Pro Handyman Blog

As a Las Vegas handyman, I haul things around in the back of a truck all the time. Tooling down the freeway with items in the back of the truck can get dangerous, so you must take precautions that whatever you are hauling is secure.

We’ve all seen pickup trucks driving down the road with items stacked in the back that are twice as tall as the truck. I steer clear of these folks. You can see the rope they have used is straining and it looks like even a gradual turn will make it topple over.

You can use a ratcheting tie down system that will cinch the load down securely. Many trucks have special channels that you can use as tie down points along the bed. If you have a lot of loose items, you might consider a cargo net. This will keep anything from blowing out of the bed as you tool down the road.

For lumber and such, using a standard pickup truck will make it so that the edges are leaning out of the rear of the truck. Sure, you can buy expensive systems that allow you to lower the tailgate and roll it out, but for people on a tight budget, I think ratcheting tie downs are the way to go.

If you don’t have tie-off points on the truck, you can buy anchors that fit into the holes in the rim of the truck bed. Place them and screw them down so the rubber compresses and holds it in place. Then you can use the hooks on the tie-downs, wrap the straps around the lumber and ratchet it until tight. The tie downs aren’t intended to lift weight, but they are great at holding things in place during transport.