How Long Your Ratchet Strap Should Be For Your Load Securement Needs
When looking to purchase ratchet straps there is one thing that you should always check before purchasing and that is finding the length of strap that you need. You can find the size of the strap that you need by using a piece of string or yarn and wrapping around the corner or taking it from point to point. Although longer-length straps may cover a wider variety of different cargo securement applications one thing you should ask yourself before purchasing any ratchet strap is do you really need an oversized length ratchet strap.
Once you have enough cut the excess off of the string or yarn and take a measuring tape to it to know exactly how long of a ratchet strap you need in order to secure your ratchet straps. It is okay to have a strap longer than what is needed but not having a strap long enough for your securement application can cause a real issue in your next securement.
Finding the Working Load Limit for Your Cargo
One of the most important things to look for when purchasing any tie-down or ratchet strap is knowing the working load limit you need to secure the cargo you are transporting safely. A Working Load Limit takes the breaking strength of the tie-down strap to the point of failure and divides this number by three. This helps to ensure if you slam on the brakes, a sudden change of lanes, or a sharp turn it doesn’t put your cargo securement at risk of coming loose or causing your ratchet straps to break.
Finding the perfect strap for matching up to the weight of your cargo can be quite easy if you know what to look for. Once you know the weight of your cargo you can easily match the weight of your cargo to the correct working load limit combination of ratchet straps. You should always ensure you are using enough straps when securing cargo so that if one of the straps were to fail while going down the road the cargo still remains safe in place. This is why we almost always will recommend you to use a minimum of four different tie-down securement points while securing any cargo application to help stay safe against load shifts and provide load stabilization.
Remember, when it comes to cargo securement there is never a limit on how many ratchet straps you should use when securing cargo and if you feel that your securement is unsafe to transport you can always add extra straps before you leave. This is one of the reasons that we always recommend professional movers and professional truckers to always have at least 10 extra straps while on the road.
This helps to ensure that your rig has extra straps for situations where you feel like you could use a few extras. This is helpful for situations where a strap was to break you could simply replace the broken strap and continue transporting the cargo without the added downtime.
Remember that while transporting any form of cargo in the United States regardless of personal use or commercial use ratchet straps are recommended in almost all areas of the United States to have a Working Load Limit tag while on public roadways. Working Load Limit tags are sewn onto the straps so that you always know the exact safe working load limitations of your strap for cargo control. If you have any questions you can view the Department of Transportations General Cargo Securement Guidelines HERE.
Choosing Tie Down Webbing for Your Application Needs
In order to begin choosing the perfect tie-down webbing for your cargo securement needs, you will need to determine the working load limit you are aiming for as well as the weight of your cargo. Once you have determined the weight requirements and have a rough idea of the length of strap you need you can next determine the type of polyester webbing that you will need for your application. We have several different strengths of 1-inch tie-down webbing and 2-inch tie-down webbing that is commonly used to create ratchet straps with and there are several questions you should ask yourself before choosing the webbing of choice.
If you are someone who is securing various forms of cargo often such as a professional mover or professional truck driver you will likely want a strap slightly longer in length to fit various different cargo loads as well as heavy-duty webbing to provide more durability for your securement applications over time.
When Ratchet Straps become weakened or damaged over time the webbing is almost always the first thing on the ratchet strap to become damaged and choosing a heavier-duty webbing blend can often help extend the product lifespan of the ratchet strap. It’s also a good rule of thumb to look at corner protectors as they can help create a safety layer between the webbing of your straps and the cargo you are securing.
Next, it is time to determine the color of webbing that you are wanting your ratchet straps. Professional movers will often opt for color-coded straps such as yellow for 12 feet long, gray for 16 feet long, and blue straps that are 20 feet long for example. This helps the person securing cargo know ahead of time without a measure of how long the length of the ratchet straps are going to be in order to help save time and provide longer periods of time traveling on the road.
Another option that professional moving companies and professional truck drivers will opt for is company branding stenciled onto the straps. This helps to create brand awareness while on the roadways or remove confusion to others who may attempt to use your ratchet straps.
Choosing Hardware Options That Fit Your Cargo Control Application Needs
Another thing to look for when purchasing ratchet straps is hardware options that fit your load securement needs. There are often hardware options that are designed for numerous different working load limits such as light-duty, standard-duty, and heavy-duty to help cater to a wide variety of working load limit requirement needs. Heavier duty options are great for securing heavier cargo while providing heavy-duty durability for those who secure often as well to get the most out of your ratchet straps.
When picking hardware options of choice you should remember that ratchet straps are only going to be as strong as the weakest link of the strap. For example, you could have a 1-inch strap with a 6,600 lbs heavy-duty webbing if the end fittings are rated for 1,500 lbs the entire strap can only be safely rated for 500 lbs working load limit. The general rule of thumb is if you are looking for a heavy-duty ratchet strap you should ensure that all components of the strap are heavy-duty as well.
We have a wide variety of different heavy-duty configured straps on our website to help you find the perfect strap quickly. If you don’t see exactly what you are looking for please give our experts a call at 800-483-2189 or by using our online contact us form if you prefer to contact us via email.
Custom Made Ratchet Straps for those Custom Securement Applications
If you find yourself needing a completely custom ratchet strap for a custom securement application you have come to the right place. We are a leading manufacturer of ratchet straps in the United States and have the capabilities to create almost any custom ratchet strap that you could imagine.
Create the perfect strap with hardware configurations, lengths of webbing, stencil branding options, or webbing colors of choice with exact measurements to prevent excess webbing flapping in the wind while going down the road.
If you are interested in learning more about our custom ratchet strap capabilities or if you are looking for pricing on some of our custom ratchet straps please give our experts a call at 800-483-2189 or by using our online contact us form located at the top of the website. We look forward to helping you create the perfect custom strap for all of your custom securement needs.
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Ratchet Straps Designed for Outdoor Securement Applications
We often hear feedback from customers who are transporting cargo outdoors in weather conditions such as rainfall, snow, sleet, or icy conditions and may require extra added grip. We have the perfect solution for these situations such as our Rubber Handle Ratchet Hardware that provides extra grip to ensure the cargo you are securing is tightened properly before leaving for the next stop.
This also applies to those who are in extreme heat or direct sunlight conditions as the hardware when left outside in direct sunlight can cause potential burns as the metal hardware heats up over time. The added rubber grip found on the ratchet hardware can help you tighten your ratchet hardware without the risk of getting burned in the process from the hot metal surfaces.
We also have several other variants of hardware such as stainless steel for those transporting cargo for marine applications and hardware options such as our black ratchet hardware that is designed to be stealthy and blend in for those outdoor hunting applications.
Have any questions or are interested in learning more about our different types of ratchet hardware? Give our experts a call at 800-483-2189 today!
Determining How Many Straps You Need to Secure Your Load
When it comes to determining how many straps you need to secure your load there should be a couple of questions that you ask yourself. First, is the weight of the cargo you are securing within the safe working load limits of the straps you are using to secure the cargo? Next, if a strap were to fail, would your load still manage to be secured within the safe working load limit?
Lastly, if your strap were to break would you have an extra strap to use in order to get to your next destination to resupply? These are often some of the questions we ask in order to help our customers avoid a potentially dangerous situation.
One thing is for certain while being on the road for long periods of time is that you can never fully predict how your next drive is going to go. You never know when an accident in front of you is going to happen, the next traffic jam, or even knowing when a ratchet strap could potentially fail. This is why it’s important to always buy reputable ratchet straps from reputable companies while securing any cargo on the roadways.