Highland Cargo Organizing

Highland is the industry leader in cargo management. Since their start in Pennsylvania in 1945, they’ve branched out into all sorts of cargo straps, nets and anchors, interior organizers, ramps and a host of other products. As part of towing- and trailering-industry giant Cequent, their product lineup is the perfect complement to Cequent’s many other brands, like Reese, Bargman, Draw-Tite, Tekonsha, Rola, Fulton, Bulldog and many others.

Highland produces almost anything you need to secure your cargo, whether its bungees, ratchet-strap tiedowns or cargo nets. Anyone who’s trailered more than once knows better than to use rope to secure cargo. It’s not stretchy, and it’s impossible to get it tight enough to stay secure over anything but the smoothest road. Bungees are the most basic but effective way to secure cargo, because they keep the load under tension all the time. Nets are great if you have a large item, one that’s bigger than the holes in the net, and you need to fasten it down to a roof rack or tailgate cargo carrier.

Sometimes you just have to strap some cargo outside of the vehicle to make room inside, whether it’s on the roof, a hitch-mounted cargo carrier or on an open trailer. Garbage bags don’t cut it, especially in bad weather. They aren’t secure, and they always leak. Don’t pollinate miles of country roads with dirty laundry, or let your gear get wet during that unexpected shower. A proper weatherproof cargo bag will keep your gear safe and dry regardless of where you have to put it. Highland’s cargo bags are designed to be tied down to a roof rack or a cargo carrier, with nylon straps already attached so you can’t forget them.

Do you just carry a bunch of stuff around in your vehicle all the time? Not just on Road Trips, but during everyday commuting and grocery-getting? Most cars aren’t very good at keeping your cell phone, GPS, an iPod or sleeve of CDs, an afternoon’s worth of toys, snacks, dog biscuits and wet-naps from sliding off onto the floor at the first brisk stop. Highland’s line of cargo and interior organizers will keep your stuff, your tools, groceries and whatever in place, easy to find and easy to replace during the most spirited driving.

But there’s no substitute for a nylon tie-down strap. For light-duty use, it’s hard to beat a cam-buckle. Just thread the end through the buckle and pull tight. To release, depress the buckle and it loosens up. Bigger, heavier items deserve a ratchet-strap tie-down, on that you can really crank down. Don’t get cheap ratchet tie-downs: you’ll find them fussy about releasing once you’re at the end of their journey. You’ll wind up replacing them far more often than a regular- or heavy-duty strap. Here’s a tip: always make a quick stop in about ten miles after starting your journey and retighten the straps.