In this blog, you will know the complete guide on how to use ratchet straps, how to tighten ratchet straps, how to loosen ratchet straps, and other tips about ratchet tie down straps you will need to know in your business and daily life.
What are Ratchet Straps?
Ratchet straps are the most widely used tie down straps in transportation companies to secure cargo of different sizes and weights in place. The common specification is 1 inch ratchet straps, 1.5 inch ratchet straps, 2 inch ratchet straps, 3 inch ratchet straps, and 4 inch ratchet straps, they can be in different widths, colors, and hardware to meet specific needs. The material of ratchet straps is polyester webbing, which features low stretchiness and high strength, the best tie downs to securing cargo during transportation.
At one end of the tie down webbing, the ratchet mechanism is used to tighten the webbing by ratchet buckle and at the other end of the webbing, you can choose different end fittings, such as E track, J hook, S hook, Wire Hook, Chain Hook, etc.
If you don’t find the ratchet tie down straps you are looking for on our website, we can make a customization service for you to fit your needs. Just give us a Call at (0086)1505 1705 238 or submit your request in the below form, our expert will be very happy to assist you with any questions regarding our product.
How to Use A Ratchet Strap?
- Completely open the ratchet handle.
- Thread the webbing through the slot in the center of the spool from the bottom of the ratchet.
- Then pull the webbing and remove the loose webbing till a firm.
- Start ratcheting up and down to tighten the webbing to secure the cargo in place. Make sure you tight the webbing at a proper strength, not over tighten your cargo to cause damage.
How to Loosen A Ratchet Strap?
- Hold the release tab on the top of the ratchet and open the ratchet.
- Open the ratchet hardware until it laying flat completely.
- Pull the webbing out of the ratchet.
- After you remove all the webbing from the ratchet, hold the release tab of the ratchet to close for next time use.
How to Store A Ratchet Strap?
- Keep the ratchet strap away from the sunlight, because the UV rays will weaken the tie down webbing or discolor the webbing.
- Don’t store the strap in a damp place, because mold or mildew will weaken the tie down webbing.
- Keep webbing away from the sharp edge or anywhere that could cause cuts, burns on the webbing.
- Organize the ratchet straps neatly by bungee cord, and bags to make the longer service life of the strap.
How to Untangle a Jammed Ratchet Strap?
If you found your ratchet straps have jammed before you move to the next step, just check and stop what you need the strap to do and find the solution, or else the situation will go worse.
Sometimes, the webbing is stuck into the ratchet hardware and you are unable to remove the webbing out of the ratchet, you need to loosen the bolt on the side of the ratchet and then remove the webbing. After you assemble and before your next use, make sure the ratchet hardware has been assembled correctly.
If you can use your hands to solve this problem, we don’t recommend you to use any sharp objects to untangle the strap, since this may cause damage to the webbing.
How to Prevent Ratchet Straps Getting Jammed?
- Do not overtighten your ratchet straps.
- Properly storing the ratchet strap is very important, if you just throw the strap anywhere or exposure to the sunlight or with some sharp objects, your ratchet straps will be very easy to break and get jammed.
- Before tightening the webbing by the ratchet hardware, pull the excess webbing, this could reduce the chance that the webbing gets jammed into the ratchet.
How Many Ratchet Straps Do I Need?
When you secure your cargo, we suggest you use at least 4 tie down straps at 4 different securement points to balance the weight of the cargo, especially for the large size cargo. You will never know on the way to the destination. So, keep the cargo securely fixed as tight as possible.
You may face a sudden stop, a sudden lane change, a sudden acceleration, or another driver on the road cut off your driving and make your cargo move on the trailer. You can try to secure the cargo with ratchet straps at every edge to stop moving while something unexpected happens.
For example, you need at least 4 tie down strap to secure a car on the trailer and during the drive, If one of the straps loosens or break, there are still have 3 straps to hold the vehicle into place, and won’t cause a serious accident.
In most transportation company, they will use more tie downs straps than required to keep secure the cargo in place, especially when you are transporting heavy loads, the large size cargo, shaped cargo, etc. In order to reduce the risk of transporting valuable cargo, using more ratchet straps is not a bad thing than using fewer ratchet straps.
If you are not sure if your straps are enough, we suggest you use more or use some heavy-duty straps. Before tying down your cargo, you need to know the weight of the cargo that you need to transport and the strap you are using, the working load limit of the strap is very important for you to keep safe.
What does Working Load Limit Mean?
The working load limit is one-third of breaking strength. For example, if the breaking strength is 3,500lb, then the working load limit of the strap is 1,166lb. You should keep this limitation in your mind since this is the safe line while securing.
The working load limit is the bottom line to keep you and your cargo safe while driving on the road, if you are not sure, you can use more straps or change to heavier duty tie down straps to keep safe.
Don’t save cost and reduce the number of tie down straps, this is unsafe, use more will be better than use less. Because the cost of an accident will be higher than the strap cost. There is a lot of uncertainty factor on the road, keep your cargo as firm as possible.
FAQ about Ratchet Straps
What can I do if my ratchet straps get tangled?
If you found your straps get tangled, you need to stop doing what you are going to do next and check where is the problem? You need to remove the webbing out of the ratchet before the next action, or else you will get the situation even worse. If that is hard for you, you may need to unscrew the bolt of the ratchet and get out the webbing that is stuck in and then put the screw back on.
How to keep the ratchet strap from loosening?
The best way to keep the ratchet strap from loosening is to keep your ratchet handle completely closed. In most case, the ratchet strap loosen is because the worker doesn’t close the ratchet completely and don’t check the carefully before transporting. Also, another way to reduce the risk is to use at least 4 tie down straps. In this way, even if one of them loosens, you still have other straps to keep the cargo in place.
What material do you use to produce ratchet straps?
We use well-tested polyester tie down webbing to produce our ratchet straps, this material has great strength and little stretch, also durable enough to use outdoor.
What can I do if my ratchet straps have broken?
If you found any defects on the webbing or the ratchet and hardware, please stop using it, since using such kind of tie down webbing will cause danger on the road and you will also get fined by the transportation department. You can use a new ratchet strap or buy a replacement strap to replace the damaged part of the old one. Want to know more about replacement strap or want to purchase the replacement strap back to your company to repair the old one, just give us a Call at (0086)1505 1705 238 or submit your request in the below contact form, our expert will be in touch with you very soon.
How do I know the ratchet strap length to secure my loads?
The most cost-efficient way to measure the length of how long the ratchet straps are is to use the string to wrap around the cargo and then check the length of the string. In general, you need to purchase 2 more feet when you purchase the tie down webbing to make sure you have extra length to fit different applications.
Can I customize the ratchet strap?
If you can not find the ratchet straps you are looking for on our website, we can customize them for you in your desired length, color, company stencil, and end fittings. Call us at (0086)1505 1705 238 or submit your request in the below form, our sales expert will get in touch with you in 10 minutes.
What can I benefit from heavy-duty webbing?
Ratchet straps with heavy-duty webbing make your strap more durable than the normal one. Among the parts of the ratchet straps, webbing is the weakest part of the strap, you need to buy new straps or tie down webbing to replace the damaged one very often. We provide both heavy duty ratchet straps and heavy duty tie down webbing in our factory, you can send your detailed request to: info@webslingness.com to get quotes.
Are corner protectors needed if I tie down the cargo with ratchet straps?
Using a corner protector is not a necessity if your ratchet straps are strong enough. But, we still recommend you to use the corner protector, because sometimes your cargo edge may be sharp and this is harmful to the strap. Using corner protectors also helps to last long the service life of your tie down strap.
What types of tie down hardware do you have?
We have various ratchet hardware and we can customize the different sizes, colors, metals, grip, and coating according to your need.
What’s the relations between breaking strength and working load limit?
Breaking strength determines the working load limit. The working load limit is 1/3 of the breaking strength. For example, if the breaking strength of the strap is 10,000lbs, then the working load limit of the strap is 3,333lbs. Tie down your cargo within the limitation of the working load limit will be safer for the cargo and everyone.
Can your ratchet straps work for water application?
Yes, we have the ratchet straps work for water application. First, you should choose the stainless steel ratchet to slow down the speed of getting rust. Second, for the tie down webbing, we recommend the lighter color better than darker color, so we suggest the white webbing is the best color for water application.
What is the endless loop ratchet strap?
Endless loop ratchet straps do not have hardware at the end of the webbing, and this strap are mainly used for bundling, slackline, treestands, and other purposes that need to secure cargo together.
