Incorrect securing of cargo or lack of security is the cause of several hundred accidentsa year and yet the issue of securing goods is neglected by drivers. The cargocarried inthe vehicle becomes the object of interest of the control services only when the loadleaves the vehicle in an uncontrolled manner. This is due to the fact that theprovisionsfor securing cargo in road transport are very general and do not specify how itshould besecured. The general provisions of law also mean that the majority of transportparticipants consider that it is impossible to check the correctness of the loadsecuring.The article analyzes the fixing of free-standing cargo using fastening belts. Theprotection was made by method top- over lashing. The number of fastening belts shouldbedetermined by methods: on the basis of tables prepared by fastening belts manufacturers(Dolezyh), analytical calculations using the formulas contained in the DIN – EN12195/2 and using the “IMO model course 3.18. Safe packing of CTU’s. Quick lashing guideroad+sea area A”. Differences in the number of lashing selected using the abovemethodsare indicated. Methods have been described for reducing the amount of fastening belts necessary. In the following part, the analysis of the force distribution in the fastening belt- load combination in the top‐over lashing method was performed. The analysis wasused to indicate the simplifications in the formulas allowing calculation of the forcepressing the load to the ground. The real impact of the fastening belts on the loadcausinguneven stress distribution on the ground and decrease of forces in the fastening belts onthe edges of the load are described.