Got stopped by the police yesterday while checking load was told by jumped up young upstart copper that I should not have a twist in my straps as he has been on a course wot do people think
For what reason now? Used to put a twist in them to stop them vibrating as you drove along.
This old one. Reason I understood is the safe working load limit of the strap is reduced with a twist or twists in. One reason you’re not allowed a twisted seat belt at MOT (that and the damage it could cause by digging in). Not saying I agree with it. How often are straps at safe working load limit? I couldn’t say. Maybe they’re thinking of restraint in an impact. They’re not designed to be used with a twist in so fair play perhaps.
Jobs worth little prick, that’s what I think.
I always put a twist in the slack side ,if your carrying a really light weight poorly packaged load which would probably be better sheeted & roped but you choose to strap it then a twist is essential as you’ll never get the strap tight with out damaging the goods the twist will keep a light tensioned strap tight ,sometimes it’s better to put a ratchet on each end of the strap .
So what are we supposed to do then ?
Get our own little helicopters to lift us up & sort the Bloody Things Out ?
Just out of interest what makes you say he was a jumped? Was it the way he said it? If he was say friendly about it you couldn’t rightly say he was a jobs worth without researching and understanding the reasoning behind it. He may have just been helping, or he may have been giving false info.
martinviking:
So what are we supposed to do then ?
Get our own little helicopters to lift us up & sort the Bloody Things Out ?
Well, given on another thread the old diehards think that to be an old school proper driving man every driver at a distribution centre should torque check 120 wheel nuts with their own torque wrench before a run, with no idea of the rating the wheels nuts need, it seems a little conflicting they can’t flick a strap flat. I found it no problem.
Freight Dog:
Just out of interest what makes you say he was a jumped up jobs worth? Was it the way he said it? If he was say friendly about it you couldn’t rightly say he was a jobs worth without researching and understanding the reasoning behind it. He may have just been helping, or he may have been giving false info.
He wasn’t giving false information. The course the PC had been on would have indeed said that twists and or knots in a strap are a no no.
How much relevance this has in the real world who knows? Like dan said, a twist in the slack side is no bad thing.
It’s like anything though, you are technically in the wrong, but if you are nice and polite, then he would probably say, “on ya way fella”.
Not being funny but we’re you driving a flat or curtainsider?
A flat
F-reds:
He wasn’t giving false information. The course the PC had been on would have indeed said that twists and or knots in a strap are a no no.
I agree with this as I actually deliver a course to Police officers in and around Lancashire and yes they will be told about twists and knots.
I understand the reason for the twist (usually stops them flapping in the wind etc) but if the strap is correctly tensioned it causes structural damage within the core of the strap where you can’t see it. If the strap isn’t correctly tensioned then you aren’t doing a very good job.
I realise a lot on here will disagree and give it the “I’ve been driving 30 years and never had a problem …” etc. Well I’ve been riding my motorbike at stupid speeds way beyond the speed limit for many years yet I agree that speed kills and probably 'll find out one of these days. Straps that have been twisted and tensioned can fail early and not reach their true braking strain. Luckily the Lashing Capacity is half the true minimum breaking strain so in most cases we get away with it.
i would have said I’m sorry for not being perfect like you, officer, now go and do one…
Trukkertone:
i would have said I’m sorry for not being perfect like you, officer, now go and do one…
and how do you think you’d score on the attitude test? 
and would you of really said it?? 
when a strap has a twist, the outer edges take a longer path than the center over the same given length, so the outer edges become tight whilst the center is slack = taking no or little load. the shorter the length with a twist the worse it is, as the % difference between the outer and center lengths will be greater, as it will be with more twists.
If we want to get all technical about it then if the strap is sitting anything above 0.1 degree off parallel angles to the opposite side could also cause uneven tension and premature wear 
- and that’s before we get to uneven load height(s) / distribution.
My method is: fling the strap over, try and keep it flat because it looks nicer - if there is a twist which would mean having to climb up on the load unnecessarily , twist stays there. Never had a strap break, had them come lose, more so when they are perfectly flat surprisingly !?!?