| Whether you're moving your place of residence, | | | | cover and try to lift it from your vehicle or trailer. |
| hauling donations off to the second-hand store, or | | | | The tighter you keep your cover to the items you're |
| towing ATV's up the canyon, the reliability of your tie | | | | transporting, the less air is likely to get beneath it, |
| down techniques and cargo buckles can mean the | | | | and the less likely it is to come loose. You also want |
| difference between a safe arrival or scattering your | | | | to make sure that whatever you're using to tie down |
| belongings all over the highway. | | | | the cover is tightly secured to both the cover and |
| Here are a few tips to help you ensure a safe arrival. | | | | the trailer or vehicle. |
| Securing a Loose Load | | | | Securing Large Loads |
| When I say "loose load," I'm talking about hay, dirt, | | | | For large loads, such as an ATV, motorcycle, or even |
| or just a jumble of smaller items that are thrown into | | | | a backhoe or other large equipment, the best option |
| a trailer or truck bed without each item being | | | | is often heavy-duty straps connected to a ratcheting |
| individually tied down. This could be several garbage | | | | cargo buckle. The cargo buckle ought to connect |
| bags that you're hauling to the junkyard, gift | | | | directly from the trailer to the load (i.e. the ATV, |
| packages that you're transporting for Toys for Tots, | | | | backhoe, etc.) at several points to prevent any part |
| or simply a myriad of items of your own that you | | | | of the load from being lifted up during bumpy rides |
| are moving from one apartment or house to another. | | | | and to prevent it from sliding around. |
| The last thing you want happening is for loose items | | | | Check the weight rating of the cargo buckle straps. |
| to come flying out of your trailer or truck bed as you | | | | If the straps have a rating of 500 pounds and you're |
| cruise down the freeway at 65 mph. If this does | | | | hauling a two-ton vehicle, then four straps will be |
| happen and another vehicle is damaged or an | | | | required at a minimum, although it's always better to |
| accident is caused as a result, you become liable. | | | | be safe than sorry, so doubling the number of cargo |
| It is for this reason that many states require that | | | | buckles to eight would be recommended. |
| loose loads be covered in order to prevent anything | | | | The main thing is to simply use common sense when |
| from flying about. But in addition to covering the load, | | | | securing your load. Think about what could happen to |
| you'll want to make sure that everything is packed | | | | your load as you travel at high speed, over bumpy |
| properly and tightly to prevent movement of any | | | | terrain, and any other conditions you might run into. |
| items to begin with. | | | | Then take another look at your securing technique |
| After properly (and evenly) loading your trailer or | | | | and decide whether it will be able to sufficiently |
| truck bed, be sure to secure your cover (often a | | | | handle a variety of conditions. And always err on the |
| tarp for smaller loads) tightly. Once you start moving | | | | side of safety. |
| down the road, air is likely to travel beneath your | | | | |