# Flatbed trucking software that holds securement, working load limits and permits per load

![A flatbed driver tensioning chain binders over secured steel cargo on an open deck trailer before departure](https://neurobird.com/flatbedtrucking/flatbedtrucking-hero.webp)
*The calculation happens here, in a few minutes, and gets judged months later at a scale house.*

> Flatbed trucking is the movement of freight on an open deck, which makes securing the load the carrier's responsibility rather than the trailer's. Cargo securement sits under 49 CFR Part 393 Subpart I, where the aggregate working load limit of the tiedowns must be at least one half of the cargo weight, and 49 CFR 393.130 governs heavy vehicles and equipment. Neurobird holds securement, devices, permits and photographs on one record per load across 22 trailers.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/flatbedtrucking/
- Product: Neurobird Flatbed Trucking Dispatch Platform
- Niche: flatbed trucking
- Buyer: flatbed carriers and heavy haul operators
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-25

## What Neurobird Flatbed Trucking does

- Hold the securement plan against the load, including devices used and aggregate working load limit
- Track tiedown and chain condition by device, because a damaged binder fails the whole calculation
- Keep oversize permits attached to the route and the dates they cover
- Capture securement photographs at the point of loading rather than after a citation

## How it works

1. **Record the securement as loaded** Which devices, how many, and the aggregate working load limit they produce against the cargo weight.
2. **Track the devices themselves** Chains, straps and binders inspected and retired by condition, because a damaged device breaks the calculation.
3. **Keep permits with the route** Oversize and overweight permits attached to the states and dates they cover, not to a folder in the cab.

## From the source material

> The aggregate working load limit of tiedowns used to secure an article or group of articles against movement must be at least one-half times the weight of the article or group of articles.

Source: law.cornell.edu, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/393.106

## Industry context

- **50 percent** The aggregate working load limit of the tiedowns must be at least one half the weight of the cargo secured, under the Part 393 Subpart I securement rules. (source: 49 CFR Part 393 Subpart I, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/part-393/subpart-I)
- **393.130** The section covering securement of heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery, which governs a large share of open deck heavy haul. (source: 49 CFR 393.130, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/393.130)
- **1910.28** The OSHA general industry duty to provide fall protection at qualifying heights, which is where tarping injuries sit. (source: OSHA 1910.28, https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.28)
- **1 threshold** Federal truck size and weight limits are the point at which a load becomes a permit problem, and permits are issued state by state. (source: FHWA, truck size and weight, https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/sw/overview/index.htm)
- **1 subpart** FMCSA publishes cargo securement guidance alongside the rule, because the performance criteria are applied differently by commodity. (source: FMCSA, cargo securement, https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/cargo-securement/cargo-securement-rules)

## Pricing

- Owner operator: 89 per month
- Carrier: 239 per month
- Fleet: 529 per month

## Questions

### What is flatbed trucking?

Flatbed trucking moves freight on an open deck rather than in an enclosed van, which makes the load itself the operator's responsibility to secure. Cargo securement is governed by 49 CFR Part 393 Subpart I, which sets performance criteria, working load limits and commodity specific rules.

### What is the aggregate working load limit rule?

The combined working load limit of the tiedowns must be at least one half the weight of the cargo being secured. It is a calculation, not a habit, and it changes the moment a device is substituted.

### Are there special rules for particular commodities?

Yes. Subpart I includes commodity specific requirements, and 49 CFR 393.130 deals with heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery, which is where a lot of heavy haul work sits.

### Does fall protection apply on a flatbed?

Tarping and securing at height is where flatbed injuries happen, and OSHA 1910.28 sets the general duty to provide fall protection at qualifying heights in general industry settings.

### Does this replace our TMS?

No. Dispatch, rating and settlement stay in the TMS. What lives here is the securement and permit layer: devices, working load limits, photographs and permit windows, joined per load.

## Sources

- [49 CFR Part 393 Subpart I, protection against shifting cargo](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/part-393/subpart-I)
- [FMCSA, cargo securement rules](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/cargo-securement/cargo-securement-rules)
- [49 CFR 393.130, heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/393.130)
- [FHWA, truck size and weight limits](https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/sw/overview/index.htm)
- [OSHA 1910.28, duty to have fall protection](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.28)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/