{"id":6431,"date":"2025-11-17T15:28:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T21:28:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ramseyindusdev.wpenginepowered.com\/ramseywinch\/?p=6431"},"modified":"2026-05-18T20:28:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T01:28:56","slug":"how-to-secure-the-load","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/how-to-secure-the-load\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Winch Should Never Hold the Load"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"6431\" class=\"elementor elementor-6431\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-389acaa9 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"389acaa9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-181e7db6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"181e7db6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Published by Ramsey Winch | Winch 101 Series<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-176d525 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"176d525\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6fe3ca4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6fe3ca4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-start=\"442\" data-end=\"689\">When it comes to heavy-duty towing, recovery, and hauling, the winch is one of the most relied-upon tools on your truck. But even seasoned operators sometimes overlook a critical safety rule: <strong data-start=\"634\" data-end=\"687\">a winch is designed to pull the load\u2014not hold it.<\/strong><\/p><p data-start=\"691\" data-end=\"1035\">Failing to follow proper load securement practices doesn\u2019t just put your equipment at risk\u2014it also increases the chances of injury, vehicle damage, and costly downtime. That\u2019s why, in this edition of our <em data-start=\"895\" data-end=\"906\">Winch 101<\/em> series, we\u2019re walking you through the correct steps to safely secure your load after winching it onto a carrier deck or trailer.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f382d25 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"f382d25\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-14bac51 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"14bac51\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Step 1: Pull the Load Into Position<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08c8bb4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"08c8bb4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e75321f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e75321f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Your winch is a workhorse\u2014perfect for getting disabled or immobile vehicles onto your flatbed, carrier deck, or trailer.<br data-start=\"1204\" data-end=\"1207\" \/>Once your vehicle or equipment is aligned and pulled into place, stop and reassess stability. It\u2019s important that the load is level and resting securely before the next step.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4376f76 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4376f76\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f430b4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3f430b4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Step 2: Use Load Securement Devices, Not the Winch<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fdbcb23 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"fdbcb23\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f22f37d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f22f37d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"relative basis-auto flex-col -mb-(--composer-overlap-px) [--composer-overlap-px:28px] grow flex overflow-hidden\"><div class=\"relative h-full\"><div class=\"flex h-full flex-col overflow-y-auto thread-xl:pt-(--header-height) [scrollbar-gutter:stable_both-edges]\"><div class=\"flex flex-col text-sm thread-xl:pt-header-height\"><article class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-turn-id=\"bb7e22b3-f08c-450b-80de-1cf06fb3c710\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-36\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"assistant\"><div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] thread-sm:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] thread-lg:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\"><div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] thread-lg:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\"><div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\"><div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"bb7e22b3-f08c-450b-80de-1cf06fb3c710\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-4o\"><div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\"><div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full break-words light markdown-new-styling\"><p data-start=\"1446\" data-end=\"1554\">Here\u2019s where many operators make a common mistake: they rely on the winch to \u201chold\u201d the load during transit.<\/p><p data-start=\"1556\" data-end=\"1606\"><strong data-start=\"1556\" data-end=\"1606\">This is not what your winch is designed to do.<\/strong><\/p><p data-start=\"1608\" data-end=\"1657\">Instead, use <strong data-start=\"1621\" data-end=\"1648\">load securement devices<\/strong>\u2014such as:<\/p><ul data-start=\"1658\" data-end=\"1778\"><li data-start=\"1658\" data-end=\"1703\"><p data-start=\"1660\" data-end=\"1703\">Ratcheting tie-down straps (auto tie-downs)<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"1704\" data-end=\"1736\"><p data-start=\"1706\" data-end=\"1736\">Chains with tensioning binders<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"1737\" data-end=\"1778\"><p data-start=\"1739\" data-end=\"1778\">DOT-compliant wheel nets or axle straps<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p data-start=\"1780\" data-end=\"2000\">These tools are purpose-built to handle the shifting and vibrations that occur during road travel. They also distribute the stress across multiple securement points rather than placing it all on the winch drum and cable.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4818ecd e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4818ecd\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-761fa36 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"761fa36\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Step 3: Remove Tension from the Winch<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7088d4b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7088d4b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-12d81c6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"12d81c6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-start=\"2052\" data-end=\"2201\">Once your load is fully secured with tie-downs or other approved devices, the final step is often the most overlooked: <strong data-start=\"2171\" data-end=\"2201\">release the winch tension.<\/strong><\/p><p data-start=\"2203\" data-end=\"2345\">Pay out a bit of slack in the winch cable to ensure it is no longer bearing any weight. Leaving the winch cable under load during transit can:<\/p><ul data-start=\"2346\" data-end=\"2552\"><li data-start=\"2346\" data-end=\"2406\"><p data-start=\"2348\" data-end=\"2406\">Lead to <strong data-start=\"2356\" data-end=\"2373\">shock-loading<\/strong> during braking or acceleration<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"2407\" data-end=\"2442\"><p data-start=\"2409\" data-end=\"2442\">Damage the winch motor or gears<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"2443\" data-end=\"2490\"><p data-start=\"2445\" data-end=\"2490\">Cause the cable to fray or snap prematurely<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"2491\" data-end=\"2552\"><p data-start=\"2493\" data-end=\"2552\">Result in costly <strong data-start=\"2510\" data-end=\"2531\">equipment failure<\/strong> and service downtime<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p data-start=\"2554\" data-end=\"2602\">As our Sr. Design Engineer Rob Renfro puts it:<\/p><blockquote data-start=\"2603\" data-end=\"2696\"><p data-start=\"2605\" data-end=\"2696\">\u201cThe load should be fully supported by securement devices during transit\u2014not by the winch.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d323456 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d323456\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e0ef319 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e0ef319\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 data-start=\"2703\" data-end=\"2760\">\ud83c\udfa5 Watch the Video: \u201cHow to Properly Secure Your Load\u201d<\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p data-start=\"2762\" data-end=\"2988\">Want to see it in action?<br data-start=\"2787\" data-end=\"2790\" \/>Watch our short instructional video featuring Rob Renfro as he demonstrates the safe and correct way to secure a winched load:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9ba12d0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"9ba12d0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-04d4e0c elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"04d4e0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=l36G-QagGpw&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c9eba66 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"c9eba66\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-21db046 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"21db046\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong data-start=\"3407\" data-end=\"3429\">About Ramsey Winch<\/strong><br data-start=\"3429\" data-end=\"3432\" \/>For over 75 years, Ramsey Winch has engineered and manufactured industrial-strength winches trusted by fleets around the world. From recovery operations to forestry and oilfield applications, our products are built for performance, safety, and reliability.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Published by Ramsey Winch | Winch 101 Series When it comes to heavy-duty towing, recovery, and hauling, the winch is one of the most relied-upon tools on your truck. But&#8230;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/how-to-secure-the-load\/\" class=\"more-link\" alt=\"Continue Reading\" title=\"Continue Reading\">CONTINUE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":557,"featured_media":6434,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[646,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ramseywinch-news","category-uncategorized","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/557"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ramseyindustries.com\/ramseywinch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}