Tie down strap

Member of the US Navy secures the strap of a pallet during a training exercise.

A ratchet tie-down strap

Tie down straps (also called ratchet straps, lashing straps or tie downs) are fasteners used to hold down cargo or equipment during transport. Tie down straps are essentially webbing that is outfitted with tie down hardware. This hardware allows the tie down strap to attach to the area surrounding the cargo or equipment, loop over the cargo or equipment, and/or attach to the cargo or equipment. It usually also includes a method of tensioning the strap, such as a ratchet.

Common types

Two common types of tie down straps are loop straps and two-piece straps.

Loop straps, like their name implies, are a single piece of webbing that is looped around the item to be protected and the two endpoints are brought together at the tie down fastener for fastening and providing tension.

A two-piece tie down strap is a single assembly that is constructed out of two separate pieces of webbing each with their own hardware that is fastened at one end to the area surrounding the equipment to be protected and connected to each other, typically at the fastener.

Tie down webbing is available in single ply and double ply strengths and is used to make 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-inch tie down straps.

Webbing with a linking device is used for the fastening of goods with trucks, trailers, pallets, boxes and containers. This is also known as ratchet lashing, ratchet straps, ratchet tie downs, tie down straps and lashing with webbing.

Custom ratchet straps can have hooks such as J hooks, D hooks, E track fittings, and with S hooks being the most popular industry standard.

A custom made ratchet strap

See also

• Trucker's hitch
• Load securing
• Strapping
• Webbing