Things to know about Transport binders

Of all binding devices available for tying heavy loads, truck goods, flatbed chains and binders (to tighten a chain) are the foremost as they have enormous strength to meet the requirement of the toughest tie-down jobs. Flatbed chains and binders are meant for strapping down heavy loads to be transported.

Here are a bit more about flatbed chains and load binders...

A) Uses Of Flatbed/Tie-Down Chains/Transport Chains

1. Used to tie heavy items especially those carried by trucks like agricultural, industrial equipment.

2.They are durable, heavy duty, sturdy and resist breakage and damage of the cargo.

However, they have their own drawbacks too. They are rust prone, weigh more than straps, and could damage/scratch the finished or polished surfaces. Besides, they are heavy and need precaution to handle while doing tie-down work.

Chains are rated by break strength which is the maximum amount of load it can manage. The Safe Working Load Limit or WLL of a chain is usually considered as 1/4th of its break strength and this WLL is considered for calculating the load limits.

B)The Transport Chain Binders

These are the objects to tighten the chain and are of two types – ratchet binder and lever binder. Both serve the same purpose, but the tightening method varies in each case.

The ratchet binder has two tension hooks, one at each end and a handle. It uses ratcheting action for binding the chain and is easier to adjust even at finer level and without the danger of recoil or snap.

The lever binder (also called lever/lever load binder/snap binder) uses a leverage action for binding the chain and typically requires more strength to tighten it but easier to install because of its fewer moving parts.

How To Choose The Right Transport Chain

Weight of your cargo is first to be considered and then the total number of chains and binders that you’ll require. As discussed, the capacity of the chain and binders is measured by what is called Safe Working Load Limit or WLL. This is a measure of how much load the chain and the binder can safely handle.

Your load must not exceed the combined WLL of all the chains that are used. Similarly each binder has its WLL.

For example if your cargo weight is 10,000 pounds and you use 5 chains for it, each chain must weigh 2,000 pounds thus equaling to 10,000 pounds. Enough to tie your cargo securely. For the binders, the rule of thumb is, they should be equal to or greater than the capacity of the chains that they will tighten.

For the last ten years Tarps4Less has been offering a vast array of truck tarps, trailer flatbed chains and binders of highest quality. The chains are of Grade 70 (high quality and high strength carbon steel chain, heat treated,mandatory for transport chains). The technicians are there to help you find the right kind of transport chain should you need any assistance.