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Custom Safety

Without a headache rack properly installed on your pickup truck, you may find yourself losing cargo. That means you may not only lose what you're transporting, but you might also inadvertently cause an accident. Instead, consult someone about custom headache racks for your truck. Custom built headache racks are made to help you transport long cargo like lumber or PVC pipe.

Hold It Down

Once you have the perfect custom headache rack for your pickup and are ready to put it to use, the next step is securing your cargo. You can never be overly cautious. The cargo itself is prone to move around with a mind of its own. Bumps or sudden stops can send unsecured cargo flying. To prevent it from doing damage or disappearing it may need straps or bungee cords to keep it in place. Bungee cords are good for lighter items, while straps are better if you are dealing with heavier cargo.

Net or Tarp

In some situations, you may want to utilize a net or tarp to help keep your cargo in place or otherwise protect it. The big concern, however, is that it must properly cover whatever is inside your truck bed. Lighter cargo or lawn debris may blow out. Even the tarp itself, if not adequately secured, can come loose in the wind. Note that while nets, tarps, and bungee cords might be fine when carrying lighter loads, if you plan to haul heavy materials, consider using straps instead.

Load Capacity

Though you might want your truck to be able to haul an elephant or two, the reality is that your truck can only take so much weight. So, to avoid safety hazards and potential damage to your truck while driving, look for the gross vehicle weight rating, or GVWR. This will determine how much load capacity your truck has. Exceeding the number could result in serious injury to you or others and damage to your vehicle.

Toward the Front

To properly sort your load, you should place heavier items toward the front while lighter items should go toward the back. If you have items that are all of equal weight, simply stack them from the front to the back. Excessive weight at the very rear of the truck bed could upset the center of gravity and create potentially unsafe conditions.

Anchor Points

To help ensure that everything stays tied down, take advantage of built in anchor or tie-down points. By design, these are a natural place to attach straps and bungee cords. Be careful attaching straps to other areas like sheet metal edges as they may be bent. Not all trucks are designed with tie-downs in mind so some modifications may be required. Our headache racks and rear hoops have anchor points built-in or are available as options.

Loose Items

When you're transporting loose items, consider tying them together. For example, a load of lumber is much easier to control if it’s bundled together and tied down. Our headache racks have an available lumber stop option and our rear hoops include them, standard. Bundled together and properly secured, hauling lumber or other long, loose items is a breeze.

Transport Safely

Take precautions to transport your load safely. Don't rush things. Take the time to tie cargo down and make sure that everything is properly secured before you start driving. Nothing should be left loose. Don't carry loads that your truck isn't designed to handle. When in doubt, double check everything and above all, drive safely.

For the best pickup truck accessories including custom built headache racks, call Spyder Industries today!