Man, that story hits home for me but in a whole different way. Years back I bought a used flatbed from a guy who swore up and down the winch straps were "basically new" and I believed him because the price was right. Two weeks later I'm hauling a load of pipe down a back road and one of those straps just snaps at the hook, pipe rolls off into a ditch, and I'm standing there looking at about $3,000 in damage plus a ticket. Turns out the guy had left those straps baking in the sun for who knows how long and the webbing was rotten from the inside where you couldn't even see it. What got me was that nobody stopped me or said a word beforehand, unlike your wrecker guy who actually took the time to warn you. I check every strap by hand now, bend it, twist it, look for any soft spots, before I roll anywhere. Sometimes a stranger's two minute comment saves you way more than any inspection sticker ever will.

Still use flat brushes. Rotary rods miss the shelf corners.