A crane hook cannot take four loose lift loops. Somebody has to climb up, gather all four by hand and get them onto a single point — once per bag, on a quay, alongside a moving vessel. That is the job stevedore straps exist to remove, and it is why a bag headed for a ship's hold is specified differently from one that never leaves a warehouse.
What a stevedore strap is
The industry association's definition is exact and worth using verbatim: a stevedore strap is "a belt connecting either two adjacent lift loops, or all four loops, used for single point lifting". Other sources describe the same thing as belts sewn into the lift loops that form a bridge between them. They are also sold as loading belts.
Two things follow from that definition, and both are commonly got wrong.
A stevedore strap is not a type of lift loop. It is an addition to the loops a bag already has. The bag's four sewn-in loops still carry the load; the strap gathers them into one attachment point. Any page that lists stevedore straps alongside corner and cross-corner loops as a fourth "loop type" has miscategorised it — see the lift loop types explainer for the geometries that genuinely are loop types.
Its purpose is single-point lifting, not extra strength. The straps do not raise a bag's rating. They change how a fixed rating is presented to the lifting equipment.
The three configurations
| Configuration | How it attaches | Lifting equipment | When it is the right choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single stevedore strap | One strap looped through all four sewn lift loops | Crane, hook, or forklift picking a single gathered point | The simplest single-point pick; the common warehouse and quayside arrangement |
| Double stevedore straps | Two longer straps, each looped through one pair of adjacent loops | Forklift or crane, taking two points | The most widely used option — two points is more stable than one and still needs no manual gathering |
| Four individual straps | One strap attached to each of the bag's four sewn loops | Crane or hook, gathered at the top | Where the bag's own loops are too short to handle safely, or extra clearance above the bag is needed |
Stevedore straps are typically longer and wider than the bag's own loops — figures of the order of 60 cm and above are quoted, extending well above the top of the bag — because a strap that will be gathered onto one hook has to reach. That extra height is not free: it adds to the stowed height of a loaded bag, which is a container-loading input as well as a handling one.
Where they earn their cost
Ocean export is the clearest case. Loading bulk bags into a vessel with a crane means single-point contact, and the published industry position is blunt: without stevedore straps that work is labour-intensive and dangerous. Named user groups include steel mills, lime processors, pipeline supply companies, and sand, chemical, grain and food-ingredient exporters.
The less obvious case is the ordinary one. The most common use of stevedore straps is not maritime at all — it is forklift handling inside a facility, where a gathered pick is quicker than engaging four separate loops on every bag. Ports gave the accessory its name; warehouses account for much of the volume.
Against that sits the cost. Bags with stevedore straps cost more than standard FIBCs, and the standing safety guidance is that the straps must be fitted correctly — not loose — and inspected regularly, exactly as the loops are.
One framing note before the specification. ISO 21898:2024 covers lifting in Annex D.6, which is informative guidance rather than a requirement, and the standard specifies no strap configuration at all. What it does require, through #5.3.1, is that the construction survive the cyclic top lift test with no lifting device failing under load. A stevedore strap is an addition to the lifting arrangement, so it is part of the construction that gets tested — which is why it cannot simply be added to an already-certified design without a conversation about re-testing.
What to tell the factory
State the lifting equipment at every point in the chain, origin and destination, because a bag that is forklifted at one end and craned at the other is what drives the requirement. Then give the configuration you want (single, double or four), the clearance you need above the bag, the bag's own loop height, and whether the straps must survive more than one trip. If any leg is crane-handled and you are not sure, say so in the enquiry rather than defaulting to four plain loops.
FAQ
Q: What is a stevedore strap on a bulk bag? A: A belt connecting either two adjacent lift loops or all four, used for single-point lifting. It bridges the bag's existing loops so a crane or hook can take the bag from one attachment instead of four.
Q: Are stevedore straps the same as lift loops? A: No. Lift loops are sewn into the bag and carry the load. Stevedore straps are an addition that gathers those loops into a single lifting point. Adding straps does not change the bag's rating.
Q: Do I need stevedore straps if I only use forklifts? A: Not necessarily, but they are widely used with forklifts because a single gathered pick is faster than engaging four loops on every bag. The question is throughput, not equipment type.
Q: What is the difference between stevedore straps and cross-corner loops? A: Cross-corner loops are a loop geometry — they arch over the corner so they stand upright and a forklift can drive its tines straight through. Stevedore straps sit on top of whatever loops the bag has and convert them into one or two lifting points for a hook or crane. One is about engaging four points quickly; the other is about not needing four.
Related reading
- FIBC lift loop types: corner, cross-corner, sleeve (PENDING PUBLISH — 2026-W34 draft)
- Tunnel lift FIBC bags
- One-loop FIBC bulk bags
- How many FIBCs fit in a 20ft / 40ft container (PENDING PUBLISH — 2026-W35 draft)
- Bespoke / custom FIBC bulk bags
- Request a quote
Sources
- FIBCA — FIBC Terminology: "Stevedore Strap: It is a belt connecting either two adjacent lift loops, or all four loops, used for single point lifting" — https://fibca.com/portfolio-items/fibc-terminology/
- What are stevedore straps — belts sewn into the lift loops forming a bridge between them; single-point lifting with a crane or hook system; ocean-vessel export; steel mills, lime processors, pipeline companies and sand, chemical, grain and food-ingredient exporters; loading a ship with bulk bags would otherwise be labour-intensive and dangerous — Southern Packaging — https://www.southernpackaginglp.com/blog/what-are-stevedore-straps
- What are stevedore straps — also known as loading belts; the three configurations (four individual straps, two longer straps each through two loops, one strap through all four); most common in forklift use inside facilities; bags with stevedore straps cost more than standard FIBCs; regular inspection required — National Bulk Bag — https://blog.nationalbulkbag.com/fibc-bulk-bag-construction/what-are-stevedore-straps