Cargo restraints, which you may also see being referred to as
tie down straps or ratchet straps are, like most of our equipment, extremely versatile and adaptable. This has seen them adopt a great number of uses and applications over the years; some obvious and to be expected, others a little strange! Below we've covered 10 of these applications and uses.
#1 Securing loads for transport in open-air trucks
An obvious one, but especially important. There were
22,000 road traffic incidents in 2013 that were caused by a falling item or object from a truck or lorry impacting another vehicle. This is clearly something that anyone in the transport industry wants to avoid, and heavy-duty straps are perfect for this.
#2 Securing loads within the back of a van or lorry
As well as tying down loads in open-air trucks or lorries, this equipment is also used inside the same vehicles as well. The primary aim here obviously isn't to prevent the items falling off the vehicle, but instead to secure them from sliding around and being damaged inside.
Here you can see cargo restraints tying a load down
#3 Securing a load itself - such as tying it around a box
Alongside the securing of a load down, have you ever considered using a strap to actually tie a load itself? Given their flexible and bendy nature, they can be wrapped around loads of all different sizes and securely fastened. We have often seen them wrapped around boxes to ensure that the contents of the box remain inside.
#4 Building furniture with cargo straps
A slightly more interesting use for a strap, but then can also be used in both the building, and the end product of furniture. We have previously heard of customers using it to tie together different parts of something like a bed. Sometimes, the strap can even be left on display to add an extra modern, contemporary feel to the furniture - more on this below!
#5 Used as a hoist
It can be used as a hoist; commonly used in workshops. Simply thread one end of the strap through a hook or loop attached to the ceiling and then you can clip this end onto a load, and use the other end to hoist it up.
#6 Slacklining
This is slightly different to the other uses that you'll often see, but has become more and more popular in recent years. Slacklining is a popular hobby, where the strap is fastened around two close points, often trees, creating a tight line that one can walk on. It's extremely similar to something like tightrope walking, and you can adjust the tension as you wish simply by adjusting the buckle.
Another great use for cargo restraints is for slacklining
#7 Mountaineering
Cargo restraints have a heavy usage in extreme adventure sports such as hiking, rock climbing and mountaineering. They commonly make up the safety gear and survival equipment that is used in these industries, to create things such as safety harnesses or rescue lines. Given their strong nature, they are the perfect fit for this.
Given the nature of this industry, it is absolutely crucial that the equipment used is strong, safe and completely reliable. For this reason, the equipment that we sell has been widely used for this type of application for many years.
#8 For individual transport
As well as heavy usage within industrial sectors and the transport sectors which are linked to it, individuals make great use of this equipment too for their own transporting needs. It can be used to securely fasten loads to the top of vehicles or the back of boats, making sure that none of those all-important items come loose.
#9 Use in home maintenance
As we mentioned above, these straps are beginning to even see a usage as artistic and modern day bits of furniture! Some homeowners have begun to use this
item to hang objects or decorations around the home, creating something of a new, rather chic, movement in home design.
#10 To make clothes!
Some individuals have even decided to take it one step further by using this equipment to make items of clothing and other fashion accessories. Again, this is something that you wouldn't have even comprehended 10 years ago, but given the rise of weird and wonderful new types of design and fashion that we see, it's probably not completely surprising!
Interested in having your own cargo restraints to use?
As you can see, the equipment that we sell has a huge number of uses for many industries around the world.
If you want to purchase one of our products for a use listed above, or perhaps you have your own application (whacky or not!), then we would love to help. You can call us on 01384 78004, or find all of our other relevant contact details listed
here.
