Ratchet Straps for Cargo Securement

Ratchet Straps are one of the most important cargo control straps that are used in the professional trucking industry to keep cargo secure throughout the move. Ratchet Straps are quick and effective at securing a wide range of cargo sizes and weights in minutes. When you arrive at your destination and need to release your cargo you simply slide the ratchet hardware open flat and pull out the webbing and in a matter of seconds, you can begin to unload the cargo.

Did you know that Ratchet Straps USA is a leading manufacturer of Ratchet Straps and Down Straps for the professional trucking and cargo securement industries? Some of our popular ratchet straps include our 1-inch ratchet straps, 2-inch ratchet straps, and our heavy-duty 4-inch ratchet straps that are designed for flatbed trailers to name a few. No matter what kind of cargo your next haul may include we have a strap that can keep you moving for almost every application need.

All of our ratchet straps are made from heavy-duty polyester tie-down webbing that provides a great strength-to-stretch ratio that helps to keep your cargo from moving during transport. One of the added benefits of using this type of webbing is the durability of the elements that other webbings can not provide against direct sunlight and moisture.

We take great pride in being one of the leaders in manufacturing tie-down straps in the United States and have earned the trust of those who use them. If you have a custom application that needs a custom strap chances are we can custom make you the perfect strap. If you are interested in learning more about our custom ratchet straps or need a recommendation, call our experts at 800-483-2189 to get started today!

1 inch Ratchet Straps

1-inch Ratchet Straps are used best for applications such as ATVs, UTVs, Motorcycles, and light-duty tie-down applications such as in the back of a pickup truck or trailer. You can find a wide range of different hooks and hardware to latch into the rails of the trailer, e-track systems, and more! One of the many benefits of using 1-inch ratchet straps is they are light in strength but still extremely durable for most around-the-house securement applications as well making these straps easy to move and store after every use.

Some of the many hardware options include S Hooks, Wire Hooks, J Hooks, Snap Hooks, D Rings, E Track Fittings, and O Rings to name a few. These can be paired with your choice of light-duty or heavy-duty polyester webbing in a range of colors such as Black, Camo, Red, White Orange, Blue, Yellow, and Green to name a few of our most popular colors.

These straps are one of the most preferred straps for professional moving companies and those who are moving objects around the house due to their light physical weight but offer heavy-duty strength. One of the benefits of using 1-inch ratchet straps is the price point that these straps offer compared to other sizes.

2 inch Ratchet Straps

2-inch Ratchet Straps are best used in applications such as car vehicle haul gin, dry vans, box trucks, enclosed vans, tractor-trailers, in the back of a pickup truck, and pick up trailers to name a few. 2-inch Ratchet Straps are by far the most popular size straps for everyday applications and for professional movers to name a few. No matter if you are a professional truck driver, professional mover, or a weekend warrior ready to hit the road for your next adventure these straps can help you get to your next destination safely.

All of our 2-inch Ratchet Straps are made from the same great polyester tie-down webbing that stretches very little and provides a great amount of strength to keep your cargo secured. One of the many different added benefits to using this tie-down webbing is the durability over time being outside in the elements. These straps are available with hardware options such as S Hooks, D Rings, Chain and Hook, Slop Hook, and Wire Hooks to name a few of our popular options.

We also can make our 2-inch ratchet straps in just about any length of webbing, hardware options, color, or stencil that shows the name of the company on the side. If you are interested in learning more about our custom-made 2-inch ratchet straps give our team a call at 800-483-2189 or by using our online contact us form located at the top of the website if you prefer to use email. We look forward to helping you with your custom ratchet strap needs.

3 inch Ratchet Straps

3-inch Ratchet Straps are mainly used only for flatbed trucking applications for professional truck drivers. The Ratchet Hardware alone on this strap weighs over 8 lbs and should never be used for everyday around-the-house applications. The normal preference for most professional truck drivers is a 4-inch strap in the United States by far. Some drivers prefer 3 inches over 4 inches so we have created this strap as an alternative to 3-inch ratchet straps. The two most common lengths of webbing include our 3” x 27’ and 3” x 30’ ratchet straps but they can be custom-made to just about any length of webbing to fit your application.

4 inch Ratchet Straps

4-inch Ratchet Straps are used for flatbed trailers for the professional trucking industry and are used to secure some of the heaviest and oddly shaped cargo on the roadways. These are the straps that are most commonly used on flatbed trailers and the most common sizes are our 4” x 27’: and our popular 4” x 30’ ratchet straps with flat hooks or wire hooks. These straps can be completely custom-made with options such as color, length of webbing, company name on the straps, and choice of hardware to name a few. If you are interested in learning more about our custom-made ratchet straps give our ratchet strap experts a call at 800-483-2189 today!

Custom Made Ratchet Straps

Often we find that not all straps work for all applications and custom loads may require a custom strap to get the job done right. Here at Ratchet Straps USA we manufacture most of our ratchet straps in-house and can custom-make just about any kind of ratchet strap or other tie-down straps to get the job done right. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing a custom-made to-order strap with your company name, length of webbing, or custom hardware options give our experts a call at 800-483-2189 today!

How to Tighten a Ratchet Strap Instructions

1. From the bottom of the ratchet strap slowly thread the webbing through the slot in the center of the spool of the closed ratchet.
2. Next pull the webbing through and remove the excess slack or loose webbing to make a firm but not tight webbing.
3. Begin to crank the ratchet handle up and down to tighten the ratchet strap into place. You will want to make sure the item you are transporting is snug, but not too tight that it damages your cargo.

How to Release a Ratchet Strap Instructions

1. Pull and hold the tab on top of the ratchet assembly to release the ratchet strap to override the ratcheting function.
2. Open the Ratchet until it is completely open and the ratchet is laying flat.
3. Grab the polyester tie-down webbing from the nonfixed side and begin to pull the webbing to release.
4. Pull and hold the release tab on top of the ratchet to close the ratchet.

The Different Types of Ratchet Straps

E Track Ratchet Straps – E Track Ratchet Straps are ratchet straps that have been specifically designed for use with e-track rail systems that are installed along the walls and the flooring of trailers and moving vans. Simply latch the E Track Fitting into place on the e track rail and tighten it to the desired tightness and you are ready to hit the road in a matter of minutes saving you time. These straps also work great due to the versatility that e-tracks can offer through numerous different securement points to make sure your cargo remains secured throughout the next move. You can shop our full selection of E Track Ratchet Straps by clicking HERE.

Ratchet Straps with Wire Hooks – Ratchet Straps with wire hooks are one of the most common types of ratchet straps that are used around the house, for everyday use, or for those who are professional truck drivers. Straps that include Wire hook hardware are known around the industry as a great all-around hook for many different securement applications in pickup trucks, moving vans, semi-trailers, dry vans, and more. Wire hooks can easily connect to rails or tie-down hardware rings that are installed along with the flooring of the trailers or interior moving vans. You can see our full selection of Ratchet Straps with Wire Hooks by clicking HERE.

Ratchet Straps with Flat Hooks – Ratchet Straps with Flat Hooks are one of the most commonly used straps on flatbed trailers as the flat hooks can quickly latch into place along the rails of the flatbed trailer. This provides you with great strength and durability for even the heaviest or oversized cargo that is being transported on the roadways.

Flat Hooks connect to the rub rails of the flatbed trailers in a matter of seconds and once tightened they will keep your cargo safe time and time again. You can view our full selection of Ratchet Straps with Flat Hooks by clicking HERE.

Ratchet Straps with Snap Hooks – Snap Hooks are by far one of our most popular types of Ratchet Straps as they are extremely easy to use as they hook into place from a wide range of different securement points. Great for pickup trucks, pickup trailers, moving vans, semi-trucks, and through securement with D Ring Hardware that is installed to the flooring of trailers.

These straps are normally the most commonly thought of straps when people think of Ratchet Straps and are used for a wide variety of securement applications for vehicles, ATVs, and Motorcycles to name a few of the more popular types of ratchet strap applications.

Ratchet Straps with Chain and Hook – Ratchet Snaps with Chain and Hook are used for some of the heavier duty applications such as flatbed trailers for the most part. These straps are heavy-duty and may not be useful for all applications or for those who are not professional shippers who may transport cargo often. One of the added benefits to purchasing these straps is the durability over time which helps make these straps a great investment for those who secure cargo often.

What is a Breaking Strength?

Breaking Strength is the ultimate strength at which the straps fail and are no longer able to secure cargo. This can happen in several different ways for example using straps that are not rated for your load’s weight, sudden lane changes, or a strong brake on the road that could cause the strap’s weakest point to fail. One thing to remember is that tie-down straps and ratchet straps are only as strong as the weakest link on the strap. The weakest link could be the tie-down hardware, tie-down webbing, or the stitching in the webbing depending on each strap.

This amount of force that causes the straps to fail is used to determine the working load limit (WLL) which takes the breaking strength (BS) and divides it by three. For example, a 10,000 lbs breaking strength would be a 3,333 lbs working load limit. Working Load Limits are incredibly important to know for any professional or first-time mover or cargo transporter as they help determine all of these numerous factors that can happen such as strong brake, sudden lane change, or load shift to provide you with a safety net so that your straps hopefully never fail while in use on the public roadways.

Straps that fail on public roadways can quickly and easily hurt other motorists, cause hefty fines, and potential loss of CDL, or even upset customers expecting their cargo or packages to arrive safely. All of these factors are used to help determine the straps’ working load limit to provide you with the ultimate protection while moving cargo.

What is a Working Load Limit?

A working load limit is the amount of weight that the straps can hold before failure. This number is reached by taking the ultimate force before breaking, also known as breaking strength around the transportation industry, and dividing that number by three. This gives you a safety rating that accounts for braking force, a sudden change of lanes, or a sudden shift in your load without risking the load coming off the trailer, pickup truck bed, or semi-trailer. This rating was put into place by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and some states will fine you for not having tie-down straps without a visible working load limit on your straps which can become quite costly.

Frequently Asked Ratchet Strap Questions

What Should You Do if Your Ratchet Strap Becomes Jammed? – If you find your ratchet strap becomes jammed you should immediately stop using strong force and begin to untangle the ratchet strap if it is still possible. Once the strap is untangled you can begin to free the ratchet that has become jammed by making slow moves at pulling the excess slack out of the ratchet mechanism. If you are unable to free the webbing from the ratchet you may need to find a wrench or socket to undo the hardware to release the webbing and retighten once done. It is incredibly important that if you do this last step remember to tighten the ratchet hardware back in place.

What Should You Do with Excess Tie Down Webbing Once Secured? – Once the ratchet strap has become secured it is extremely important to then wrap the extra webbing around the strap. If at all possible attempt to find a nice snug spot around the tightened webbing to keep the webbing in a safe place during transport away from sharp corners, sharp edges, or any debris that could cause friction. These can weaken or destroy your strap over time if you are not careful so remember to spend a few extra seconds on each strap to keep them long-lasting.

What is the Best Way to Maintain Ratchet Straps? – We strongly believe in the phrase that if you treat your tools well in return they will be good to you. The number one thing you can do to keep your ratchet straps lasting longer is properly securing and storing them.

Avoid sharp edges, direct sunlight, moisture, and potential burns and the straps will tend to last. Some tips for making tie-down straps last longer are through corner protectors, ratchet straps duffle bags, and purchasing our heavy-duty polyester tie-down webbing that uses more material to provide extra layers of safety for most applications, as well as our extra heavy-duty ratchet hardware. One of our favorite ways to maintain ratchet straps is by using our Ratchet Straps Duffle bag that keeps your straps neat and organized for under 10 dollars! Shop our Ratchet Straps gear by clicking HERE.

What Should I Do My Ratchet Strap Breaks? – If you find that your ratchet straps have become damaged or unable to be used to secure cargo chances safely are you may be able to replace just the broken part of the strap and reuse the good part of the ratchet strap. You can find out more about our Ratchet Strap Replacement Straps by clicking HERE

How Many Ratchet Straps Do I Need? – Ultimately every application may require a different amount of ratchet straps depending on the physical size and the weight of the cargo itself. One factor you will want to consider is if a strap were to brake going down the road would your cargo remain safe? This is why we almost always suggest using at least four or more ratchet straps for most normal cargo securement applications on the road.

This number can increase by shape and weight but gives you a general amount to provide extra wiggle room if something breaks or a sudden brake, lane change, or accident. You can learn more about how Working Load Limits are tested and how many straps you need based on your application by clicking on our everything you need to know about working load limits HERE.

What are the Benefits of Heavy-Duty Webbing? – One of the added benefits of using heavy-duty polyester tie-down webbing is the added protection against potential cuts. Something to remember though when using this webbing is straps are only as strong as the weakest link on the strap meaning if the webbing is extremely strong, but the hardware itself is weak there will be no additional rating for the strap. However, in circumstances such as heavier-duty hardware or someone who finds that they are going through webbing often from friction burns or cuts, this can help make your webbing last longer depending on how it is cared for while in use.