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Transport chain and load binders are a staple when it comes to tying down equipment and other heavy cargo. They have the strength needed to securely hold your load in place and get it from Point A to Point B safely, making them a must-have for many in the transportation industry.
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Typically, grade 70 chain is the standard for tie down chain. Other chain grades such as 80, 100, and 120 can also be used, but aren't as popular.
Deciding which chain grade and size you need depends on several factors, but the working load limit is the deciding one – the combined WLL of the chains you use must exceed at least 50% of the total weight of your cargo.
Made from carbon steel and heat-treated for added strength, grade 70 chain is ideal for cargo transport. Usually available in lengths between 16-25 feet, this chain comes with end hardware like clevis grab hooks, clevis slip hooks, or clevis slip hooks with a latch.
To make it easy to identify, G70 transport chain is embossed with a 7, 70, or 700 and has a yellow chromate finish.
Along with cargo securement, grade 70 transport chain is frequently used in other industries like logging and towing. It is not suitable for overhead lifting.
The break strength and working load limit of each chain depends on the chain size and grade. Take a look at the chart below to see the WLL for each.
Grade 70 chain has a load rating that's approximately 20% higher than grade 43 chain, while grades 100 and 120 have a 25 and 50% higher strength than grade 80, respectively. The higher chain grades also offer better resistance to both fatigue and abrasions.
Looking for a length or chain size we don't offer on our website? Get a custom tie down chain that can be created to perfectly suit your application. Learn more about submitting our online form or browse our FAQ.
There are several other options available for tying down cargo – such as ratchet straps, winch straps, and rope – so why choose transport chain?
Transport chain is incredibly durable when compared to the polyester webbing or rope used for other tie downs. Sharp edges that could cause a winch strap to fray and snap generally won't have any effect on chains.
Additionally, the higher working load limits for chain reduces the amount of tie downs you will need to secure equipment and other heavy loads.
Before each use, you should inspect the chain, attachment points, and end hardware for any visible signs of damage or wear.
Chain binders, also known as load binders, are the devices used to adjust your chain's tension. This tightening is what ensures your cargo is held securely in place. They have a tension hook on each end that attaches to your chain and a handle to add tension.
When it comes to choosing the right chain binder for you, you will need to look at both size and style.
Size is easy – you'll need a binder that works with the chain size you are using. At US Cargo Control, the chain size that a binder works with should be clearly stated – but what if you run into an instance where two chain sizes are listed? The first size indicates the compatible grade 70 chain, while the second size indicates the compatible grade 43 chain. For example, the 3/8" – 1/2" ratchet binder is designed to work with 3/8" grade 70 chain and 1/2" grade 43 chain.
Choosing the right style is less straightforward – there are two options, ratchet and lever, and the choice usually depends on a multitude of factors. However, a ratchet binder is generally regarded as the safer option. Watch the video below or continue reading to learn more about each style.
A ratchet binder uses a ratcheting mechanism to add tension to your chain. This device lessens the amount of force needed, reducing the risk of the bar snapping back at you and making it easier to tighten.
The additional parts - including a cam and prawl apparatus - provide a smooth ratcheting action but result in the load binder taking longer to install and release. Many find that an acceptable trade for increased safety.
Lever load binders, on the other hand, require additional strength because they store energy in the handle. This often leads to people using cheater bars, but these bars are dangerous and not recommended.
It has fewer parts than a ratchet binder, so it's easier to install.
If you are going to use a lever binder, we have a few tips that can help keep you safe.
Learn more about the differences between ratchet and lever binders.
See a ratchet binder in action and learn more about the different styles in the video below.
Using chain binders to tie down heavy cargo is dependent on factors like cargo length, width, and type. For example, according to the FMCSA, loads that are 5' or less require just one tie down, while those between 5' and 10' require two. If the weight of this load is more than 1,100 lbs., then it will need two tie downs regardless of length.
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In order to avoid incidents of mismatch between supply and demand, establish more efficient manufacturing, and lower costs, it is necessary to establish an environment of consistent supply chain visibility. To implement this visibility, it is crucial that companies take into consideration many elements. Everything from sourcing raw materials and manufacturing, to the sales channels which feed supply for a finished product are essential factors. One of the often missing links in supply chain visibility, however, is transportation management: the act of getting the needed finished goods from start location to destination. We call this the transportation supply chain.
Transportation refers to the movement of product from one location to another as it makes its way from the beginning of a supply chain to the customer. This requires a new broad look at the business of transportation supply chain, including supply chain management, logistics, and procurement. Freight transportation costs in the United States amount to about 6% of the GDP, which means that a large portion of a company's supply chain costs come from transportation. When you think more holistically about the role of transportation in the overall supply chain and business, and less about the tactics of transportation (technology now is the business process enablement tool), you can strategically work with other players in the supply chain in order to more effectively reach the corporate and business vision your organization has set out to reach.
Many manufacturers and retailers have found that they can use state of the art supply chain management to reduce inventory and warehousing costs while speeding up delivery to the end customer.
Any supply chain’s success is closely linked to the appropriate use of transportation. Walmart has effectively used a responsive transportation system to lower its overall costs. At distribution centers, Walmart uses cross-docking, a process in which product is exchanged between trucks so that each truck going to a retail store has products from different suppliers.
Managers should ensure that a firm’s transportation strategy supports its competitive strategy. Firms should evaluate the transportation function based on a combination of transportation costs, other costs such as inventory affected by transportation decisions, and the level of responsiveness achieved with customers.
Managers should consider an appropriate combination of company-owned and outsourced transportation to meet their needs.
When freight costs are high, even seemingly small oversights can result in unneeded expenses that could have been avoided and thus cut into overall profit margins. Product write-offs can occur when sales channels are oversupplied. Undersupplied sales channels can also have negative results in the form of missed sale opportunities. Failure to monitor raw material prices can also result in above average costs across multiple sources. In addition to this, and probably more detrimental to budgeting, is the hidden cost of transportation in a poor supply chain. When getting goods from one point to another is a crucial aspect of business, then ensuring that this process is most efficient becomes a huge economic concern.
This is especially true in large enterprises and the obvious connection between visibility of freight and the transportation economics become easy to see. Even in smaller businesses where the margins are rather low, transportation costs are still a crucial element of creating profitability.
Most businesses would identify transportation supply chain visibility as a primary goal, however, it is sometimes used to simply impress those invested in the company. This is especially true in larger enterprises. That is because many enterprises have never really figured out ways to implement real transportation and supply chain visibility. One of the reasons that transportation supply chain visibility does not get the attention it deserves is because, as a process, supply chain visibility requires true system integration operating between many elements. Some of these elements have different master data that must be used. This data must be not only present, but also running in harmony over all systems. These can include warehouse management systems, multiple ERPs, ordering systems, and transportation management systems.
When these sources are made up across many geographies, special attention is required in order to keep them all cohesively glued together. The glue is getting the materials from starting point to destination. The goal is to get this done efficiently and cost effectively. Without transportation supply chain visibility there will be time delays, expenses, and even backlogs. These events can throw off production schedules, even creating idle labor or eventual lost sales. So, as the costs add up, you can see the importance of focusing on understanding transportation's role in the supply chain.
Usually supply chain management simply becomes a balancing act of time versus cost. This is seen most easily in the transportation element. There are many ways to ship goods from one place to another, but with foresight, the cost of shipping can be balanced through different practices and compared against relative shipping times. When manufacturers plan ahead to make sure the materials are arriving in the most time-efficient way, they can then achieve the lowest freight costs.
Many like to think of an enterprise supply chain as a living thing. Living things are always changing. Some suppliers like to challenge incumbents with what seems to be better prices or services; raw materials may fluctuate in price; or foreign exchange rates could change. Any of these changes can affect the transportation supply chain as well. This means the supply chain is not static, and if the supply chain is not static then the distribution requirements will change. Transportation systems must change in response and it's up to the shipper putting in place systems either in-house or through a transportation management 3PL to provide that expertise.
Many problems in the transportation supply chain can be addressed through the availability of analytics provided by a transportation management system. Needing such insights to allow companies to make smarter business decisions is especially true when supply chains grow and begin operating on a larger scale. Recent advancements in technology also help promise a better integration between physical product movement and visibility. One good example is the surge of interconnected devices to connect pallets, trailers and containers systems in order to provide greater visibility. Of course, proper implementation is essential in order for these great technologies to succeed.
Companies of all sizes must approach the transportation supply chain by implementing more harmonious systems in order to achieve greater visibility and a lower occurrence of supply chain errors. In the end, this will result in lower total costs for the organization even beyond transportation costs.
Well executed transportation management systems always lead to the greatest supply chain visibility. When transportation systems feed into a predictive analytics scheme, performance will be improved across the board. In fact once the inventory is loaded into a channel it is the predictive analytics’ responsibility to plan for efficient transportation.
Supply chain management ultimately has many moving parts. The starting point must always be transportation, however, as it is anywhere from 40 to 60% of your costs.
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