CHAINS, BINDERS & STAKES

This is the hardware that holds steel freight down: the chain, the binders that tension it, and the stakes that stop a load rolling off the deck.

The chain is Grade 70 transport chain, the industry standard for tie-down — heat-treated carbon steel, gold chromate finish, stamped 7 or 70 so an inspector can read the grade off the link. Our 3/8" runs 6,600 lb WLL. Grades 80, 100 and 120 exist, but those are lifting chain, not securement.

Both binders here are ratchet binders, and that is deliberate. A lever binder is faster, but it stores a lot of energy in the handle and lets it go all at once. A ratchet pulls the slack out in small increments and releases the same way. Choose between them on rating and weight: 7,100 lb WLL at 11.5 lbs, or 5,400 lb at 9.4 lbs. Both fit 5/16" and 3/8" chain, and both close from 33" to 24" for 9" of take-up.

Pipe stakes belong here because they are part of the same assembly. They drop into the trailer's stake pockets to contain a load of pipe, and they are pulled together with chain and a binder run across the deck. Stakes, chain and binder are bought and used as one setup, not as separate ideas.

Steel corner protectors are chain hardware too. A chain under tension will crush a corner and score the freight; a steel protector spreads that load. Plastic corner protectors are for webbing and live with the straps.

Two numbers decide how many you need. WLL is one third of breaking strength, and the aggregate WLL of everything holding the load must be at least half the cargo weight. Anything 10,000 lbs or over needs tie-downs at four corners minimum.