Edge protection?

You need to take some time to shop in the truck stop when you're down, and check the online stores of the flatbed tools manufacturers. These are three, that he may be referring to, and I suspect it's the plastic ones, although the rubber one could be modified as well. Just putting a cut in between that little edge before the tool would make it easier to "thread" without threading.

This is one of the manufacturers that do a lot of flatbed securement tools. Kinedyne.

 

I get a lot of my stuff from these guys
I’ve always bought enough to get free shipping

US Cargo Control

 

Another thought

Anyone who wants to tell you how to shortcut securement as in. You don’t need all that etc is not the one going with you to court when things go wrong
That guy will be your lawyer and the other guy nowhere to be found

 

Since I’m in the shop anyways, here is a plastic protector I cut so it’s easier and quicker to feed the strap in it before tightening it down. I roll the strap in and fold it under the other 1/2 of the loop and set it in place….

 

This one is metal or aluminum coated in rubber, works well with chains too….

 

Bitd l hauled a lot of floor grating just like that for Fisher and Ludlow. If it didn't need to be tarped the generic individual corner protectors is what we used. When it was tarped which was 99 percent of the time. I used the heavy cardboard 90 degree edging they had at the mill. We ran it all the way along the upper corners and the strap pinched it in place. It you didn't do it the whole length it would saw the tarp in half on long trips. Carpet front and rear and tarp it and down the road we went.