Dry van load securement is the job most flatbed rules do not cover — the cargo is inside, the anchor points are on the walls rather than the rub rail, and the failure mode is a load that shifts in the first hard stop and pins the doors shut. The tools are different too: E-track rails, E-fittings, load bars and friction mats instead of chains and flat hooks. Load straps for dry van work are rated, sized and fitted differently from anything on an open deck. Getting the system right is mostly about understanding that the track, not the webbing, sets your capacity.
This guide covers how a dry van securement system is put together and used: what E-track is and how the fittings lock into it, where load bars belong, how partial loads are blocked and braced, and the capacity arithmetic that applies inside a van the same way it applies on a deck. It follows the same FMCSA cargo securement rules that govern open-deck work. For the flatbed equivalent, see FMCSA cargo securement rules.
The number that surprises people: an E-track strap is rated far below a flatbed strap of the same webbing width, because the E-fitting and the track slot are the limiting components — our E-track ratchet strap is rated 1,467 lb, not the 3,333 lb a 2-inch flatbed assembly carries. Plan a van load on flatbed numbers and the arithmetic will be wrong by more than half.
What E-Track Actually Is
E-track is a steel rail with a repeating pattern of slotted openings, mounted along the interior of a van, reefer or box truck. Fittings spring-load into those slots and become anchor points wherever you need them, which is the whole point — a van has no rub rail, so the track creates tie-down points along the entire length.
Horizontal and Vertical Runs
- Horizontal track runs the length of the sidewall, usually at two or three heights, and is what most straps and load bars attach to.
- Vertical track runs floor to ceiling at intervals and is used for stacking decks and for securing tall, narrow loads.
- Floor track appears in car haulers and specialist vans where the tie-down has to come from below the load.
The Fitting Is the Weak Point
An E-fitting transfers load through a small spring-loaded tongue into a stamped slot. That is a far smaller bearing area than a flat hook seated in a rub rail slot, and it is why E-track assemblies are rated the way they are.
- Read the assembly rating, not the webbing width. Two-inch webbing on an E-fitting is not a 2-inch flatbed strap.
- The track itself is rated by its installer — a rail bolted into a thin sidewall is only as good as the backing behind it.
- A bent or sprung fitting is a defective component, the same as a bent hook on a flatbed.
Truck Trailer Pro Rule: never carry flatbed straps into a van and assume the numbers transfer. Different fitting, different rating, different strap count for the same freight.
| Ozellik | Dry van strap (E-track) | Flatbed strap (flat hook) |
|---|---|---|
| Anchor point | E-track slot in the sidewall | Rub rail slot or J-plate |
| End fitting | Spring-loaded E-fitting | Flat hook, J-hook or chain-and-clevis |
| Typical assembly WLL | 1,467 lb | 3,333 lb (2 in) to 5,400 lb (4 in) |
| Limiting component | The fitting and track slot | Usually the webbing itself |
| Common length | 12 – 16 ft (across the trailer) | 30 – 40 ft (over the load) |
| Works with | Load bars, friction mats, tight loading | Winches, chains, edge protection |
E-Track Straps
Dry van straps are not flatbed straps with a different fitting on the end. An E-track strap is webbing with an E-fitting on one or both ends and a ratchet or cam buckle to tension it. Our E-track ratchet strap is supplied in 12 and 16 foot lengths with a 1,467 lb working load limit, which is the right order of magnitude for interior van work.
Ratchet vs Cam Buckle
- Ratchet: more tension, more control, and the right choice when the load can genuinely move. Slower to release.
- Cam buckle: fast, lower tension, and appropriate for light freight that needs holding rather than clamping.
- Over-tensioning is a real risk on light cargo — a ratchet can crush a carton that a cam buckle would simply hold.
Length Selection
Van straps are short compared to flatbed straps because they cross the trailer rather than going over a load. Twelve foot handles most sidewall-to-sidewall work; sixteen foot gives you the slack to go around a tall stack or reach a diagonal.
- Excess webbing must be secured so it cannot foul a pallet jack or get caught under a load on the next stop.
- Too short is worse than too long: a strap that will not reach cannot be used at all.
Load Bars and Where They Fit
A load bar is a telescoping bar that spans the van, either pressing against the walls by spring tension or seating its ends into E-track slots. Its job is to stop cargo moving forward and to divide a partial load into blocks.
Track-Mounted Beats Friction-Fit
A bar seated into E-track slots cannot slide down the wall. A spring-loaded bar pressing on bare sidewall relies entirely on friction, and friction is exactly what disappears when the trailer bounces.
- Use the track wherever the van has it.
- On a tall load, two bars at different heights — a low bar stops the base sliding forward, a high bar stops the top toppling over it.
Bars Are Not Straps
A load bar resists movement in one direction. It does not tension the cargo down and it does not replace tie-downs where tie-downs are required. Most correctly secured van loads use both.
Dry Van Load Securement Starts With Blocking and Bracing
The best dry van securement starts before any strap comes out: load tight to the nose, load tight side to side, and there is far less left to restrain.
Load Tight, Then Secure
- Voids are where loads fail. A pallet with a foot of space in front of it gets a running start.
- Fill voids with airbags, dunnage or the load itself rather than relying on straps to hold across the gap.
- Heavy low, light high, and weight distributed over the axles as it would be on any trailer.
Friction Mats
Rubber friction mats under the load resist horizontal movement and are recognised in 49 CFR 393.108. A mat without a manufacturer’s rating is credited with resistance equal to 50 percent of the weight placed on it.
- Mats supplement tie-downs, they do not replace them where tie-downs are required.
- They earn their keep on smooth-bottomed freight that would otherwise slide on a clean van floor.
Truck Trailer Pro Tip: the cheapest dry van securement is loading discipline. Every void you close is a strap you do not have to throw and a claim you do not have to file.
Loading Patterns That Do the Work for You
How the freight goes in decides how much restraint it needs afterwards. A van loaded in a pattern that braces itself needs a fraction of the straps that a van loaded loosely does, and it arrives in better condition.
Wall to Wall and Nose Tight
Pallets loaded snug against the nose and against each other cannot build momentum. The forward bulkhead takes the braking force, and each row backs up the one behind it. This is why a full van is usually easier to secure than a half-loaded one.
- Load front to back with no running gaps between rows.
- Turn pallets to close side clearance where the pattern allows it, rather than leaving a lane down one wall.
- Never leave the heaviest freight at the rear with nothing behind it and a strap as the only thing holding it.
Pinwheel and Brick Patterns
Where pallet dimensions leave gaps in a straight pattern, alternating orientation closes them. A pinwheel arrangement in the nose and a brick-style overlap along the length both interlock the load so individual units cannot walk sideways.
- Interlocked freight resists lateral movement without any hardware at all.
- Keep the pattern consistent so anyone unloading at the far end can read it.
Partial Loads and Multi-Stop Runs
Multi-stop work is where van loads fail, because every delivery opens a void that was not there when the trailer was sealed. The load that was tight in the morning is loose by the third stop unless somebody re-blocks it.
- Re-block after every drop, not at the end of the day.
- Load in delivery order so each stop removes freight from the rear rather than from the middle.
- Carry more bars than you think you need — partial loads consume them fast.
What Goes Wrong Most Often
Dry van failures repeat themselves. Almost all of them trace back to one of four things.
- Voids nobody closed: the single most common cause of shifted freight and crushed cartons.
- Friction-fit bars on bare wall: they walk down the sidewall under vibration and end up on the floor by the time the doors open.
- Planning van loads on flatbed strap ratings: the assembly rating is what counts, and E-track assemblies sit well below flatbed straps.
- Straps run over unprotected carton corners: the webbing cuts the freight, the freight cuts the webbing, and both arrive damaged.
Truck Trailer Pro Reminder: a sealed van hides everything until the doors open at the consignee. Whatever you did not secure properly at the dock is discovered by the person least willing to forgive it.
Protecting the Cargo and the Webbing
Corner Protection Works Both Ways
A corner protector stops the strap cutting into the carton and stops the carton edge cutting into the webbing. On palletised freight it is the difference between a delivered load and a damage claim. Selection is covered in the corner protectors buyer guide.
Blankets and Pads for Furniture and Finished Goods
Anything with a finished surface travelling in a van wants padding between it and whatever it is touching. Moving blankets do that job and also stop items rubbing each other on the road.
Inspection Applies Inside Too
Van straps live an easier life than flatbed straps but they still wear, and the retirement criteria are identical. The strap inspection checklist applies to E-track assemblies without modification.
- Check the E-fitting spring as well as the webbing — a weak spring lets the fitting walk out of the slot.
- Cuts, abrasion, knots and chemical damage retire a van strap the same as a flatbed one.
Related guides: strap width and WLL, corner protectors buyer guide, how to repair a ratchet strap and what WLL means.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the working load limit of an E-track strap?
Our E-track ratchet strap is rated 1,467 lb. E-track assemblies are rated well below flatbed straps of the same webbing width because the E-fitting and the track slot are the limiting components, not the webbing. Always plan from the assembly rating.
Can I use flatbed ratchet straps inside a dry van?
Only where there is a suitable anchor point for the fitting on the strap. A flat hook has nothing to seat into on a van sidewall. More importantly, the capacity does not transfer – the rating belongs to the assembly and its fitting, not to the webbing width.
Do load bars replace straps in a dry van?
No. A load bar resists movement in one direction and does not tension cargo downward. Straps and bars do different jobs and most correctly secured van loads use both, along with tight loading to eliminate voids.
How many load bars should I use on a partial load?
Enough to block each section of freight against forward movement, with two bars at different heights on any stack tall enough to topple. A single bar at mid-height on a tall load stops the middle and lets the top come over it.
Are friction mats recognised by the regulation?
Yes. A friction mat without a manufacturer’s rating is credited with resistance to horizontal movement equal to 50 percent of the weight placed on it. Mats supplement tie-downs rather than replacing them where tie-downs are required.
What is the difference between horizontal and vertical E-track?
Horizontal track runs along the sidewall at one or more heights and carries most straps and load bars. Vertical track runs floor to ceiling at intervals and is used for stacking decks and for securing tall, narrow loads where the tie-down needs to come from above or below.
The Track Sets the Number
Dry van work rewards people who load tight and read the rating on the assembly rather than the width of the webbing. Close the voids first, block with bars where the freight can run, tension with E-track straps rated for what they are actually holding, and protect every corner the webbing touches.
Truck Trailer Pro supplies E-track ratchet straps with marked working load limits for interior van and box truck work, alongside the corner protection and padding that keeps the freight in the same condition it was loaded in. Browse the dry van straps range and the full straps catalogue when it is time to restock.
