Whatever Happened To Lockstraps Locking Tie Downs After Shark Tank Season 10?

Traveling with items in your truck's bed can be a bit stressful. Wind can blow items away, heavy loads can shift even if they're properly secured, and unexpected bad weather can wreak havoc on any exposed material. On top of all of these worries, there's also the risk of theft. Items in the back of a truck bed are visible and can easily be stolen, especially if you're using thin straps that are simple to disconnect or cut through. To solve this problem, Jeff Cranny developed a solution: Lockstraps.

Typical tie-downs and chains are durable and can withstand exposure to the elements, but they can still be quickly broken with a knife, box cutter, or bolt cutter. Lockstraps, however, have a stainless steel cable layered within the strap to make them nearly impossible to cut and combination locking carabiners on either end to fully secure your precious cargo. Cranny's invention might be an upgrade that solves a common worry, but was it inventive enough to guarantee him lasting success?

During his pitch on Season 10, Episode 6 on "Shark Tank," Jeff Cranny asked the investors for $200,000 in exchange for 20% equity in his company. He provided a demonstration of the Lockstraps' strength, allowing Alex Rodriguez to try his hand at cutting the product with bolt cutters. After this, the stars of "Shark Tank" seemed more interested in the idea, though things began to change once Cranny got into the business side of things. 

When asked about the brand's sales, Cranny began to share a story: The company was doing well and gained interest from Home Depot, who put in a large order for $1.5 million worth of product. Cranny couldn't fulfill an order of this size, so he outsourced production to a company in China. They slightly altered the design of the product, which made the straps less secure and resulted in returns and a full product recall. After this, his sales numbers were impacted, but he wasn't very forthcoming with information in his presentation. Because of this, all of the Sharks dropped out, leaving him without any additional investors in Lockstraps.

Despite having a rough time during his pitch on "Shark Tank," it looks like Jeff Cranny continued to work on and develop his product without receiving any additional funding from the Sharks. During his presentation, he stated that some of his products — ones that didn't have issues — were still available to purchase at Home Depot, but straps with a slider were no longer for sale thanks to their recall. Now, however, both varieties of the brand's straps are available for sale on the Lockstraps website.

Additionally, it looks like Lockstraps is primarily selling its products in the form of bundles (though it also offers the option to purchase pieces individually). The brand sells a Bike Tie Down Bundle at $135.80 for three straps and a carabiner, a Truck Bundle at $169.80 for four straps, and a Construction Bundle at $213.60 for four straps and four carabiners. Unfortunately for the brand, however, it looks like Home Depot didn't decide to continue the partnership, as none of the brand's products — recalled or not — are available at the popular home improvement store.

Even though the Sharks didn't express much confidence in Lockstraps' long-term success after learning of its previous issues with recalled products, the brand still appears to be afloat and selling straps, though there hasn't been a new post on its social media pages since late 2021. Lockstraps are available on the brand's website, but the exposure on "Shark Tank" likely helped give owner Jeff Cranny a boost in sales and brand awareness. Since appearing on Season 10 of the show, the company has begun selling products through Walmart and Amazon, though Cranny stated in an interview with Autistalline that the path was certainly not easy.

"When you feel alone and have heard 100 nos, it is always frustrating," he said. "When you do not have a boss, you have to force yourself to keep going ... and if that means getting a real job while doing your dream, then that is what you have to do. I have done real estate, sold solar, worked for a construction company ... anything to keep the bills paid."

One of the Sharks' primary issues with Lockstraps owner Jeff Cranny was that he took a more hands-off approach when he decided to outsource production of his tie-down straps for sale in Home Depot. While it's clear he worked hard on the brand and had a passion for the product, it looks like the investors likely made the correct call. According to Cranny's LinkedIn page, he has worked as a business developer at Nooter Construction Company since January 2021, an employment move he made after he decided to distribute Lockstraps through a global licensing agreement.

Because of this, there's a high chance that Lockstraps won't be seeing any new product development anytime soon — at least not with Cranny's involvement. Instead, he is likely enjoying receiving his royalty checks as a source of supplemental income while focusing primarily on his role as a business developer at Nooter Construction.