review beats a 95% chance of being pulled from service.