Guides
How to Tie Down Cargo
Most load failures are not strap failures. They are the load settling, the straps going slack, and nobody checking.
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Load heaviest items low and centered, strap in both directions — down and fore-and-aft — anchor only to structural points, tension so the load moves with the vehicle rather than independently, secure every loose tail, and re-check after the first twenty minutes.
That last step is the one that actually prevents incidents. Loads compact, webbing stretches, and a strap that was tight in the driveway is slack by the first fuel stop.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up below. Scores are our editorial judgment on published specifications — not a star rating, and not a product we claim to have tested.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Rhino USA Ratchet Straps (1 in x 15 ft)Four 1-inch ratchet straps with soft loops — the right quantity and the right width for a basket or a hitch carrier. | Dense cargo in a basket | 8.3 | |
| 2 | Thule Load StrapsCam straps with a rubber buckle guard, for anything a ratchet would crush. | Soft or shelled loads | 8.3 | |
| 3 |  Rhino USA Cargo NetCatches the small items your straps cannot reach. Always over straps, never instead of them. | The backup over an open basket | 7.9 |
Prices checked September 25, 2026. Product photographs are representative stock images, not the exact unit. Affiliate disclosure.
#1 · Dense cargo in a basket
Rhino USA Ratchet Straps (1 in x 15 ft)
Four 1-inch ratchet straps with soft loops — the right quantity and the right width for a basket or a hitch carrier.
- Size
- 1 inch x 15 ft
- Stated break strength
- 1,823 lb
- Quantity
- Four
- Included
- Soft loops
What works
- Four is the right number
- Soft loops keep hooks off paint
- Good hardware
What doesn’t
- Can over-tension soft items
- Long tails to manage
Our scoring
8.3overall
#2 · Soft or shelled loads
Thule Load Straps
Cam straps with a rubber buckle guard, for anything a ratchet would crush.
- Type
- Cam buckle
- Buckle
- Rubber guard
- Tension
- Hand only
- Sized for
- Roof-rack spans
What works
- Cannot crush the load
- Protects the carrier finish
- Quick
What doesn’t
- Lower maximum tension
- Premium price
Our scoring
8.3overall
#3 · The backup over an open basket
Rhino USA Cargo Net
Catches the small items your straps cannot reach. Always over straps, never instead of them.
- Type
- Bungee cargo net
- Hooks
- Steel perimeter
- Sizing
- Basket-sized
- Role
- Backup only
What works
- Stops small items escaping
- Cheap
- Packs away small
What doesn’t
- Not a restraint
- Degrades in UV
Our scoring
7.9overall
Step by step
Step 1
Pack heaviest low and centered
Put the heaviest items on the floor of the basket or carrier, centered between the mounting points rather than at the ends. Weight at the extremities increases the leverage on every bump and makes the load work itself loose faster.
Step 2
Fill the voids
Pad gaps with soft items so nothing can shift into empty space. A load that cannot move internally stays tight; a load with gaps compacts on the first rough surface and goes slack.
Step 3
Identify structural anchor points
Use the welded loops on a hitch carrier or the frame of a roof basket. Never anchor to mesh, a plastic rail cover, a trim panel or anything you cannot positively identify as structural.
Step 4
Strap downward first
Run at least two straps over the top of the load and down to anchor points on each side. These hold the load onto the carrier. Use cam straps over anything with a shell or a soft bag, and ratchet straps over dense cargo.
Step 5
Strap fore and aft
Run at least one strap front to back. Downward straps stop the load lifting but not sliding, and braking is the force that moves cargo forward. This is the direction people skip.
Step 6
Tension correctly
Tighten until the load moves with the vehicle when you rock it, not independently. With a ratchet, stop as soon as it is firm — the gearing will happily keep going and crush what it is holding.
Step 7
Deal with every loose tail
Tie off or tuck every strap tail. A loose tail at 70 mph will strip paint, and a long one can reach a wheel. This takes thirty seconds and it is the most visible sign of a load done properly.
Step 8
Add a net over an open basket
A cargo net across the top catches small items that would otherwise work their way out. It is a backup to the straps and never a substitute for them.
Step 9
Shake it, then re-check after twenty minutes
Grab the load and try to move it — the vehicle should rock with it. Then stop at the first safe opportunity and re-tension everything. This is the step that prevents most failures.
Both directions, every time
A downward strap resists the load lifting. It does very little to resist the load sliding, because a strap pulling straight down provides only friction against fore-and-aft movement.
Braking is the force that moves cargo. Hard braking from highway speed generates a forward force on everything unrestrained, and friction alone is not enough on a wet basket floor.
So: at least two straps down, at least one front to back. On a long or heavy load, one each way front and back.
Which strap for which load
Ratchet straps for dense, crush-proof cargo in a steel basket: tools, firewood, sandbags, a loaded plastic tote. They reach higher tension and hold it as the load settles.
Cam straps for anything with a shell or a soft skin: a cargo box, a duffel, a cooler, a bag. Hand tension cannot crush what it is holding, which a ratchet emphatically can.
A cargo net over the top of either, as a backup for small items. Never as the restraint. Full comparison in ratchet vs cam buckle.
Reading the number on the packet
Straps advertise break strength. The figure you should work to is the working load limit, conventionally a third of break strength — a strap advertised at 1,800 lb is a 600 lb strap in practice.
That safety factor exists because of everything the lab test does not include: knots, abrasion, UV degradation, shock loading over potholes and the fact that straps rarely pull in a perfectly straight line.
Plan on several straps sharing a load rather than one carrying it, and retire any strap with edge damage, faded stiff webbing, damaged stitching or bent hardware.
Common questions
How many straps do I need for a roof basket?
How tight should cargo straps be?
What does break strength mean on a tie-down strap?
Is a cargo net enough on its own?
Sources
Not sure it fits your car?
Our vehicle pages carry the published roof load limit, the roof type by model year, and what actually mounts to it — cited, and honest about what the manufacturer does not publish.
Read next
The Best Ratchet Straps
Ratchet straps ranked, plus how to read a break strength figure properly.
The Best Cargo Nets
Nets for roof and hitch baskets — what they stop, and why they are never the primary restraint.
The Best Hitch Cargo Carriers for SUVs
Hitch carriers for SUVs, ranked — plus the tongue weight figure that really decides your load.
How to Load a Cargo Box
What goes in, what stays out, how to distribute the weight, and the pre-drive checks.