Analysis of Rules and Regulations for Metal Coil Truck Transport

Trucks transporting metal coils are known to have been involved in several serious incidents resulting in property damage as well as loss of life. Examples include the loss of two 20,000 lb coils on a flatbed trailer on I-94 in Chicago that resulted in two fatalities and $250,000 property damage, the loss of two aluminum coils from a U.S.-based motor carrier in Ontario, Canada that killed four U.S. residents in a passenger car, and the release of several 7,000 lb coils from a tractor trailer on I-190 near Buffalo, N.Y. that killed four passenger vehicle occupants. Due to a lack of consistent incident reporting, little is known about how often coil securement fails. When incidents are reported, it has been difficult to determine the causes of the securement failure. This paper details a research effort that observed steel coil securement methods and obtained data for the development of securement failure frequency statistics. Additionally, the research analytically and experimentally examines the current regulations for metal coil securement and makes recommendations for changes to the regulations.