Securing Vehicles on a car carrier

From American Towman
January 2009
By Terry Abejuela

Deck: Car carrier operators have to choose the safest, most appropriate securing technique based on the equipment on hand and the vehicle being transported.

Just as there are many different ways to perform a particular recovery job there are many different ways to secure a vehicle while transporting it on a car carrier. Many securing techniques get the job done but some are safer than others while some are just plain unsafe.

The more choices you have of equipment to use for securing the vehicle, the more likely you will be able to choose one that is safe and secure. Having a wide variety of chains, hooks, and straps will provide you with more options for a particular vehicle.

Whatever type of securing devices you use, make sure they have sufficient capacity for the size vehicles you are capable of loading on the car carrier deck without overloading any of your equipment. Most light-duty car carriers will only be able to load vehicles on the deck that weigh 7,000 pounds or less. Even though the deck might be rated at 10,000 pounds, if it is mounted on a cab and chassis that has a 26,000-pound GVWR or less, the cab and chassis rating will limit you.

Many operators use 2-inch wide nylon tie down straps that are only rated at about 1,600 pounds each. Using four tie-down straps yields a capacity of 6,400 pounds. On a car carrier, the tie down straps are not normally supporting the entire load of the vehicle. However the load on the straps will dramatically increase in the event of a collision. The tie-downs must be of sufficient strength to secure the vehicle to the deck in the event of a collision. For this reason, I recommend that you use tie-down straps that are each rated high enough to support the total weight of the largest vehicle you would load on the deck. If you are able to safely load a 7,000-pound vehicle on your car carrier deck, then I recommend that each tie down strap, chain and or ratchet be rated at least 3,500 pounds.

Once a vehicle has been winched on to the car carrier deck to the desired position, attach tie downs at the front end of the deck before attaching tie-downs to the rear end of the deck. Never get behind a vehicle on a car carrier deck until the opposite end has been secured. Don’t trust the winch to hold the vehicle.

Many tow operators use nylon straps and ratchets with a cluster of hooks. These types of tie down straps usually will have a cluster of hooks that contain a T-hook, Mini J-hook and an R-hook. These hooks should be a minimum of grade 7 for a safe working load limit of 4,700 pounds.

When securing vehicles to the car carrier deck, I prefer to use a tie down technique that pulls as much horizontal as possible. Using a technique that pulls on the vehicle vertically will compress the vehicles suspension. If the suspension compresses more during transport, it may cause the tie downs to loosen.

I have seen many tow operators using the Mini J-hooks attached to a hole in the rims. I don’t recommend this procedure. There is very little contact surface between the rim and the Mini J-hook so on some rims it may cause damage. The other problem is many of these operators are attaching to a hole that is at the top or bottom of the rim. If the tire rotates, the tie-down will become loose.

Using a nylon strap through a hole in the rim is acceptable in most cases. Make sure that the inside edge of the rim is not sharp or abrasive as it may cause damage to your strap or even cut it. Make sure the strap does not place pressure on a valve stem or wheel balance weights. Use the hole in the rim that is closest to the tie-down point on the deck. Another technique is to use an axle strap on the rear axle housing, lower control arms, or through holes in the rims and attaching a strap or chain with a hook on the end to the loops or rings on the axle strap.

Some operators like to cross the rear tie downs. This is acceptable but you must use caution. Make sure that the attachment point you use on the vehicle will not be able to slide towards the center of the vehicle. For example, if you use J-hooks attached to a rear axle housing and you cross your chains, the J-hook may be able to slide towards the center and cause your tie downs to loosen. I prefer not to cross my tie downs. If you have your tie-downs crossed and one side breaks or becomes disconnected, the other side may tend to pull the vehicle to that side of the deck. If the tie downs are straight to the rear of the deck and one side breaks or becomes disconnected, the other tie down still pulls straight back and not to the opposite side.

Basket type tie downs have become very popular. These work well because you do not attach to anything except the tires. You do not have to reach under the vehicle to attach the straps. You can attach them from the side of the vehicle and not expose yourself to the hazard of placing your self behind the vehicle while it is loaded on the deck. The vehicle is free to ride on its own suspension during transport. There is no metal-to-metal contact.

If you are using chains for all four tie-downs, you will need to have chain binders. I recommend the use of ratchet type chain binders over lever type. Do not use a cheater bar to attach or release a chain binder. A cheater bar is any device used to extend the length of the binders arm to provide you with more leverage. Chain binders have a specific length handle designed to allow you to secure the binder without over tightening. Using a cheater bar may allow you to over tighten the chains and can be dangerous. You would not be the first tow operator to have a cheater bar slip out of your hand while releasing a lever type chain binder causing serious injuries.

Make sure that the tie-down slots on the car carrier deck are in good condition. If you use chains in a tie-down slot that is damaged, it may cause the chains to come out. This is very common on aluminum decks.

If your car carrier deck has tie down slots or rings in the center of the deck, it may be easier to tie down some vehicles to the center tie-downs on the deck.

Do not over tighten your tie-downs. One of the most common types of damage caused by car carrier operators is suspension damage due to over tightening of the tie-downs. The tie-downs only need to be tight enough to prevent the vehicle from moving. This type of damage is often caused when using the winch to tighten the chains attached to the rear of the deck.

I recommend that if you can do it safely, place the vehicle in park and set the emergency brake. By placing the vehicle in park and placing the emergency brake on, you create rolling resistance; therefore there will be less load on your tie-downs each time you accelerate or brake. The additional load placed on the tie-downs during acceleration or braking is not enough to be unsafe if the proper capacity tie downs are used so it is not worth risking injury.

Do not climb on the deck to place the vehicle in park and set the emergency brake if there are any hazards. Most car carrier decks are only 96 inches wide. When wide vehicles are on the deck, this may not be enough room for you to climb on the deck safely. If you have to step on the rail of the deck, this would be a hazard. Do not climb on the deck if there is water, oil, or any other substance on the deck that may create a slip hazard. If possible, climb on the deck on the side away from traffic.

When securing a vehicle for transport on a car carrier, choose a technique that is safe, secure, and will not cause damage to the vehicle being transported.

straps, chains, binders, j hooks, hooks, tie down systems, towing parts
straps, chains, binders, j hooks, hooks, tie down systems, towing parts