Iowa DOT

[jdchevy]

I am headed to Iowa this weekend with 2 77 olivers on a gooseneck flatbed, I have been hearing alot of stories about how strict Iowa DOT can be. My question is, I usually only use 2 chain with 2 binders for each tractor, one for the front one for the back. Some people have told me that the Iowa DOT will not approve of that, some say 2 chain, 4 binders, others say 4 chains, 4 binders, while some say that I will be fine the way I do it now. Does anyone know the real answer?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Unless they changed the law, when I pulled a goose neck trailer with my pickup, I didn't cross the scales in any state.

 

[504-1]

A military tie down is cheap insurance against a stop. 4 chains and four binders. I believe 8 ton is the must stop at the scales in IA. Look at it like this, if 1 chain or binder fails will you tractor stay on the trailer, the answer is NO if you use only two chains, four and it will be there and not on top of a car full of kids coming home from a church camp. FYI, IA. uses the FED DOT book, if you need to look anything up about them.

 

[uncle henry]

when my grandfather run a flatbed 18 wheeler and hauled cars, trucks, and military vehicles he used 4 chains and 4 boomers in a x pattern

 

[LA in WI]

I am traveling tomorrow from Wisconsin to Iowa for the Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade. A couple years ago I talked to an Iowa state trooper.

He said "I want to see a chain tightening device on both the front and back of your tractor".

To avoid any hassle, I use chains at all 4 corners. The rear has two "tighteners", the front has one. Overkill for a 4000 lb tractor maybe, but I just want to be left alone and enjoy the ride. I also use grade 70 chains.
LA in WI

 

[Anonymous-0]

Make sure you read the signs good when coming up on a scale house. In Florida some scales you can go by with a pickup others it will say on the signs pickups, vans, trailer also need to stop. They will come get you. I had my wife drive by one with our pickup one time see missed seeing she had to pull in. They came and got her, turn her around and made her come thru it. Think she got off easy. Have a safe trip!

 

[skip33652]

4 chains 4 ratchet style booms . Then your load will be secure. Thats what you want? right?

Over center booms not allowed in some states now . That law law makes sense.Paul

 

[jon f mn]

No need to get involved with the DOT unless you are hauling commercial. They don't even want you in the scales and unless you get in an accident they won't likely even notice you. As always more is better than less when chaining down a load but there have been many thousands of tractors hauled many thousands of miles safely with one chain front and one back. There is no number of tie downs that is required beyond forward and backward, only that the total rating be 1 1/2 times the weight of what is being hauled. So if you are hauling a 10,000 lb tractor you need chains and binders with a total rating of 15,000 lbs. The only time 4 tiedowns are required is if you are hauling a tracked vehicle like a dozer, then you need to restrain it both froward and back and side to side so 4 ties are needed.

 

[PDRuff]

Good luck at the tractorcade, I live out by lake macbride and hope to get off work to watch the tractors drive into/ out of the park in the morning. look for the red metal barn close to the entrance to the park. if I miss it I will drive to the high school in the afternoon.

I might put my 530 JD out front

 

[Murray2]

Hi Lowell, have a great trip and enjoy. Alway's a learning experience for having the equipment properly secured. I have been going to contact you with a story on my brother who just recently took an interst in plowing and is really studying the art of turning a perfect furrow. Practice makes perfect as Jim is now quite proud of the ground that is plowed. When visiting that is the first item to discuss and view the latest adjustments that was made on the plow. Jim is using a Ford Jubilee and single furrow MF plow. Chers, Murray

 

[fixerupper]

Here in Iowa I see at least twice as many DOT's with a truck pulled over than smokeys or mounties with cars pulled over and the cars outnumber trucks many times over in this area. In the past year or so the Dot has been picking on the pickups with trailers more than the trucks.

Years ago I came up on a trailer upside down in the ditch with an Oliver 70 under it. The tractor was chained in four corners and it looked like it was bolted to the trailer. Maybe it moved an inch on the trailer but that was all. Good testimony to taking a little extra time to chain it right. Like what was said, if you go the extra mile with a few extra chains and good looking, bright lights on a nice neat looking trailer the DOT is more likely to wave you by and send you on your way. Jim

 

[Mark-Ia]

You won't see any DOT on the roads during the weekend.

 

[Ferd]

Here"s the Federal Motor Carrier rules. Four chains are required for equipment weighing 10,000# or more (in addition to the rest of the list)
Poke Here

 

[hd6gtom]

JD I live in Iowa and haul in Iowa. Someone made the statement there will not be any DOT on the roads over the weekend. My office window faces the intersection of 2 major highways, that statement is not always true. make sure you have the 4 chains and the proper binders. make sure you have the proper lights and they all work. Our DOT seems to make up rules to suit the situation, the other day my pal was given a 600.00 ticket for having a unsecured 5 gal gas can in back of his pickup, they couldn't find anything else wrong. You are expected to stop at all scales and show proper ID, reg for the truck, trailer and Insurance forms for everything

 

[casecollectorsc]

Don"t have your windows tinted. That"s a no no in a big truck. I found out $125 later.

 

[LA in WI]

Hi Murray!
We just had our local plow day. This is not like your competitive plow events, we just drop the plow and go just for the fun of it.
Maybe I should mail you a video of the event. I think you have my email address, let me know if you are interested.
LA in WI

 

[LA in WI]

I will be in the 3rd group driving an H Farmall equipped with a white bikini style umbrella. I hear we will be driving across a lake dam somewhere in your area. Wave and I'll honk my "oogle horn".
LA in WI

 

[Murray2]

Hi Lowell, yes I would like to see the video of your plowing day's. My type of plowing usually just tear up the ground. Jim is attempting to convert me and my plowing projects to be nice straight furrows, just in case the plowing "correct people" might be checking our work. I did a few years ago attend the N.S. draft horse Association competitions for plowing and those people took the plowing very seriously and the first two furrows had to be placed perfect. Cheers, Murray

 

[T in NE]

One chain with 2 binders counts as 2 hold-down devices, as long as there is slack between the binders, IE, if one comes loose the other is still tight.

I used to have a couple copies of this, need to pick up another sometime.
cargo securement handbook

 

[Mean Green]

When we had the Iowa dot at a tractor club meeting a couple years ago he told us that your lowest rated chain or binder must be at least half of your load wright, so it would actually be legal in Iowa to chain your tractor under 10,000# with one chain. But he said better safe than sorry, so more chains was better. Also he said once a tractor was over 10,000# you are required to chain at 4 corners. Also I believe any rig over 10,000 is required to weigh if a scale is open in Iowa.

As with all things it seems the DOT can't make up their mind on what is fully legal and what isn't. A big debate came up as to whether they allow you to run a chain through a clevis and if you could bolt hooks onto the tractor for tie down points. Most the time they seem to leave us alone.

 

[T in NE]

Weight-wise that would almost be sufficient, but you are supposed to have enough working load limit pulling back and forward, to hold a certain percent of the weight, and have a chain per either 8 feet, or a chain per 10 feet, of length. But the chains don't have to be evenly spaced.

 

[john in la]

On equipment less than 10,000 lbs. gross weight 2 chains are required. 1 in the front and one in the back.

Where the problem comes in; is your chain big enough for the load.
Lets say you have a 7000 lb. tractor.
Per the rules you need to tie the back down to 0.8 g deceleration in the forward direction. This is 80% of tractor weight.
That would be 5600 lbs.
A good MARKED grade 70 chain in 3/8 size will cover this.
If your chain is not marked then you need 5/8 to cover this amount.
Are your binder marked and rated for this weight.

Lots of guys get tickets for improper tie down. They ask the cop why and he tells them they needed 4 tie downs.
What he really meant was.....
To use that chain and binders you need 4 tie downs to cover the weight you are carrying.

In other words 2 tie downs was ok if they had proper size chain and binders.

 

[Brian Jasper co. Ia]

No, it's 6000 lbs.

 

[Old-F20]

it kills me how many people say the DOT here is the worst and hear all these horror stories.

Lived here my whole life and have hauled crap all over this state on a car trailer all the way up to my semi. NEVER had a problem with the DOT. if you don't drive a POS vehicle with broken lights, crappy tires and stuff draggin on the road you shouldn't have an issue. if you have things situated on your trailer and have it chained down well they shouldn't even bother with you.

My neighbor is DOT officer and he said when it comes to goosenecks the only thing he looks for is a trailer with tandem dual axles being pulled by a single wheel pickup for the sheer fact that 90% of the single wheel trucks are only 3/4 tons and he knows they are over their GCWR



best thing you can do if your unsure is actually go to the DOT website and READ IT FOR YOURSELF. print it off if you need to and carry it with you