La. Admin. Code tit. 55, § I-1921 - Required Equipment
A. Tow
trucks shall be equipped with the following properly functioning equipment at
all times.
1. Oil-Absorbing Materials
a. Each tow truck shall be equipped with a
minimum of 5 gallons of sand, dirt, or manufactured materials capable of
absorbing sufficient quantities of fluids. Materials shall be carried in such a
manner as to be free from exposure to the elements.
2. Broom
a.
Each tow truck shall be equipped with a standard or push broom of a sufficient
size to effectively clear debris.
3. Shovel
a. Each tow truck shall be equipped with a
standard shovel of a sufficient size to effectively clear debris.
4. Flashlight or Electric Lantern
a. Each tow truck shall be equipped with an
electric lantern or flashlight that provides sufficient lighting to facilitate
recovery or towing work.
5. Fire Extinguishers
a. Tow trucks shall be equipped with a
mounted fire extinguisher having no less than an Underwriters Laboratory rating
of 10 B:C.
6. Emergency
Warning Devices
a. Tow trucks shall be
equipped with at least three, non-flammable emergency warning devices capable
of warning motorists of a hazard in or near a roadway.
7. Steering Wheel Clamps
a. Steering wheel clamps, cable, ropes or
their equivalents shall be of sufficient strength to adequately secure and lock
the steering mechanism of a towed vehicle in a straight and forward
position.
8. Tow Sling
or Tow Plate
a. Tow trucks shall be equipped
with a tow sling, plate, bar or equivalent that is structurally adequate to
sustain the weight drawn. Slings or plates shall be properly and securely
mounted to the tow truck without excessive "play" or slack.
b. The tow plates, slings and tow-bars shall
be securely affixed to the towed vehicle by means of chains, hooks, straps or
their equivalent. These devices shall be of a towing capacity equal to the
weight of the towed vehicle requiring use of at least two chains, hooks,
straps, etc.
9. Tow
truck components including, but not limited to, winches, booms, cables,
synthetic rope, cable clamps, thimbles, sheaves, guides, controls, blocks,
slings, chains, hooks, bed locks, hydraulic components, etc., shall be in good
working order and maintained to manufacturer/factory specifications.
B. Securement and Safety Devices;
Detached or Shifting Loads
1. Securement and
Safety Devices
a. Every vehicle towed by a
tow truck shall be joined by at least two safety devices, chains or cables,
spaced as far apart as practical to the forward portion of the towed vehicle,
with a combined tensile strength equal to or greater than the gross weight of
the towed vehicle times 1.3. Safety devices shall be attached in such a way as
to prevent vehicle separation upon failure of the towing attachment and shall
be anchored to both the tow truck and vehicle being towed with only enough
slack to permit free turning of the vehicles.
b. In addition to Subparagraph a above, all
towed vehicle placed in a wheel lift device shall be secured to the wheel lift
on both sides by straps or chains of an adequate strength and design to safely
couple the vehicle to the wheel lift.
c. Acceptable securement devices are chains,
cables or synthetic webbing with a combined working load limit equal to or
greater than one-half the gross weight of the transported vehicle and
customarily used for securing a vehicle or load. Acceptable securement devices
shall meet all requirements in CFR 49.
2. Slide-Back Tow Trucks; Trailers
a. A slide-back tow truck or trailer carrying
a vehicle on its bed shall secure the vehicle with an acceptable securement
device to the frame or other anchor points on the bed with at least one device
(tiedown) securing the front and one device securing the rear of the
transported vehicle in addition to the winch cable.
b. Transported vehicles over 10,000 pounds
shall use a minimum of four acceptable securement devices (tiedowns); two at
each end of the transported vehicle.
c. The securement devices shall not contain
slack and shall prevent any movement of the transported vehicle and be of
structural strength adequate to safely secure the vehicle.
Notes
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No prior version found.