How to compare auto tie-down straps:

Just because they're yellow and come with ratchets and tread grabs doesn't mean all auto tie-down wheel straps are the same. As one of the nation's biggest suppliers of auto transport tie-down assemblies, we've studied every aspect of ratchet wheel straps. The following list of points comes from our own experience dealing with all of the issues that can come up when trying to make a quality product that will last.

1. Is the strap made from 12,000 pound webbing? There are some out there that are made with 10,000 pound material.10,000 pound material has just one red thread going down the middle.  12,000 pound material has two red threads.
2. Is the strap tagged with safe working load limit? We've seen straps being sold with no tags at all. We've seen some straps sold with working loads BELOW 2500 LBS. The best straps come with a 3000 LB working load limit or higher.
3. What is the safe working load limit of the assembly? We've seen straps that had ratings below 1700 LBS. Actual breaking strengths may vary between 5000 and 10000 pounds!
4. What is the length of the strap? Just a few years ago, an 8 foot strap was plenty long. With all the 22 inch tires on cars these days, you really should consider buying a strap that is 9 feet if you are hauling passenger cars; consider buying 10 footers if you are hauling a lot of SUVs.
5. Will the strap hooks fit your trailer's deck hole pattern? There is a great deal of variability in double J hooks and swivel J hooks, and not all hooks fit all deck plate hole patterns. Measure your holes before ordering.
6. Does your strap come with a warranty? Our AA line of straps is warranteed against manufacturing defects for 90 days.
7. Is the ratchet designed for auto transport? Ideally, you want a short-wide handle. Our short-wides are 2 inches shorter, but you can still get your hand into them wearing a glove. Some companies will just sell you the same big ratchet they use for their general tie-down straps. In the world of auto hauling, less is often more!  Also-- just say "NO!" to ratchets with plastic handles.
   
8. How much does shipping cost?  Some companies may offer a great deal on shipping, but mark-up shipping cost!  Thanks to our large volume, we get great discounts from UPS, and that saves you money.  Also, because we have multiple locations from which we ship-- your order will often get to you in less time and for a lower shipping cost!
   
9. Pricing? Most of the time, you'll find we have the best pricing on carhauler straps.  But we're not always the lowest.  Why is this?  The main reason is that we are unwilling to compromise on quality.  If we wanted to, we could tell manufacturers to build us the cheapest strap possible.  In this case, thanks to our large sales volume, I'm sure we could have the absolute cheapest strap in the world.  But seeing as our product ties down two ton chunks of metal to trucks traveling at 70 mph on crowded freeways crowded with four-wheelers driven by people of questionable driving skills... maybe having the cheapest strap in the world isn't the most worthy goal.  We believe that Value is a combination of Price, Quality and Service.  Our goal is to give our customers the best value possible, so they will continue to buy from us and refer their friends to us.  Here is a video that shows a comparison of acheap strap and one of ours at a destructive pull test laboratory.
   Watch StrapBusters