A trucking company has been granted an exemption by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration allowing them to secure metal coils using a single-strap tie down. 

The FMCSA published a notice on April 21st, 2025, granting an exemption renewal for K&L Trucking out of Delta, Ohio that allows them to utilize an alternative cargo securement method. The exemption allows the company to use a two-ply nylon-kevlar single-strap tie down attaching the metal coils to a customized metal carrier installed on the bed of the trailer. 

The current regulations regarding the securement of metal coils weighing more than 5,000 pounds with eyes facing crosswise dictate that the coils must be secured in a way that prevents the coil from rolling. Regulations also state that the coil must be supported off of the deck, and secured with at least one tie down preventing it from rolling backwards and at least one to prevent it rolling forwards. 

In the company’s first application for the exemption back in 2020, the company states that it only transports metal coils to one location, and that each route is less than two miles. 

“As a result, K&L’s trucks never travel faster than 30 miles per hour on the road, as the drive is simply too short for the trucks to accelerate to a higher speed,” the company wrote in 2020. “Practically speaking, the additional weight of the carriers makes them prohibitive for longer hauls but remains feasible for shorter hauls and better provides for the safety of workers and the general public.”

FMCSA granted the renewal for another five years after determining that the original exemption did not result “in any degradation in safety.”