Free load restraint checklist
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Free load restraint checklist (PDF-ready). Check loads to the NHVR Load Restraint Guide: performance standards, rated restraints, friction and lashing.
Commercial Director
Key takeaways
- A load restraint checklist confirms a load is secured to the NHVR Load Restraint Guide standard before departure.
- The Guide sets Performance Standards: the load must hold under forward, rearward, sideways and downward forces.
- Restraint comes from placement, friction, blocking and rated lashings working together, not straps alone.
- Loading is a shared Chain of Responsibility duty across packer, loader, operator and driver.
- Recheck and retension restraints early in the trip and after the first stops, since loads settle.
Updated 22 June 2026
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What is a load restraint checklist?
A load restraint checklist is a pre departure check that confirms a load is secured to the standard set by the NHVR Load Restraint Guide before a heavy vehicle leaves the yard. The Load Restraint Guide sets Performance Standards a restraint system must meet, which require the load to stay in place under defined forward, rearward, sideways and downward forces that occur during normal driving, braking and cornering. The checklist walks the loader or driver through the things that make a load secure: that the load is placed against a headboard or properly blocked, that friction between the load and the deck is adequate, that lashings are rated, in good condition and tensioned, that the number of lashings suits the weight and friction, and that edge protection, gates and any containment are in place. It is completed for each load so the check is repeatable and recorded.
Load restraint matters because an unsecured load is one of the clearest and most dangerous failures in road transport. A load that shifts or falls can cause a rollover, injure other road users and close a road, and the duty to prevent it is shared across the chain through Chain of Responsibility, falling on the packer, loader, operator and driver as well as the consignor. Working to the Load Restraint Guide and recording the check on a consistent checklist is how a business shows it loads safely so far as is reasonably practicable. Kept with the vehicle and trip records, the completed checklist is the day to day evidence that each load met the performance standard before it moved, which supports both the loading duty under the Heavy Vehicle National Law and the broader duty of care.
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Benefits of using this load restraint checklist
- Safer loads: confirms each load is secured to the NHVR Load Restraint Guide standard before the vehicle leaves the yard.
- Consistent checks: gives every loader and driver the same repeatable steps so restraint does not depend on memory or habit.
- Chain of Responsibility evidence: records that the packer, loader and driver met the shared loading duty for each trip.
- Fewer incidents: catching loose lashings, poor blocking or low friction before departure prevents loads shifting in transit.
- Restraint condition control: prompts a check of webbing, chains and devices so worn or damaged restraints are taken out of use.
- Audit and incident ready: a dated, completed checklist is clear proof the load met the performance standard before it moved.
Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack
When you move your checklists from paper to MapTrack, you get:
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- Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
- Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
- Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
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- Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
- Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
- Electronic signatures.
- Edit forms later without reprinting.
- Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
- Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
- Monitor odometer and service-interval triggers across your entire fleet.
- Capture fuel receipts and trip logs alongside vehicle inspection data.
- Compare vehicle downtime and repair costs to inform replacement decisions.
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What to include in a load restraint checklist
This load restraint checklist covers 9 key areas:
- Trip and vehicle details: date, vehicle and trailer, driver, loading site and destination
- Load description: what is being carried, its approximate weight and how it is distributed on the deck
- Vehicle and deck condition: deck clean and sound, headboard rated and fit for use, anchor points and rails in good condition
- Load placement: load against the headboard or properly blocked, weight within limits and distributed for stability
- Friction: surface between load and deck provides adequate friction, or additional restraint added to compensate
- Blocking and containment: load blocked, gated or contained so it cannot move forward, rearward or sideways
- Lashings and rating: lashings are rated, the correct number and type for the load, undamaged and correctly tensioned
- Edge protection and equipment: corner and edge protection in place, dunnage, chains, binders and webbing in good condition
- Final check and sign off: load checked all round, restraints secure, and the check signed by the person responsible
How to use this load restraint checklist
- Plan the load and check the vehicle: Before loading, confirm the deck is clean and sound, the headboard is rated and fit for use, and the anchor points and rails are in good condition. Plan how the load will sit so weight is distributed for stability and within mass limits across the axle groups.
- Place and block the load: Load against the headboard or block the load so it cannot move forward, and arrange items so they cannot shift sideways or rearward. Good placement and blocking does much of the restraint work, so it comes before lashings rather than relying on straps to hold a poorly stacked load.
- Assess friction and choose the restraint method: Judge the friction between the load and the deck, because more friction means fewer lashings are needed and less friction means more. Choose tie down, direct restraint such as blocking and containment, or a combination, matched to the weight, shape and friction of the load.
- Apply and tension rated restraints: Use lashings that are rated for the load, in good condition and free of cuts, fraying or damage, and apply the correct number and type. Tension each lashing properly and add edge protection where a strap runs over a sharp corner so it is not cut under load.
- Do a final all round check and record it: Walk around the loaded vehicle and confirm placement, blocking and every restraint is secure to the Load Restraint Guide standard. Sign the checklist, and recheck restraint tension early in the trip and after the first stops, since loads can settle and lashings can loosen.
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Get the free templateEnter your email above to download the full load restraint checklist as a PDF.Back to download formHow often should you complete this checklist?
Complete a load restraint check for every load before the vehicle leaves, no matter how short the trip, because an unsecured load is a risk on any road. The check is part of loading, so it happens each time a vehicle is loaded rather than on a periodic schedule.
Restraint does not end at the gate. Lashings can lose tension as a load settles, so check and retension restraints early in the journey and after the first stops, and again whenever part of the load is removed or rearranged at a delivery point. The restraint equipment itself, the webbing, chains, binders and dunnage, should be inspected regularly and taken out of service when worn or damaged, so the gear relied on for each load is sound.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- NHVR Load Restraint Guide - the Performance Standards a restraint system must meet (forward, rearward, sideways and downward forces)
- Heavy Vehicle National Law - loading requirements and the duty to ensure a load is restrained so it does not move or fall
- Heavy Vehicle National Law - Chain of Responsibility loading and restraint duties shared across the chain
- AS/NZS 4380 Motor vehicles, cargo restraint systems (transport webbing for load restraint)
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 - primary duty of care for safe loading and transport activities
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<p style="font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.05em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#0E7490;margin:0;">Free template</p>
<p style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;color:#071D49;margin:6px 0 0;">Load restraint checklist</p>
<ul style="margin:12px 0 0;padding-left:18px;color:#374151;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;">
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Trip and vehicle details: date, vehicle and trailer, driver, loading site and destination</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Load description: what is being carried, its approximate weight and how it is distributed on the deck</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Vehicle and deck condition: deck clean and sound, headboard rated and fit for use, anchor points and rails in good condition</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Load placement: load against the headboard or properly blocked, weight within limits and distributed for stability</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Friction: surface between load and deck provides adequate friction, or additional restraint added to compensate</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Blocking and containment: load blocked, gated or contained so it cannot move forward, rearward or sideways</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size:13px;color:#6B7280;margin:14px 0 0;padding-top:12px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;">Free <a href="https://www.maptrack.com/templates/load-restraint-checklist" style="color:#071D49;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;">Load restraint checklist</a> by MapTrack</p>
</div>Please keep the “by MapTrack” attribution link in the snippet.
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