Securing a load is important for a number of reasons including your safety as well as the safety of those around you. According to a four year study conducted by AAA debris was the main cause of over 200,000 crashes which accounted for 500 deaths and 39,000 injuries. Of those 200,000 crashes cargo that was properly secured attributed to about one-third of them. Securing cargo is important which is exactly why trucks typically come with some sort of hooks or anchors to assist with this process. Knowing where these are and how to use them is just as important as choosing the correct type of strap for the cargo load in the truck. Read below for some tips on choosing the correct and safest strap for your load.
Weight
Determining the proper weight of your load is important if you want to make sure that you are properly securing the load using your truck bed hooks. The weight of the load is important for choosing the correct types of straps to hold the load. If your load is too heavy then the straps will not properly secure the load and you risk loosing some or all of it. The truck tie down hooks and the truck bed hooks will accommodate a variety of hooks on straps, so consider the weight of your load before you choose a certain type of strap.
Amount
It is recommended that you never use just one strap. You should consider the amount of straps that you will need for your load. Truck tie downs are usually plentiful allowing you to use as many straps as you need. A little searching can reveal truck bed anchors and truck bed tie downs that you may not even know existed. Since pairing of straps is recommended it is safely possible to use two straps which combined will equal the weight of the cargo load.
Length
The length of the straps is important in order to ensure that there is enough strap to hold the load evenly. You want to make sure that the strap can connect to the truck bed hooks and over the load with room to spare. The straps can always be tightened afterwards, so it is better to have some slight play in the straps rather than having them snug. On the other hand you want to make sure that you do not have too much extra strap left over. There are very few ways to secure this extra length, so minimizing the extra length is the safest way possible. If you find yourself hauling cargo loads on a regular basis, then investing in a variety of straps may be the best option when it comes to having enough strap without an excess amount left over.
Hook Types
There are a variety of hook types that you can choose for the end of your straps, and that decision will be based mostly on personal preference. The other consideration will most likely by the truck tie down hooks. The straps should be able connect properly in order to secure your cargo load. You want to make sure that your hooks are not too large to be connected, and you want to make sure that you can securely attach them.
Use these tips to select the proper straps to anchor to truck bed hooks when securing your cargo and you and the other vehicles traveling with you will have a much safer trip. Proper knowledge of tie down straps and cargo straps will keep your loads safer whether you are traveling five miles or 500 miles. Drivers will feel safer driving at higher speeds knowing their cargo in the back isn’t going to go anywhere. Follow these tips for securing and tying down cargo in your truck bed.