Ratchet straps

I use chains and ratchet straps with chains to
secure tractor on my implement trailer.

You can never have too many ratchet straps.
Orphan socks come in handy to store small ratchet straps.
I keep this tool box behind the truck's driver's seat.
You never know when you will need a strap.



This pic was taken a year and half ago.
It was a pic of the last time I hauled my lawnmower to rental property.
You can see I use chains. Look closer behind the bucket and I use 4 ratchet straps to secure the tractor from sideways motion.
The chains secure the tractors forward or back movement.

This load passed Barney inspection.
Two DOT inspectors were eating at Subway. I knew one of the inspectors. He gave me a thumbs up.


I'm extremely happy I don't have to trailer a mower anymore.
I owned this property for 42 years. Only wish I had sold the property earlier.

Footnote. Before I took the 2007 new GMC truck home from dealer, I dropped it off at Z-teck to got it undercoated and sprayed in bed liner.

Not too many 2007 trucks in the rust belt that look this good.
This is my forever truck. 2007 was the last year for the low rider, classic body style. This is my forever truck. 125k.

It's semi-retired parked in a heated garage. I rarely use it, but I'll never sell it.

George I have a 2006 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 that is spotless. I am in Fort Wayne. It is keep meticulously clean and maintained. They will last and look good for a long time if taken well care of. It is my daily driver. I have done a lot of preventive maintenance. Any little thing that needs repaired is fix immediately. I will add I have had no major problems with the truck.

I'm a believer, if you take care of the little things the big things will take care of themselves.
Every time the oil is changed, I roll back the trip odometer and know when it's time for the next oil change.

Would you buy a new truck if you could buy a lowrider, the classic?

This is my 99 Chevy. Ignore the large dent in front of the taillight. You can thank my sister. It's been a really good truck but starting to show it's age. I keep all my ratchet straps in a heavy zip up bag.

I probably would. I had a 1985 Chevy short bed 4X4 years ago that was in excellent shape. I wish I never sold it! I got it shortly after I got out of highschool and kept it also meticulously clean and maintained. But I got married and kids came along and I needed a family vehicle. At the time I did not have a place to park three vehicles inside. So I sold it, big mistake. At the time I had 2 pick up trucks and kept the newer one.

I store my chains, binders and ratchet straps with chains in the tool box on the trailer.
The smaller one behind the truck seat.

ill have to get you a pic of our 1996 F350 with 40,000 on it

That sounds like another forever truck.

'Would you buy a new truck if you could buy a lowrider, the classic?'

Absolutely! And rubber floor cover, vinyl seats would be a plus!

i keep most of my vehicles till its scrap yard time. I still have my first truck i bought!.

I'm usually the first an last owner of my vehicles unless I give them to a family member.

If I could do the picture thing I would send you one of my 2007 2500 HD with 81000 miles on it. It too is my forever truck. No rust some people still accuse me of having a new truck that don't know the difference. I have seven trailers I use around and if I don't need to pull one I don't use the truck it sets in the garage. I do like your idea with the old socks and straps. I have a bucket full of them in the back of the truck I keep it's a good way to keep them separate I'll remember that.

Ah yea ya can. While playing Commercial tourist and hauling the big ugly stuff i carried 24 ratchet straps and 24 grade 100 chains . And there were times i had them all out on a load , the chains to hold the load on the trailer and the straps to hold the tarps on the load . And a little tid bit here did you know they will not keep a tarp on in a hurricane , neither did i BUT i had 12 get ripped in half along with a shredded lumber tarp . I was caught in Richmond Va. loading a Big heavy printing press that fit on the trailer with out any over hang But took up the whole trailer . We had just got the tarp on over the load with the overhead crane when one side of the three phase went out and the weather out side started to turn nasty . being inside i was nice and DRY while i finished getting everything tied down . I added in 12 2 inch straps over top the tarps for added protection . when done i went and looked out side and thought NOPE i am going to stay right here inside till this blows over . There were another half dozen trucks inside still loading or waiting . It was around 8:30 in the evening when this Richmond cop comes walking in and want to know why we all were still here . I told him you think i want to go out in this , its DRy in here and NO wind . He looks at me and points to the one wall that has lines on it and dates and he informed all of us that those lines on the wall from storm surge water of even storm that has come thru even after they closed the flood gates and they were about to do that shortly and we all had to leave NOW . So i had to take my MUST STAY DRY load an Go all 98780 lbs of it out into winds of 115 MPH . Then factor in the 35 to 40 MPH speed it only took 12 miles and i had NO ratchet straps left and one huge lumber tarp GONE along with around 100 tarp straps , The chains never did break . Also here is another tid bit At times i would haul new Cat Skid steers after i dropped of tire presses in Wilson N.C. the run over to the Cat plant and load a full trailer load of Skid steers for Keen When you hauled for them NO straps were allowed and each little old skid steer had to be CHAINED down with no two or three chains and binders but FIVE . First round for me with my 24 chains and binders did not cut it and i had to by eight more more chains and binders off them to get out the gate i had six skid steers on and two extra in case one chain broke you had two back ups . I was one of the vary few that was not a company driver to haul for them and about the only non company driver who could load his own drive on loads out of plants and docks . I personally will NEVER use a strap when hauling anything made with IRON . Plastic pipe . stuff in wooden crates with edge protectors and padding Hay and Straw when placed over the tarp. Chain wise Grade 70 and above only.

i was going to reply this morning that hay bales and lumber use straps and equipment needs to be chained down, but thought some get there feelings hurt, so since u posted it i will post it also. as u say iron needs chains! i just shake my head when i see a tractor tied with straps and hope i dont see that thing coming off in front of me. wonder if shock load comes into play here.

Nice truck. Love the tractor. I also agree on the ratchet straps. 90% of mine are the wide yellow ones in both of my trucks. I rarely use the small ones.

Straps are supposed to have a protector on any corner that the strap touches. Straps have a stretch about them that is not good for hauling machinery or equipment like tractors and such. The rubber tires let the equipment bounce. This causes the straps to work something like a slingshot while in use. Thus not holding equipment tight to trailers, and allowing them to move slightly on the deck. Not necessarily moving around but can if there is room. I have used straps on things like the front of a tractor till I could get a chain in the past and watched the front end bounce and wiggle that chains didn't let happen. When loading things within less than inches apart they can not move or you can have damage to pay for.