Cargo & Freight · Driver Training VideoStraps, Winches & Edge Protection

Every load you secure has to survive the road, not just look tied down at the dock. Federal cargo securement rules require your tie-downs to have a combined working load limit of at least half the weight of the cargo.

The minimum number of tie-downs isn't a guess. An article five feet or less and 1,100 pounds or less needs at least one tie-down. Anything heavier, or longer than five feet, needs two.

Webbing takes a beating you can't always see. Before it goes over an edge, check it for cuts, burns, fraying, broken stitching, or knots. A knot in a strap is not a repair, it's a red flag. Any strap with visible damage comes out of service immediately.

Sharp edges are where straps fail. Steel, lumber, pipe, machinery corners — any edge that can cut or abrade webbing needs edge protection between the strap and the load. That's not optional dressing, it's what keeps a strap from parting at highway speed.

Winches get their own rule

Once you've cranked the strap tight, pull the winch bar out and stow it. A bar left in the winch can kick back hard enough to break a wrist or a jaw the moment the load shifts. Never leave it loaded.

Your company standard: inspect every tie-down before you leave the yard, check the working load limit math against the cargo weight, and place edge protection on every strap crossing a sharp corner.

A flatbed load is only as secure as the last time you checked it. Straps stretch, ratchets back off, edges cut deeper than they look. That's why the re-check isn't a suggestion — it's the difference between a load that arrives and one that doesn't.

Chains and binders follow the same logic with higher numbers. Match the chain's working load limit to the load, inspect for stretched or bent links, and make sure binders are fully seated and locked, not just resting closed.