Cable winch

That diameter of a strap winch is awfully small to run a 3/8 cable around. They don't like to bend that well, and it compromises their integrity.

Do you even have a way to attach the cable to the winch?

 

Loggers and steel scrap haulers use them but insp. can write up cuts on wire cable after they are used up?

 

Why not chains?

 

I hate cable.
But it does work to a point. The problem is you can only get a few turns around the winch and that's it. About the only way it will work is if you have a good long length of chain attached to the free end of your cable. You have to have just the right length of cable for the height your going over. And then take all of the slack out with the chain and then bind it down with the winch. It works for hauling crushed cars but in all honesty a chain and binder is the way to go. A cable wants to cut things in half about the time it's good and tight. Where a chain has more surface area and more bite to it. After a short while the cable gets curly cued where it goes on the winch. Then you have a lot of slack to take up and it just plain sucks.
I hate cable.
And when your empty the only way I've ever found to not make a rats nest is to throw them back over at whatever angle you need to just get the chain hooked. Everything ends up crisscrossed. So in other works your dicking around in the mud twice as long. And of course you have to tighten the ****** things to go down the road empty. And untighten and throw the ******* things off to reload.
I hate cable.
Then if they actually lasts long enough to get frayed. The wires go right through your good leather gloves. If they don't rip your coat apart first.

 

So what fo think of cable

 

Just saw you said backhaul. Nope not worth it on a dedicated scrap trailer. And for sure not in your case.

 

Here is what you need to do in this case.

Attach a short length of chain to the end of the cable. Then get some short straps with chain ends and use the straps to pull on the cable by hooking the grab hook on the strap to the chain on the cable.

By the way, you are going to want to crimp the cable ends or you will be getting snagged on the scrap all the time with the U bolts.