Old timer at the depot showed me how to strap a car down right

Ngl, I'd been shipping cars for like 2 years and just using the tie-downs however they fit. Then this guy at the lot in Phoenix, maybe 60 years old, walks up and points at my front straps. He says 'son, you're gonna lose that car before mile 50.' He showed me to cross the straps over each tire, not just run them straight back. Took me 10 minutes to redo but the car didn't budge the whole trip. Anyone else get schooled by an old hand like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliver_mitchell1mo ago

Switched to crossing them after a similar repair bill, @allen.cole, and never looked back.

allen.cole1mo ago

Hard disagree on the crossed straps thing. I've been hauling cars for about 10 years and always just run them straight back to the ratchets. Never had a car shift, not once. The old timer's trick sounds like it would put uneven pressure on the tire sidewalls and maybe even mess up the alignment if you crank it too tight. Plus it takes way longer to set up, which costs time when you're trying to bang out a run.