We are experiencing problems with having the right types of ratchet straps available on vehicles to strap loads properly. What has happened is that each vehicle initially had a set of straps on them and then over the weeks when other staff from various warehouses take stuff off vehicles the straps then go walk about. No-one wants to take responibility for the control of straps and everyone is just "making do" with the wrong size hooks going into strap points and I'm just wondering if anyone else out there has managed to solve this type of problem and how they managed it. Any solutions and ideas gratefully received

I worked with a logistics company a few years back that had the same problems, it was solved by introducing what we called the 'Love Shack'. As trucks came back to the depot, they drove through a dedicated line with a shack that dispensed ratchet straps, ratchet chains and bottled water. As each truck stopped, 2 workers were always present, they went through a checklist of what should be on the truck and carried out a lights test to ensure everything was working, any minor faults were rectified (usually blown light bulbs), anything needing an engineer (a mirror) was marked up and the truck driver told to move the truck to a dedicated parking lot for the engineers to examine later that night. All the straps and chains were held in dedicated side boxes, always in the same place. Losses were accounted for, no blame was made.