Just remember, when attempting to pull someone out from being stuck, ALWAYS lay something OVER the strap or rope! This can be a heavy coat, blanket, etc. placed about in the middle. It forces the energy of the strap/rope straight down to the ground in case something breaks. This will avoid damage to the vehicles and the possibility of injury to anyone in the immediate area. People are KILLED all too often when a strap with a metal hook breaks and hits someone. Even if the strap doesn't have a metal hook, the speed and force the end of the rope can come at you will still cause a severe injury.
I have a buddy who told me of an issue last summer where he was at a popular off-roading spot the weekend after a guy was killed when the strap of the guy trying to yank him out broke and the steel hook came through either the windshield or back window (I can't remember which) and hit him in the head, killing him instantly, in full view of his wife and child!
His wife later told authorities that he was an avid off-roader, who preached safety and specifically about weighing down the strap, but it was dusk, getting dark quickly, and in his hurry forgot to put anything over the strap.
I cannot emphasize how important this quick and easy step is!!!

 

thanks for the tip, I appreciate that...how much weight should be a good amount for the recovery strap to be able to withstand?

 

A good rule of thumb is about twice the weight of the vehicle you are trying to get "un-stuck".
The way a recovery strap works, is that it is designed with a certain amount of stretch, kinda like a rubber band. The strap of course, wants to go back to it's unstretched length, this builds energy, which is transferred to the stuck vehicle, enabling it to break free. This also makes it possible to move a stuck vehicle using approximately half the energy of the pulling vehicle as it would have to with a chain or tow strap.
The key here is to have the width or strength strap that will allow it to stretch properly. A 6" wide strap with a breaking strength of like 60,000 lbs. would seem like a good idea for a "do-all" strap, but in reality, it would not stretch when you tried to move a car or light truck and be of any real use.

I carry a 2"x 20" and a 4"x30' strap, and a tow strap in the toolbox of my truck, along with a host of accessories for use with the winch (tree saver, shackles, axle straps, ****** blocks, etc).

A good setup to carry in your truck for emergency situations without breaking the bank would be a 2" recovery strap rated at about 20,000 lbs., a couple of 3/4" shackles and an axle strap. If you try to wrap & tie the strap, the force of the pull will make any knot impossible to get out, plus it will weaken the strap. So use a shackle to secure it. If you haven't a good place to get hold, you use the axle strap to wrap around the axle or frame and secure it to the strap with a shackle.
You'd probably have about $60 in the whole setup...

 

If I were to attach everything correctly while trying to pull someone, is there still a good possibility of damaging the truck itself?

 

Yea, I suppose there's a chance, but I've been stuck dozens of times and have pulled a lot of vehicles (mostly heavier 4x4's off roading, hunting or fishing) and nobody has done any damage, at least that I know of.
You gotta use a bit of common sense, if you don't lose traction and just spin tires, you'll not budge or budge the other vehicle, then don't keep it floored until something gives. You'll realize pretty quick that the stuck vehicle ain't movin' and it's time to call the flatbed guy...

 

Or a crane.