Innovative Tool for Securing Cargo—Seeking Feedback from Experienced Truckers

Hello everyone,
I'm seeking insights from seasoned truckers regarding a tool I've developed. It's an inflatable air wedge equipped with heat-welded cinch straps, designed to attach securely to various surfaces, such as cargo bars or rails, and inflate up to 3.25 inches. The goal is to provide hands-free stabilization and support for securing loads during transit.

Initially, this tool was created for securing surfboards on bike racks. However, I believe it could have broader applications in the trucking industry.

I'm eager to gather feedback on its potential utility:

• Could this tool assist in securing cargo more effectively?
  
  
• Are there specific scenarios where such a tool could address common challenges faced during transit?
  

Your experiences and insights would be invaluable in refining its design and functionality.

Thank you for your time and feedback!

 

Thanks for the info—that’s a solid point. I’m definitely not claiming to have invented air wedges themselves. They’ve been around a long time, like you said, and have proven super useful in a bunch of industries.

What I’ve developed is a variation that adds mounted straps, so the wedge can actually be secured in place—specifically for use while in motion. Originally, I made it for stabilizing surfboards on e-bike racks at high speeds, but now I’m exploring whether the same idea could help with things like cargo stabilization, pipe spacing, or other in-transit uses.

I really just came here looking for honest feedback from people who know cargo inside and out. Appreciate you sharing that background—it helps me stay grounded while figuring out if this new direction makes sense.

 

Thanks for your reply

 

Appreciate the detailed insight—seriously helpful.

You're absolutely right about how airbags are used in freight—especially with pallets and dunnage—and I totally agree that nothing replaces proper straps or chains.

I’m not from the freight industry myself, so hearing exactly how things are secured and where failure points happen is exactly what I was hoping to learn from this group.

Just to clarify, the concept wasn’t to use the wedge in place of straps or to strap it directly to cargo. It was originally designed to strap onto vertical bars or structural points inside racks or trailers, then inflate to act as a gap filler or stabilizer, helping reduce movement for lighter loads or in awkward spaces—not heavy freight or pallets.

I came from the surf world, where these were used to prevent board pressure damage and bounce while riding e-bikes at speed. I figured it might cross over for things like box trucks, vans, or pickups—but I can see how in freight, redundancy and burst risk make that a much bigger issue.

Thanks again for the thoughtful breakdown—this kind of feedback helps a ton as I figure out if and where this could be useful outside of its original surf use case.