Grade 80 vs. Grade 70 Chain: Which Is Right for Your Cargo Securement?

If you're spec'ing chain for a haul, the choice between Grade 70 and Grade 80 comes down to what you're securing and how that load is classified. These two grades are not interchangeable. Using the wrong one puts your load, your rig, and your compliance record at risk.

Here's a straight comparison so you can make the right call before you load up.

What Chain Grade Actually Means

Grade is a measure of tensile strength relative to the steel alloy and the chain's diameter. Higher grade means higher working load limits at the same diameter. That matters when you're trying to keep chain weight down on a haul while maintaining rated capacity, or when you need to meet specific DOT or OSHA requirements.

G70 and G80 are not marketing labels. They're standardized designations that reflect the minimum breaking force and working load limit the chain is engineered and tested to hold.

Grade 70 Chain: Built for Transport

Grade 70 is the DOT-recognized standard for cargo securement on flatbeds, car haulers, and over-the-road freight. It's heat-treated carbon steel with a gold chromate finish — easy to identify on the job.

The working load limits are solid for most transport applications. A 5/16-inch G70 carries a 4,700 lb SWL. Step up to 3/8-inch and you're at 6,600 lb SWL. For securing vehicles, machinery, and general freight on a flatbed, G70 is purpose-built and DOT-compliant.

What it's not built for is overhead lifting. Running transport chain in a lifting application is both a compliance violation and a safety failure. It's not rated, marked, or certified for that use.

Use Grade 70 when:

• You're securing cargo on a flatbed or car hauler
• You need DOT-compliant transport chain
• You're running load binders on a freight haul
• Your application is horizontal tie-down, not vertical lift

Grade 80 Chain: Built for Lifting

Grade 80 is alloy steel engineered specifically for overhead lifting. It carries higher working load limits than G70 at the same diameter, and it's the minimum chain grade accepted for rigging and lifting slings under ASME B30.9.

At 3/8-inch, a Grade 80 chain sling's vertical working load limit runs well above what a G70 of the same size is rated for in transport. Every link carries a grade stamp so inspectors and riggers can confirm compliance on the spot.

Rated, marked, and certified — that's not optional when you're working a job site with inspection requirements. A chain sling without proper grade marking is a liability, plain and simple.

Use Grade 80 when:

• You're rigging for overhead lifting
• Your job site requires ASME B30.9-compliant slings
• You need rated and marked slings for inspection
• You're running single-leg, double-leg, or multi-leg sling configurations

Grade 120 Chain: More Capacity, Less Weight

G120 is the highest-grade chain in common rigging use. It delivers roughly 50% more working load capacity than Grade 80 at the same diameter — which means you can run a lighter, smaller chain and still hit the rated capacity your lift requires.

It's the right call when weight matters on the rigging setup, when you're working in tight spaces where chain bulk is a factor, or when your load demands more than a G80 sling of the same size can handle.

Not every supplier stocks G120. Vulcan carries G120 chain lifting slings alongside the full Grade 80 lineup, so you're not forced to compromise on capacity.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using G70 for lifting. Transport chain isn't rated for overhead use. It doesn't have the alloy composition or the certification to support a suspended load. If you're rigging a lift, you need G80 or G120.

Using G80 with standard load binders. Grade 80 chain isn't designed for cargo securement with ratchet or lever load binders. The chain and binder system has to be matched by grade and rating. For flatbed tie-down with load binders, G70 is the correct pairing.

Ignoring grade markings. Every link of compliant chain carries a grade stamp. If yours doesn't, you don't know what you have — and that's both a compliance problem and a safety problem.

Mixing grades in a sling assembly. Every component in a chain sling has to be rated to the same grade. Pairing a G80 master ring with G70 chain doesn't give you a G80 sling. It gives you a sling rated to the weakest link in the assembly.

What to Buy for Your Application

For cargo securement on a flatbed or car hauler, G70 transport chain with a matched load binder is the standard setup. Vulcan carries load binders rated to 7,100 lb SWL, compatible with 5/16-inch or 3/8-inch Grade 70 chain, and car hauler chains built for transport.

For overhead lifting and rigging, Grade 80 chain slings with proper grade markings are the minimum acceptable standard. Vulcan stocks Grade 80 single and double chain slings in multiple configurations — sling hooks and grab hooks — all rated and marked for compliant use.

If your lift requires more capacity in a smaller diameter, G120 slings get you there without oversizing your rigging.

The full catalog — G70 transport chain, G80 and G120 lifting slings, load binders, and rigging hardware — is at vulcanbrands.com with free shipping on every order, no minimum.

FAQs

Can I use Grade 80 chain for cargo securement on a flatbed? No. Grade 80 is engineered and certified for overhead lifting, not cargo tie-down. DOT cargo securement regulations specify Grade 70 as the standard for flatbed and over-the-road applications. Running G80 in a transport setup also means your chain isn't matched to your load binders, which are rated for G70.

What's the working load limit of a 3/8-inch Grade 70 chain? A 3/8-inch G70 transport chain carries a working load limit of approximately 6,600 lb. A 5/16-inch G70 is rated at 4,700 lb SWL. Always verify the SWL stamped on the chain or its documentation before use.

Is Grade 80 chain stronger than Grade 70? Yes. At the same diameter, G80 has higher tensile strength and a higher working load limit than G70. But strength alone doesn't determine which grade is correct — the application, the compliance standard, and the certification requirement do.

What does the grade stamp on a chain link mean? It identifies the chain's alloy grade and confirms it meets the rated working load limit for that grade. For G70, the stamp is required for DOT compliance in cargo securement. For G80 and G120, it's required under ASME B30.9 for use in lifting slings. Unmarked chain has no verifiable rating and shouldn't be used in either application.

Can I use Grade 80 chain slings with a load binder? No. Load binders are designed for use with Grade 70 transport chain in cargo securement. Grade 80 chain slings are rigging components for lifting. Mixing them creates a mismatched assembly that isn't rated or compliant for either application.

What is Grade 120 chain used for? G120 is for overhead lifting where you need higher working load capacity without going up in chain diameter or weight. It carries roughly 50% more capacity than G80 at the same size — the right choice when weight, bulk, or capacity constraints make G80 insufficient for the lift.

How do I know if my chain sling is compliant for a job site inspection? A compliant chain sling must carry the grade marking on each link, have a permanently attached ID tag showing rated capacity, chain size, grade, and number of legs, and meet ASME B30.9. If any component is unmarked or the tag is missing, the sling is out of compliance and needs to come out of service.

Get the right chain for your application. Browse the full cargo control and lifting catalog at vulcanbrands.com — free shipping on every order, no minimum.