FMCSR 393.120(e) — Cargo Securement Metal Coils Q&A

Yes—almost certainly. Across our 13 million inspection records, every single citation for metal coil securement (393.120(e)) resulted in an out-of-service order. That's a 100.0% OOS rate, far above the 31.4% average across all FMCSR codes. When an inspector cites you for unsecured metal coils, expect your vehicle to be placed OOS immediately and stay there until the securement is corrected and re-inspected.

This violation carries a CSA severity weight of 7, which is moderate-to-high. Your actual CSA points depend on the 30-day violation count in your company's BASIC category and FMCSA's safety event multiplier system, so the exact impact varies. But within Vehicle Maintenance violations, a weight of 7 places this above average for impact on your safety profile. Contact your carrier's compliance team for your specific CSA point calculation.

1. Stop operating the vehicle—you're already OOS.
2. Secure the coils properly per DOT metal coil securement standards (typically edge/end protection, lashing, and tie-downs rated for load).
3. Request a re-inspection once corrected—the inspector or your carrier's safety officer can arrange this.
4. Document the repair with photos and written notes for your carrier.
5. Review your load plan process with your dispatcher to prevent recurrence.
6. File a DataQs challenge within 30 days if you believe the citation is factually incorrect.

Yes. Our data shows metal coil securement ranks #2132 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume—it's rare, but when it does get cited, enforcement is severe. The 100.0% OOS rate vastly exceeds the all-FMCSR average of 31.4%. In contrast, common lamp defects (393.9) have a 15.4% OOS rate and general maintenance violations (396.3) hit 45.3%. Metal coil securement failures trigger immediate vehicle removal from service almost universally.

Yes. DataQs (the FMCSA's informal dispute resolution system for roadside inspection records) allows you to challenge citations within 30 days if you believe the finding is factually wrong. For securement violations, you'd need evidence that the coils were properly secured per DOT standards—photos, equipment certifications, or witness statements. Submit your challenge to the inspection state's FMCSA office. If the inspector made a documentation error or misidentified your vehicle, DataQs is your tool to correct it.

Rarely. Across our 13 million roadside inspection records, there are only 12 all-time citations for metal coil securement, with zero citations in the last 12 months and zero in the last 90 days. This violation is not a common roadside stop—but when inspectors do catch it, it always results in an OOS order. It's a low-frequency, high-consequence violation, so compliance is critical if your loads include metal coils.

Great Dane trailers dominate the citation history, accounting for 7 of the 12 all-time citations in our database. Freightliner came second with 4 citations. This makes sense: Great Dane and Freightliner are common commercial trailer manufacturers, and metal coil loads are often secured to open or drop-deck trailers. If you operate a Great Dane or Freightliner, pay extra attention to coil securement procedures and equipment inspection before each trip.

If you haul metal coils, yes—but the data shows this is a low-volume risk. Only 12 citations exist across all commercial trucking in our 13 million-record database. However, if your fleet does get cited, the impact is immediate and severe: 100% OOS rate and a CSA weight of 7. Invest in driver training on metal coil securement, use proper edge protection and rated tie-downs, and inspect before dispatch. Prevention is far cheaper than an OOS order and safety event.