What Are Winch Straps for Flatbeds and Flatbed Trailers?

Winch Straps are one of the most popular types of tie-down straps for securing heavy-duty or oddly shaped cargo on the back of flatbed trailers. These loads are often some of the heaviest and largest in physical size on the roadways and require much more strength in the straps to keep the cargo secured during transport. The most common sizes of flatbed winch straps are 2-inch, 3-inch, and 4-inch strap widths and usually come in lengths of 27 & 30 feet long. All of our Winch Straps comply with the Web Sling Tie Down Association (WSTDA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) industry standards.

One of the perks of ordering from RatchetStrapsUSA is we have the tools and the knowledge to create just about any kind of flatbed winch strap that fits your application’s needs best. Chances are if you don’t see exactly what you are looking for we can custom-make it for you. If you are interested in learning more about our custom winch straps give our team a call at 800-483-2189 to get started today!

How to Secure Cargo Using Winch Straps?

Winch Straps are secured along the rails of the flatbed trailer and are tightened on one side of the trailer by using a winch bar. One extremely important thing to note is that you should never throw the hook end of the winch strap across the trailer when you are getting ready to secure your cargo. You could easily hurt others and in some pickup locations, they may have strict guidelines against those who put others at risk by throwing the heavy hardware.

One certain thing is that you will always want to ensure that you are using enough winch straps to keep your load secured during transport and provide wiggle room for your load if one of the straps were to fail. A few other things to think about when securing your load would be to think about load distribution and making sure that all parts of your cargo are equally secured to prevent uneven securement at different sides.

How To Tighten A Flatbed Winch Straps Instructions

1). Start by attaching the hook from the strap onto a side rail or D-ring hardware.
2). Next, feed the free end of the strap into the winch or ratchet and begin to pull out the excess slack.
3). Make sure the strap is where you want it to be on the cargo load and begin to tighten the winch strap.
4). If you are using a winch the best way to ensure the strap is tight is by using a winch bar. If you are using a ratchet simply pump the handle until it reaches the desired tightness.

Why Winch Straps Are Popular Among Truck Drivers

One of the reasons that Winch Straps are so popular in the professional trucking industry is the affordability these straps can offer compared to traditional ratchet straps. Along with these straps being much more affordable than other tie-down straps, they are also able to secure some of the heaviest and oddly shaped cargo on the road. The way that Winch Straps work is simple as they are installed along the rub rails of the flatbed trailer and can create a versatile load securement within minutes that is extremely durable.

The most popular sizes of Winch Straps by far are 2-inch and 4-inch wide winch straps that are made out of polyester tie-down webbing. Polyester Tie Down Webbing is the material of choice as it has a very high strength-to-stretch ratio that ensures your cargo remains safe and secure. Winch straps do not use any tie-down hardware to tighten these straps into place they are much more affordable to replace if they become broken or damaged as well making these straps extremely cost-effective for most truck drivers and flatbed fleets.

How Long Are Winch Straps for Flatbeds?

The most common sizes of winch straps are 27 feet long and 30 feet long of tie-down webbing that connects to the installed winches along the rub rails of flatbed trailers. However, as one of the leading manufacturers of Winch Straps in the United States, we can custom-make winch straps in just about any length of tie-down webbing that fits your securement applications best. If you are interested in learning more about our winch strap customization options give our experts a call at 800-483-2189 or by using our online contact us form located HERE.

What Is The Product Lifespan of Flatbed Winch Straps?

The amount of time that your winch straps last can greatly depend on factors such as how often the straps are being used and if you are using any corner protectors to protect the straps as well. Corner Protectors can greatly increase the chances of your tie-down straps lasting longer by protecting sharp edges that could cause potential burns, cuts, or tears that could require you to completely replace your winch straps if you are not careful. This is one of the main things that you will want to avoid to make sure that your straps are not

How To Properly Store Winch Straps Between Use

When it comes to storing winch straps one of the most important things to do is avoid locations that provide direct contact with the sun or moisture. Moisture that forms mold and UV Rays from direct sunlight can damage your straps if they are not stored properly making these straps need to be replaced sooner. Some of the best ways to store these straps include putting them in a duffle bag or alternative dry bag that can be stored in the back of the semi-truck or a compartment on the trailer.

Are Winch Straps or Ratchet Straps Better for Flatbed Trailers?

One of the main reasons that Ratchet Straps are much less popular for the professional trucking industry for flatbeds is the cost to use ratchet straps vs the cheaper alternative winch straps. Winch straps do not use Ratchet Hardware that weighs over 7 lbs alone saving drivers and trucking fleet owners hundreds of dollars over time.

Winch Straps are much more affordable while offering a great amount of protection for oversized or oddly shaped cargo securement as well. At the time of writing this blog post, you can normally expect to pay 1/3 of the equivalent ratchet strap by using winch straps in price. One thing is to note if you are replacing straps that become damaged over time or need to be replaced it is much more cost-effective to do with Winch Straps as well.

Are Winch Straps or Transport Chains Better for Flatbed Trailers?

When it comes to deciding if flatbed winch straps or transport chain is the better securement solution for your trailer there are a few aspects to consider. One of these aspects would be the price of using these to secure over time, winch straps are much cheaper to affordable as an initial investment but may be more expensive over time as the years pass. Another aspect would be the safety aspect of securing the straps vs the transport chain which could cause serious injury to drivers who aren’t careful.

The number one priority for any driver is safety when securing, on the road with heavy loads, and the safety of other motorists. Some things to also consider are the maintenance and maintenance of these straps with winch straps being much easier to keep clean over the chain requires more attention for quality checks as well. Winch Straps are attached to the sides of a flatbed trailer’s rub rail whereas chains can be challenging to store and maintain over time.

The Different Types of Hardware Options for Winch Straps

Wire Hook – Wire Hooks are extremely durable and are made to be able to quickly latch into place on the other side of the flatbed trailer within seconds. This allows you to get your load secured faster to get you back on the road quicker with the peace of mind that you deserve.

Flat Hook – Flat Hooks are similar to wire hooks but are flat and hook into place along the other side of the flatbed trailer as well. These hooks are flatter and cover a wider surface area and are made with the same great materials as our wire hooks. This hardware is meant to be durable and a time saver for those who ship often.

Chain and Hook – Chain and Hook is extremely able to use and simply hook into place on the one side of the strap. These are great for heavier or oddly shaped applications where securement points may not be widely available.

Forged Delta Ring – Forged D Ring Winch Straps are one of our more popular types of winch straps and may work better for drivers in certain circumstances. These straps are made with our heavy-duty polyester tie-down webbing in the common sizes of 27 feet and 30 feet long, but can also be made to order in just about any length. Made to be durable at an affordable price point to keep you on the road for longer and your cargo safety as the number one priority.

Where can I find the Working Load Limit on Winch Straps?

You can find the working load limit for each of our straps that are sold at RatchetStrapsUSA on the straps’ working load limit tag or on the polyester tie-down webbing itself if it is inked in. This makes finding the working load limitations of your tie-down straps easy to find and determines if you need to use more straps easily. One thing we always recommend doing is securing the cargo from numerous different securement points to help with weight transfer and you should always use a minimum of 4 winch tie-down straps.

What Colors do Winch Straps for Flatbeds come in?

The normal color for winch straps across the professional trucking industry is yellow polyester tie-down webbing. However, one of the great things about using winch straps from our company is we can make customized winch straps in-house with colors that fit your company’s needs best. As well as custom winch strap options such as length of tie-down webbing, as well as putting the name of your company on the webbing as well. If you are interested in learning more about our custom winch strap capabilities give our team a phone call at 800-483-2189 to get started with your custom winch straps today!

How to Prevent Damage on Winch Straps Using Corner Protectors

One of the best ways to prevent your winch straps from becoming damaged during your next move is with the use of corner protectors. Corner protectors provide a layer of protection against sharp edges on the cargo and the surfaces of the sensitive to cuts polyester tie-down webbing. This can not only protect your cargo when tightening winch straps, but it can also help make your winch straps last for longer too as the chances of becoming damaged during transport are reduced.

Corner Protectors can be a cheaper alternative for those who do not want to buy straps as often. Chances are if your winch straps are becoming damaged quickly you should look into purchasing some corner protectors to reduce sharp edges or friction burns from damaging the straps to save money and time replacing the broken or worn-out straps over time. One of the added benefits is once you purchase a corner protector you likely will not have to buy one for quite some time as they are extremely durable and can withstand vehicles driving over them as they snap back into place. This one-time buy can create a great long-term solution to help solve long-term problems that sharp edges can cause.

Frequently Asked Winch Strap Questions

Are your Winch Straps up to DOT Regulations and Requirements? – Yes, all of the straps available in our online store meet or exceed the Department of Transportation’s general guidelines.

What are the main sizes used? – The two most common main sizes of winch straps are our 4” x 27’ Flatbed Winch Straps and our 4” x 30’ Flatbed Winch Straps by far. These are both personal preferences in most cases as to which one is used more generally speaking as some drivers prefer the extra length of webbing for more wiggle room and some drivers prefer shorter based on application needs on their flatbed trailers.

Are these straps easy to roll up to tighten? – Our winch straps are incredibly easy to roll up and tighten and we believe may be one of the easiest straps, in general, to roll up in our inventory.

Do the Flat Hooks have a spring to keep them in place before ratcheting? – No, they do not have any spring mechanism that holds the straps in place before ratcheting. We often find these types of features provide more harm than good with the amount of time it takes and the additional price point.

Can these be used to secure vehicles and trucks? – Yes, as long as they are not exceeding the safe working load limitations on the straps they should be more than fine to secure vehicles. You may want to consider looking at our car tie-down straps include our straps specifically designed for vehicles and trucks in mind.

Is there hardware on both ends of the winch straps? – No, there is only tie-down hardware on one end of the strap.

What is the breaking strength for Flatbed Winch Straps? – A majority of our 2-inch winch straps have a 3,335 lbs working load limit (10,000 lbs breaking strength) and our 3-inch and 4-inch winch straps can range from 5,400 lbs working load limit to 5,670 lbs working load limit respectively.

Do you need to use a Ratchet with Winch Straps? – These straps do not use Ratchet Hardware and are tightened by using a winch installed along the rails of a flatbed trailer making these straps much more affordable to replace and typically faster to tighten as well for professional flatbed truck drivers.

Can these straps be made in colors other than yellow? – The most common color by far is yellow but we do have the capability to custom-make just about any kind of custom-made tie-down strap for an additional price point if you do not see exactly what you are looking for on our website. If you are interested in learning more about our custom-made strap capabilities and pricing you can 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 assisting you with all of your custom tie-down strap application needs!