Transport Chain & Binder

Chain and binders or ratchet straps?

Hobson describes its Grade 70 transport chain as more durable than polyester webbing, which makes it the choice for rough or sharp-edged loads such as steel, machinery and plant, where a ratchet strap could rub through or tear. The chain is tensioned to length with a load binder: a ratchet-style binder with a winged grab hook at each end that bites into the chain.

Ratchet straps are lighter, quicker and kinder to finished surfaces. Many trucks and trailers carry both: straps for packs and finished goods, chain and binders for heavy or sharp loads.

Transport chain and binders are for load restraint. Hobson's chain data sheets warn: not to be used for lifting purposes, and the binders are load restraint products (AS/NZS 4344). For lifting, use rated lifting slings, hooks and shackles.

Transport chain, binder and trailer kit sizes

Grade 70 chain is stamped every 500mm and the 9m chains carry a metal tag. Markings on the chain and binders include AS/NZS 4344, the lashing capacity (LC), the steel grade (G70 or G80) and the manufacturer's mark. Check the marking before every use.

Matching chain and binder

• •Use the same size chain and binder: 8mm binders on 8mm chain, 10mm binders on 10mm chain. The binder's grab hooks are sized for that chain.
• •Hobson's binders are made for Grade 70 or Grade 80 chain.
• •Rate the set-up to its lowest marked LC. An 8mm Grade 70 chain (3,800kg) with an 8mm binder (4,000kg) is a 3,800kg lashing; 10mm chain (6,000kg) with a 10mm binder (6,400kg) is a 6,000kg lashing.
• •Hobson notes its ratchet-style binders are much safer than old lever-style binders because of their high pretension and screw stops that keep full thread contact throughout operation. Each binder is tested to a minimum of 2 times its LC as a breaking load, with test certificates online.

Using chain and binders on a truck or trailer

1. Work out the load's weight and how it must be restrained. The National Transport Commission Load Restraint Guide, free to read at ntc.gov.au, sets out how many lashings a load needs.
2. Check the chain, hooks and binder for stretched or bent links, cracks and wear, and that the LC markings are readable.
3. Anchor the chain to the vehicle's tie-down points, run it over or around the load and take the slack out by hand.
4. Hook the binder's grab hooks into the chain and wind the ratchet handle to tension the chain.
5. Secure the binder handle and any loose chain so nothing can move or flap in transit.

Trailer safety kits: what they are and how to fit one

A trailer safety kit connects a trailer's safety chains to the tow bar. Each kit is two safety hooks and two connecting links in Grade 80 steel, made to AS/NZS 3776 and 100% magnaflux crack tested. The safety hook's gate stops the chain releasing, the kit is harder to steal than a dee shackle, and you hitch up by clipping the chain over the hook gate. The 6mm kit has a minimum breaking load of 4.5t and suits trailers up to 2.5t ATM; the 8mm kit is 8.0t and suits trailers up to 3.5t ATM.

Fitting, from Hobson's installation guide:

1. Place the first half of the connecting link through the hitch point on one side of the tow bar.
2. Place the other half of the link through the eye of the hook.
3. Bring the two halves together and partly insert the locking pin to hold them.
4. Insert the locking collar with its recessed side facing the pin, and push the pin in until it holds the collar.
5. Tap the pin through the collar with a hammer until it comes out the other side of the link. Repeat on the other hitch point for the second chain.

Trailer safety chain rules in Australia

Hobson's compliance notes explain the rules: the connection between a vehicle and trailer is covered by Australian Design Rule 62 (ADR 62), and safety chains and their attachments for tow bars rated up to 3.5t ATM must comply with AS 4177.4. Safety chains must be fitted to every trailer without an emergency (breakaway) brake system and to every trailer with a rigid drawbar.

ATM is the total mass of the trailer carrying the maximum load its manufacturer recommends. Chain connectors must be rated to 1.5 times the ATM, so a 2.5t trailer needs at least 36.9kN and a 3.5t trailer at least 51.6kN. Tested as an assembly, Hobson's 6mm kit breaks at no less than 43.95kN and the 8mm kit at 78.48kN, so each kit exceeds the requirement for its trailer size.

Our Grade 70 transport chain is load restraint chain. Hobson does not list it as AS 4177.4 trailer safety chain, so use the safety chain rated for your trailer and these kits to connect it. Hobson's tow kit compliance sheet pairs each trailer size with an AS 4177.4 chain size and a kit, as below.

Finishes

• •Grade 70 chain: zinc yellow passivate, which Hobson's finish comparison rates as low corrosion resistance, for low-corrosion environments or temporary fixing. Chain carried on a truck or trailer lives outdoors, so check it for rust as well as wear before each use.
• •Grade 80 load binders: powder coat.
• •Trailer safety kits: black powder coat or standard powder coat. Hobson notes there is no required colour for tow kits.

Chain and binders in Adelaide

Allmat supplies Grade 70 transport chain, Grade 80 load binders, trailer safety kits and ratchet straps to transport operators, farmers, builders and trade across Adelaide and South Australia. Add what you need to a quote and we will price the lot.

Questions