Freight glossaryEquipmentCargo HandlingTrucking
Working Load Limit (WLL)
Definition
The working load limit (WLL) is the maximum load that may be applied to a cargo securement component in normal service, usually assigned by the component's manufacturer.
What it means
That is the wording of the federal definition.[1] A tiedown's WLL is the lowest WLL of any of its parts or the anchor points it attaches to. Marked components count at their marked rating; unmarked ones use default tables, which give 2,000 lb for 2-inch synthetic webbing, for example.[2]
The WLL feeds the main tiedown rule: the aggregate working load limit of the tiedowns securing an article or group must be at least half its weight. A tiedown that runs from one side of the vehicle over the cargo to the other side counts at its full WLL; one that attaches to the cargo, or returns to the same side, counts at half.[3]
Example
A 4,800 lb crate needs tiedowns with an aggregate WLL of at least 2,400 lb. Two unmarked 2-inch web straps running over the crate from one side of the trailer to the other count at their full default WLL of 2,000 lb each, 4,000 lb in total, provided the anchor points are rated at least that high.
Related
Related terms
- Cargo SecurementCargo securement is restraining freight on or inside a vehicle, with walls, blocking, bracing, dunnage or...Glossary
- Blocking and BracingBlocking and bracing is restraining cargo with structures placed against or around it, such as blocks...Glossary
- DunnageDunnage is loose material used to support and protect cargo, such as boards, blocks, void fill and inflatable...Glossary
Sources
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “49 CFR § 393.5, Definitions (cargo securement),” Federal regulation. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “49 CFR § 393.108, Determining the working load limit of a tiedown,” Federal regulation. Accessed September 2026.
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “49 CFR § 393.106, General requirements for securing articles of cargo,” Federal regulation. Accessed September 2026.
General operational information, not legal, customs or regulatory advice. Rules and rates change; confirm current requirements with the agency, carrier or contract that governs your shipment.