Securing a Vehicle to a Trailer

Do you really think that is stressing the rim beyond what it goes through during operation or is it for another reason?

 

What happens if a tire goes flat? The straps wouldnt be as tight would they?

 

That would have to be one absolutely horrendous tire to go flat while sitting on the back of a flatbed. And even if it did, you have 3 other straps to hold it down until you noticed the flat tire and get stopped.

I honestly see nothing wrong with the securement in the original pictures. You only need to secure 50% of the load weight in a downward direction so it looks good that way. Most 2 inch straps I have seen used for cargo securement have a WLL of 3333 lbs, 4 inchers run up to 5400. So going only by weight you'd need at most 2 2" straps to hold the weight of the cars (not counting for other regs that have to be covered of course) so they are good there. And of course the regs that speak specifically to hauling autos on flatbeds are covered as others have mentioned.

If you don't feel safe hauling cars like that that's one thing, but to come here and put someone down because they do feel safe, and are completely legal, is a bit childish.

 

I've seen worse. Once saw a car hanging half out of the back of the box of a U-Haul.

 

Several manufacturers now FORBID the use of chains on their vehicles, I use straps only on all the vehicles I transport hooking to the suspension, (Control arms and rear suspension.), I pull out in four directions so the vehicle doesn't move, I don't need to pull down on the vehicle, many of the cars I haul have air suspensions on them and you can't pull down on them or you damage them. Ask the open carrier who loaded a Bentley on his truck, pulled it down with chains, blew out several air bags and burned up the compressor, $7000 repair...........

 

Exactly, there are SEVERAL reasons NOT to chain a frame down tight, although I am glad some still do, had a manufacture of custom mini vans that we hauled for tell me they found another company to haul their stuff that was less money than we charged.

After about a month they called back and asked us VERY nicely if we would be their in-house carrier, I guess the other guy was chaining them down so tight he was bending the rear axle mounts, (FWD van) and the NEW vans were tearing the tires off them.

Our baskets are made differently than the orange ones in that picture, ours pull down on a more front to rear than all on the side. Also if the car is riding on my air ride trailer, AND it's own suspension is "working", the car, and it's contents ride very well.

I have seen cars and trucks that were chained down tight lose batteries, crack windshields, crack old bodywork, and have the rear view mirrors knocked off the windshield, etc

 

I prefer chaining the axles or tires to trying to go to the frame. If you try to secure to the frame every bounce you hit your securement loosens and snaps back. Get the axles or tires secure and let the vehicles suspension do whatever it wants.

you can secure a tire quite simply with two chains, overlap them a bit less than the width of the tire and hook them one onto the other. slip it over the tire like a headband and you got a custom tire tiedown.

 

Major differences in the forces introduced into the chassis by the flatbedder method vs how carhaulers do it. A carhauler uses the straps to increase the static load on the tires, greatly increasing their traction. There are almost no forces introduced to the chassis by the straps, and that is why the automakers prefer that method. The thru-the-wheel and basket style straps depend on the tension of the strap to hold the vehicle in place, and put torque on the suspension. And many high-end dealers will refuse a trade that shows up strapped that way.