Summer Travel Tie Down Tips from SmartStraps
Whether moving into a new home, towing ATVs up the canyon, or hauling
donations off to the second-hand store, SmartStraps can
ensure you and your belongings get there safely. The reliability
of tie-down products and techniques can mean the difference between a safe
arrival and scattering your belongings all over the highway.
SmartStraps creates and sells the most innovative tie-down products
on the planet, with more patented and proprietary products than
any other company in the category. With more than 135 professional-grade
products, SmartStraps continues to transform the tie-down category,
making an age-old endeavor faster, easier and safer. SmartStraps products
include tie-downs, tow-straps, bungee cords, tarp straps, hardware and accessories,
and are available at many retailer distribution points worldwide.
Here are a few tips to help ensure a safe arrival.
When packing a variety of different items, place heavy/large items
on the bottom, and layer items on top in a puzzle-like fashion. Make sure
that the items are packed as tightly as possible to prevent movement.
- Be sure to secure your cover (often a tarp for smaller loads) tightly.
The SmartStraps Tarps are great products to use to make
sure your load is properly covered.
- The tighter you tie your cover to the items you're transporting, the less
air is likely to get beneath it, and the less likely it is to come loose.
Make sure that whatever you're using to tie down the cover is tightly secured
to both the cover and the trailer or vehicle. We recommend using the SmartStraps
Ratchet X to ensure your loads are secure.
- For large loads, such as an ATV, motorcycle, or even a backhoe or other
large equipment, the best tie-down option is heavy-duty straps connected
to a ratcheting cargo buckle. A good example of this would be the Smart
Straps Retractable Ratchet.
- Connect the cargo buckle directly from the trailer to the load (i.e. the
ATV, backhoe, etc.) at several points to prevent any part of the load from
being lifted up during bumpy rides and to prevent it from sliding around.
The key is to simply use common sense when securing your load. Think about
what could happen to your load as you travel at high speed, over bumpy terrain,
and any other conditions you might run into. Then take another look at your
securing technique and decide whether it will be able to sufficiently handle
a variety of conditions. Visit www.smartstraps.com for
additional information on the full line of SmartStraps products.