What 393.110(b) means in plain language
This regulation covers how logs must be secured when you're hauling them. The rule requires that any load of logs be restrained using methods that meet specific securement standards — it's not enough to just throw chains or straps over the pile and call it good. The configuration, placement, and strength of your tie-downs all have to meet the criteria laid out for this commodity type.
Logs are one of the most dangerous cargo types on the road because they're heavy, round, and shift unpredictably. A single log breaking loose at highway speed can be catastrophic. That's why regulators carved out dedicated securement rules for logs rather than letting them fall under generic cargo rules.
If an inspector finds that your logs aren't secured the way the specific log-securement standards require — wrong number of tie-downs, missing chocks or bunks, improper front-end protection — you'll get written up under 393.110(b). This is a commodity-specific citation, meaning it only applies when you're hauling logs.
What our enforcement data actually shows
The numbers here are striking. Across our database of 13 million+ inspections, 393.110(b) has generated 7,390 all-time citations. That alone tells you this is a real, recurring enforcement priority — it ranks #274 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume, meaning it's cited more frequently than roughly 91% of all federal motor carrier safety codes.
But the out-of-service rate is what should get your full attention. Our inspection records show that 7,265 of those 7,390 citations resulted in the vehicle being placed out of service — a 98.3% OOS rate. To put that in perspective, the all-FMCSR average OOS rate across every code in our database is 31.4%. The 393.110(b) rate is more than three times that average. Only 125 drivers cited under this code were allowed to continue without being put out of service.
That 98.3% figure means that if an inspector writes you for 393.110(b), you are almost certainly not moving until the load is re-secured to their satisfaction. Budget time and resources accordingly.
One important note on recent trends: our data shows zero citations in the last 90 days and zero in the last 12 months. This likely reflects a change in how this specific code is being recorded or categorized in current inspection systems rather than a disappearance of log-securement enforcement. The all-time volume of 7,390 citations is real, and the underlying behavior it targets — improperly secured logs — remains an active enforcement focus.
Who gets cited most
The STATISTICS block for this code does not include a state-by-state breakdown, so we won't speculate about which states drive the most volume. What we can tell you is that the citations are spread across a range of carrier types and vehicle classes.
Looking at carrier-level data, our records show fleets such as WESTERN EXPRESS INC (USDOT 511412) with 52 citations and MERCER TRANSPORTATION CO INC (USDOT 154712) with 39 citations leading the all-time count. These are large-volume carriers, and citation counts at that scale reflect operational exposure rather than any particular pattern of negligence. Rounding out the top group, US LBM LOGISTICS LLC (USDOT 90308) appears with 26 citations.
On the equipment side, our inspection records show that Freightliner (FRHT) trucks account for 708 citations — the most of any vehicle make — followed by Peterbilt (PTRB) at 399 and Kenworth (KW) at 364. Ford trucks appear at 310 citations. The spread across these makes tells you this isn't a single-manufacturer issue; it's a load-management issue that shows up regardless of what you're pulling with.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
Within the Vehicle Maintenance category, 393.110(b)'s 98.3% OOS rate stands out dramatically against its peers.
Consider 393.9(a) — Inoperable Required Lamps — which has 660,737 citations in our database but only a 15.4% OOS rate. That code is cited roughly 89 times more often than 393.110(b), yet it puts drivers out of service at a fraction of the rate. Log securement failures are treated as immediately dangerous conditions; a burned-out lamp, by comparison, is usually a fix-it situation.
Look at 396.3(a)(1) — Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance (General) — with 236,919 citations and a 45.3% OOS rate. That rate is well above the 31.4% all-FMCSR average, and it still falls nearly 53 percentage points short of the 98.3% rate attached to 393.110(b).
Even 396.17(c) — No Proof of Periodic Inspection — with 198,331 citations in our records, carries a 0.0% OOS rate. You can be cited for that and keep driving. With 393.110(b), you almost certainly cannot. The message is clear: log securement failures are treated as one of the most immediately hazardous conditions an inspector can find.
How to avoid it
Every one of these actions can be completed before you leave the yard or during a pre-trip stop.
- Count your tie-downs before you move. Log securement rules specify minimum tie-down requirements based on load length and log positioning. Know the count for your load configuration and verify it physically — don't assume the loader got it right.
- Check bunk and chock placement. Logs must be contained at the ends and sides. Walk the load and confirm that any required front-end protection, stakes, or bunks are properly positioned and structurally sound before each trip leg.
- Inspect tie-down condition, not just presence. A chain or strap that's present but frayed, kinked, or improperly tensioned won't satisfy an inspector. Our data shows Freightliner, Peterbilt, and Kenworth equipment appearing most often in these citations — pre-trip your tie-down hardware the same way you pre-trip your brakes.
- Re-inspect after the first stop. Logs settle and shift. A load that was secure at origin may have moved within the first 50 miles. Pull over, walk the load, and re-tension before you get back on the highway.
- Document your securement check. If you're disputed at a scale or inspection station, having a time-stamped note in your log or trip sheet showing you verified the load goes a long way toward demonstrating good faith compliance.
With a 98.3% OOS rate in our inspection records, there is essentially no such thing as a 393.110(b) citation that doesn't stop your day. A few minutes of pre-trip attention to your log load is the only reliable way to keep moving.