Switched from chain binders to ratchet straps for securing my crawler load after a near miss on I-75 last year

Used to swear by chains, but one double-clutch hitch at 55 mph and a binder swinging loose changed my mind real quick - has anyone else made the swap and regretted it?

3 comments

3 Comments

josephl672mo ago

Yeah I feel you on that near miss thing. I swapped to ratchets after a buddy's chain snapped on a load of pallets and put a hole in his trailer floor. What worked for me was going with 2 inch wide straps rated for like 5,000 lbs each and using axle straps around the frame instead of hooks. Way less chance of something slipping loose than with chains.

campbell.tara2mo ago

Agree with @josephl67 on the axle straps, I swapped to those after watching a hook pop off a frame rail on a sharp turn. The wider straps spread the load better too so you're not digging into the cargo. I'd rather spend an extra minute wrapping straps than patching a floor or worse.

mila_perry1325d agoMost Upvoted

I was loading a skid of roofing tiles back in 2017 when a regular hook let go right in the middle of a turn. The load shifted so hard I almost lost the whole thing off the side. That was the moment I switched to axle straps and never looked back. I think a lot of folks don't realize how much that small change can save you from a big mess. It's one of those cheap fixes that just makes sense.