Free OTLR Library

SECTION 1 General Rules

Section 1 General Rules Governing Loading of Commodities on Open Top Cars.
Contains general rules and guidelines applicable to all commodities shipped on open top railcars in interchange service. This includes procedures for open top load testing and rule changes, party responsibilities, minimumrequirements, and guidance on setting up multicar and dimensional load shipments. Also included are lists of various approved tie-down and securement materials as well as specifications, performance standards, and test procedures for gaining product approval. This section is to be used in conjunction with Sections 2 through 7.


SECTION 2 Metal Products Including Pipe
Section 2
Rules Governing Loading of Steel Products Including Pipe on Open Top Cars.
Contains approved loading figures (load patterns) with securement specifications for all steel products including unprocessed, structural, fabricated (except machinery), scrap, raw metals as well as steel and iron pipe. This section is to be used in conjunction with Section 1.


SECTION 3 Machinery, Heavy Components, and Miscellaneous Commodities
Section 3
Rules Governing Loading of Heavy Equipment, Vehicles, and Farm Machinery on Open Top Cars.
Contains approved loading figures (load patterns) with securement specifications and block patterns for farm equipment, vehicles, and machinery such as tractors, combines, heavy equipment, and other implements used in road grading/making, excavating, etc. This section is to be used in conjunction with Section 1.

Section 4 Archived Rules and Figures from Sections 1 through 7.
The intent for this new section 4 is that it be used as a reference document by AAR Open Top Loading Committee
members. Figures in this section have been withdrawn by the Committee from their original section for various reasons,
such as unsafe, no longer applicable because of car structure, etc. These figures are no longer intended for publication,
unless reinstated by the Committee.


SECTION 5 Forest Products and Miscellaneous Building Materials
Section 5 Rules Governing Loading of Forest Products, Including Miscellaneous Building Materials, on Open Top Cars.
Contains approved loading figures (load patterns) with securement specifications for wood commodities like lumber, logs, poles, pulpwood, certain panel products, and fabricated products such as laminated beams, veneer lumber, etc. Also included are miscellaneous building materials such as gypsum, hardboard, cellulose board, and styrene sheets. This section is to be used in conjunction with Section 1.


SECTION 6 Military Equipment and Materiel

Section 6 Rules Governing Loading of Military Vehicles and Materiel on Open Top Cars.
Contains approved loading figures (load patterns) with securement specifications for military vehicles, equipment, and materiel. This includes armored tanks and similar vehicles, trucks, artillery, pontoons, cranes, road building and materiel handling equipment such as forklifts. This section is to be used in conjunction with Section 1.


SECTION 7 Open Top Trailers and Containers for Rail Transport

Section 7 Rules Governing Loading of Commodities on Open Top Trailers and Containers for Rail Transport.
Contains approved loading figures (load patterns) with securement specifications for flat bed truck trailers loaded with a variety of commodities and equipment, that are loaded onto Trailer-on-Flatcar (TOFC) service open top cars. It also contains a section with figures of open top containers loaded with a variety of commodities, that are loaded onto open top flat cars known as Container-on-Flatcar (COFC) Service. This section is to be used in conjunction with Section 1.