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Unsecured loads cause over 300 crashes in Washington every year and nearly 40% of roadside litter.
Our Secure Your Load for Safer Roads campaign coincides with National Secure Your Load Day on June 6, which honors people whose lives were impacted or taken by unsecured loads.
No matter what you're hauling, or how far you're going, securing your items keeps roads safe and litter-free.
Our partnerships with county waste facilities, auto-parts retailers, and home improvement stores help us reach people across Washington with the Secure Your Load message.
We know not having the right equipment is one barrier that prevents people from properly securing their cargo. So, we regularly partner with local governments to distribute load securing equipment, like cargo nets and rachet straps, to people who arrive at their local solid waste facilities hauling unsecured loads.
We also work with retail partners to promote the campaign, offer discounts on equipment, and educate customers on properly securing loads.
![A county worker hands a Secure Your Load materials to a driver at a solid waste facility.]](/getmedia/1baa453a-61b2-40b7-b558-4b8455057b62/Handing-materials-through-a-vehicle-r.png)
Keep cargo nets, tarps, ropes, bungee cords, or straps in your truck to make sure you always have what you need to secure your cargo. You may need tie down hooks or eye bolts on your vehicle as well.
Secure items in your truck or trailer every time you hit the road. Even if it's a short trip. Even if you're going slow. Even if it seems like the items are heavy enough to stay put. Do your part to keep roads safe and litter-free.
Make sure boxes, bags, and garbage cans are tightly closed and covered to keep contents from blowing away.
Lay tall items flat and put lighter cargo at the bottom of the load so heavier objects can hold them down.
Run straps through and around items – especially large items like hand trucks, ladders, furniture, and mattresses.
Nothing you’re hauling should be able to slide, shift, or fall out. If you hear whipping or rattling sounds while driving, stop in a safe place and check your cargo.
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Before you hit the road, take a look in your open truck bed and tidy up. Is there loose garbage you can toss in the trash can before it blows out of your truck and becomes roadside litter?
Talk to your friends, family, and co-workers. Make sure they don’t hit the road before safely securing their cargo. You can even point them to this website!
Littering and driving with an unsecured vehicle load are against Washington state law, with fines up to $5,000 and even jail time in some cases. Local jurisdictions may have stricter laws and charge an unsecured load fee at their facilities.
![A pickup truck bed is filled with unsecured debris, showing how loose loads can create safety risks and lead to fines.]](/getmedia/d396516c-d208-4b0a-a923-4d8fca3e8c34/Unsafe-and-unsecured-load-in-the-back-of-a-truck-2.png)
