Load restraints & recovery equipment covers a broad range of products.
For restraining loads we supply cam buckle straps, ratchet straps, load binders, tie down rope, transporter wheel straps, box van lashings and endless ratchets.
For towing and recovery products we can supply a number of towing kits and recovery kits, which include webbing, rope and chain varieties.
The terminology used for these types of load restraints varies but include lorry straps, lashing straps, chain ratchet and trailer straps, recovery straps and tow ropes. Lifting Gear Direct can supply the full range and can often make custom items based on your needs in our factory workshop.
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A load restraint is a device which securely ties down loads to your vehicle. There are different products for this which include load binders, ratchet straps, cam buckles, lashing straps, lorry straps, wheel straps and more.
We have probably all seen vehicles with precariously balanced loads which are not tied down securely. When this happens, is poses a danger to the load, vehicle carrying the load and the driver, not to mention the enormous hazards it puts other drivers under. A lorry which sheds its load over the road has many implications. These scenarios can easily be averted by tying down loads correctly. There are a number of load restraint devices to help to secure your loads correctly, ratchet lashings, simple cam buckle & strap and a variety of different load binders.
Ratchet lashings are a simple piece of load restraint kit, and always useful to have in your vehicle for securing loads, as are the more simple, web strap and cam buckle arrangements. A ratchet lashing is simply a piece of flat webbing with a ratchet buckle mechanism. We also have a number of very specific restraints as well as lashing accessories, read on to find out more.
The type of recovery equipment supplied by Lifting Gear Direct comes in many forms and includes Towing straps, recovery chain and hooks, wheel straps, kinetic tow rope and towing kits. Many of these products can be made up to suit your specific needs. Length, strength, width and a choice of fittings can all be catered for.
Tow straps are a very popular form of recovery equipment and generally consist of a webbing strap with soft eyes at each end. Shackles are normally uses as a connection between the sling, towing vehicle and the item for recovery. You should always bear in mind the breaking strength of any tow strap or rope. This differs from the safe working load used for lifting rather then pulling. The forces applied to a sling or tow strap differs when either lifting or pulling. It is often the case that the weight of the vehicle to be towed or other item to be recovered is unknown, although with the modern technology of today, a quick internet search will probably find the answer. For this reason most people tend to buy a tow strap with a much higher breaking strength than possibly needed to err on the side of caution!
Simple straps with cam buckles are available in numerous safe working loads usually coming in 2 pieces with the can buckle fixed to one end of the webbing. They can be wrapped completely around or just over the load the ends are then secured to the vehicles anchor points. Often via their end hooks, the loose end is then passed through the cam buckle and pulled tight, the tension on the cam will hold the webbing strap securely in place. There are many types of fixings for securing the ends of the webbing to the vehicle, they can include crab hooks, claw hooks and snap hooks.
Ratchet lashings are even more robust, secure and often easier to tension down due to the ratchet mechanism. Ratchet lashings/straps are used more or less in the same way as a strap and cam buckle, however with the ratchet mechanism, the loose end is threaded through the take-up spool/drum on the ratchet mechanism, pulling it through until most of the slack is taken up and you can just get your fist under, then you just need to crank the handle up and down to pull through and tighten/tension the strap, and subsequently the load.
This is much easier than just using sheer muscle like with the simple strap and cam buckle arrangement, it is also much more likely to get a tighter strap and so a more secure load.
Ratchet lashings are available in the standard two piece web types or single piece endless varieties. We also supply ratchet straps for securing loads in box vans as well as a 50mm ergonomic ratchet lashing which uses a push rather than a pulling action to operate - much easier.
Ratchet straps are also used in our car transporter wheel strap kits which include an additional choker strap for securing vehicles by the wheel.
There are two main types of load binders, lever and ratchet. They will essentially achieve the same results as other ratchet lashings/straps, however they are designed to be used with chains, not webbing straps. This makes them ideal for loads with sharp or abrasive edges that could easily damage or cut through webbing.
Load binders are made from steel and so very robust, they also have 2 connecting/grab hooks for securing to the chains. The difference between a lever load binder and a ratchet load binder is the method which is used to tighten the chain. Watch our video above to see how they work.
Lifting Gear Direct are also able to supply 3 strand, polypropylene rope. This is perfect for many tie down applications and makes an ideal lorry rope. This is undoubtedly the cheapest product for cargo restraining and Lifting Gear Direct can supply it in any length up to 220 metres. There is a range of diameters to choose from too, up to 12mm.
When loading vehicles you should always pay attention to the maximum height the load sits at when loaded and strapped down; this is to ensure you can safely pass under low obstacles during your journey. Our vehicle height measuring pole serves this purpose by enabling you to accurately measure the vehicle or load height. These telescopic measuring poles are easy to use and read and and excellent piece of kit for all vehicles used for load transporting.
When you use any type of load restraint, your load may undergo some damage due to the pressure applied when the lashing is tensioned and subsequently jerked around during natural vehicle movement. Obviously this depends on the type of load! For optimum cargo protection you may wish to consider some cargo corner protectors which are excellent for boxy items where corners and edges can easily be crushed, subsequently causing damage to the enclosed items.
Browse our full selection of load restraints below for full technical details and call our team on 01384 76961 to discuss any requirements. Web lashings and cam
buckle straps can be made to order to your specifications in our own
factory by our experienced machinists.
Load restraints come in a variety of formats, each offering a particular way to tie down and secure your cargo. Tie down rope is the most basic method, then there are cam buckle straps, ratchet lashings and load binders.
The answer will largely depend on the load you wish to restrain. The cam buckle strap is soft and good for securing different items together as well as securing smaller loads to a vehicle. These are pulled tight by hand so will not be as tight as a ratchet strap. Ratchet lashings use similar soft webbing but with a ratchet handle rather than a cam buckle to enable extremely tight webbing when used, therefore a very secure load when used correctly. Load binders, especially the ratchet variety can also be tightened to the max by using the ratchet lever. Load binders use chain however so may not suit your load as well as a webbing type strap. Always ensure your restraint equipment can handle the load and forces applied by a moving vehicle.
Yes we can, Our recovery equipment will be added to our website very soon and will include wheel straps, tow rope kits and more, in the mean time please give us a call.
