Load restraint: how many straps do you need?
How the NTC Load Restraint Guide works out the number of straps, and what blocking, friction and strap angle change.
What the load must withstand
The National Transport Commission's Load Restraint Guide sets out the forces a restrained load must withstand: strong braking pushes it forward, cornering pushes it sideways, and bumps can lift it. The guide expresses these as a share of the load's own weight, with the greatest force forward.
If the restraint can't hold the load against those forces, it can shift or fall, and everyone in the chain who packed, loaded or drove the vehicle may share responsibility.
Two ways to restrain a load
There are two ways to restrain a load:
- Tie-down restraint: straps clamp the load to the deck, so friction holds it in place
- Direct restraint: the load is blocked or attached so it physically can't move, using headboards, gates, blocking or straps attached to the load itself
Most loads use a combination of the two.
What changes the number of straps
- The load's weight: heavier loads need more clamping force
- Friction: a slippery deck or load needs more straps; rubber matting can reduce the number
- Blocking: a load blocked against a headboard needs less restraint forward
- Strap angle: tie-down straps work best close to vertical; shallow angles hold less
- Strap rating and tension: each strap's rated capacity and how tight it is
Working it out
The Load Restraint Guide includes reference tables that give the number of tie-down straps for a load's weight and the conditions. LOGFYX's Load Restraint module works it out from those tables, so loaders and drivers can agree on the number before the truck leaves the yard.
Checking restraint at the gate, as part of a safety declaration, adds a second check and a signed record.
General information only, not legal advice. Rules change and differ between states and territories, so check the current requirements with the NHVR, Safe Work Australia or your state regulator.
Related modules
Load Restraint
Work out how many straps a load needs before it leaves the yard, from the NTC Load Restraint Guide's reference table.
Load/Mass Diagrams
Diagrams showing how to place and spread a load, on hand for drivers and loaders before the truck leaves.
Safety Declaration
Clear every arriving and departing truck through the same questions: hours, mass, induction, load restraint and dangerous goods, signed by the driver.
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See it running on your own sites
We'll set up a demo with your sites, your assets and the modules you need, then walk your supervisors through it.