How Can I Secure Items In My Truck?
The versatility of pickup trucks make them great for all kinds of jobs. Using them correctly comes down to the driver’s expertise. That’s why it is important to know how to secure things in a pickup truck.
AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety researched the effects of poorly secured loads and found that over 25,000 crashes are caused each year because of items falling from vehicles into the road. Avoid adding to this number by making sure you have the right strategy to keep your cargo safe.
We’ve tracked down some of the best tips and tricks on how to secure things in a pickup truck. Check out our video and suggested equipment to make moving your cargo the easiest part of your day.
1. Heavier Items Towards The Front
Before you start strapping anything down, organizing your items is a crucial first step. Loading your heaviest items to the front of your bed near your cab will keep your truck’s center of gravity balanced.
An even level of weight distribution will maintain your truck’s stability, steering, and handling. It could also help boost your MPG along the way.
2. Always Use Ratchet Straps
The first piece of required equipment is 4 heavy duty ratchet straps. Plain rope and bungee cords are important for some purposes, but if you want to keep large items secured heavy duty ratchet straps are a must.
A good rule of thumb for using ratchet straps is to tie something down from at least 2 angles. Securing items from 2 different angles is ideal. if one strap comes loose or breaks while you’re driving, you still have your 2nd strap acting as a safety net.
Ratchet straps are versatile, strong, and latch to your truck bed better than any other strap solution. You can buy reliable ratchet straps like these online or at your local home improvement store.
3. Bundle With Bungee Cords
Bungee cords might not be strong enough to keep your armoire in place on their own, but they are very useful when it comes to bundling long wood boards, loose piping, or keeping drawers from falling out during transit.
Bungee cords are flexible and a great complement to larger ratchet straps. You can buy a pack of bungee cords with an assortment of lengths for cheap. You’ll find they go a long way in keeping your stuff safe.
4. Moving Blankets = No Scratches
If your cargo includes furniture, art, finished wood, or anything covered in fabric, using moving blankets as a buffer will protect your items. Not many people realize that the nylon from ratchet straps or bungee cords can wear on your items if they are in direct contact. Always use your moving blankets or some kind of cushion to make sure you avoid nicks and scratches from your straps.
A 4 pack of moving blankets will last a long time and pay for themselves because of how much wear and tear you will avoid on the items you’re transporting.
5. Overhanging Items Need Flags
If you’re transporting things like lumber, PVC or metal piping, or any items you think are hard to see that stretch past your tailgate, you should have a brightly colored flag attached. The most common colors to flag your cargo with is orange or red, but any bright color allowing the cars behind you to see it is ideal.
Red tape can be effective too, but buying reusable flags with stretch cords are easy to use and long lasting.
How To Secure Cargo Video
Now that you know what equipment you should keep handy, watch our video on how to use them properly with your items:
Have Too Much For One Haul?
Bungii can help deliver any large items. If you bought that spur-of-the-moment sofa, a table and chairs off craigslist, or need to get big and bulky items out of storage, Bungii is the perfect solution.
With affordable rates and certified drivers who will help haul your items, downloading the Bungii app can help knock a few things off your to-do list.
Find out if we are in your city, or suggest your city for our next city launch on our Bungii Cities page.
