Everything to Know about Tarp Systems
Tarp systems provide benefits for various industries, such as logistics, manufacturing, and lumber. The below infographic includes details about several purposes for tarp systems, including securing all items and keeping others safe while products are in transit. Components of a tarp system are also discussed and are broken down based on three types of systems- the electric tarp system, crank tarp system, and ratchet tarp system.The infographic also includes considerations to keep in mind when deciding which tarp system is most suitable for your business needs. A few key points to remember when choosing a tarp system are the size of your products, the ability of the person transporting the items to physically maneuver the tarp, and the distance that your items will be transported
Which Tarp System is Best for You?
It’s happened to so many of us on the road. You’re motoring down the highway, keeping a safe distance from a dump truck - or another large vehicle hauling debris. Before you can react, a rock, scrap metal, or other foreign object shakes loose from the bed, bounces off the road - and crashes into your windshield. If you’re lucky, you’ve got the inconvenience of replacing or repairing a windshield as a result. But the damage can be much worse. This is why most states have laws and regulations in place to require trucks to have a tarping system in place, to control their payload. On the other side of the road, if your business relies on trucks hauling from point A to point B, you need your trucks on the move, not out of commission. For a variety of truck types and dump body sizes, Mountain Tarp has you covered, to keep your drivers safe and your trucks on the job.
Why are tarping systems important?
Tarping systems keep the roads safe and clear of clutter and hazards. They also safeguard your business from fines and legal action that could result from damages done when payload on one of your trucks comes loose.
Tarps can also save you time and money. An automatic system takes minutes to put into place and is more reliable than manually strapping a tarp over the truck bed. They can also reduce work-related injuries and lost work time for trucks that are cited for not having a system in place. Not to mention potential damage to your truck from falling debris. For these reasons, most U.S. states have regulations and laws requiring truck tarp system to be in place on trucks.
Which tarp system is right for your trucks? Check out this list of 3 of the most effective and popular tarp systems on the market. Mountain Tarp has you covered, so you can keep rolling.
1. LOCK-N-ROLL SIDE ROLL TARPS
The lock-n-roll tarp holds up with hard-to-handle loads. These side-roll tarps come with a standard Gorilla Mesh 22-oz. vinyl tarpaulin material that’s also water-tight. (An 18-oz. option is also available.) Vinyl tarps have a high-abrasion resistance, meaning that miles on a bumpy road with unfriendly payload won’t cause them to rip. They have dual-reinforced stress points and the strongest latch plates around for added durability.
Not every payload is the same, so lock-n-roll tarps come in many sizes, electric or manual operation. They come with a front custom aluminum cap option, available with a 2-inch wind deflector. Lock-n-roll tarps have standard front-roll return and rear-crank handle options: flex or straight mount.
BEST USE: Agriculture or coal-hauling markets.
2. ELECTRIC SIDE-ROLL 2000 TARP
The Electric Side-Roll (ESR) 2000 is an electric side-to-side lock and roll tarping system designed for durability, safety, and versatility. Available in direct drive or chain drive motor assembly, the ESR 2000’s versatility allows users to maximize load types and increase revenue on return trips. The system offers easy installation and repair and performs well in cold weather. The waterproof ESR2000 kit features a heavy-duty electric motor, one button open and close controls and a reinforced aluminum front arm with spring assembly for ease of use.
BEST USE: grain hauling and other agricultural products, coal, and construction.
3. FLIP-TARP SYSTEM
This versatile system can mount to truck bodies as long as 48 feet. It’s available in manual, ground-operated roller system or automatic drive option. The flip tarp has a variety of motor, tarp, and mounting options. Hauling hot-top material? Choose the optional 18-oz. tarp. With guaranteed unbreakable arms, this system has a 3-year, non-prorated warranty on its electric motor. Spring assemblies are available in side-mount 4- or 5-spring or torsion spring with 3,300 lbs. of hold-down pressure.
Accordion Style Cable Tarping Systems for Dump Trucks and Trailers
LoAlbo Enterprises offers accordion style cable tarp systems for dump trucks and dump trailers or any open top container from the industries top manufacturers including; Aero Industries, Merlot Mfg., Mountain Tarp, Pulltarps, and Shur-Co. Great well-known industry names like Panel Tarp, Crank-n-Go, Tarp-n-Go, Top Slider, Single Cable Super Slider and Shur-Trak lead the way in advanced tarping technology and cable style tarp system load containment solutions.
Cable tarp systems provide load containment options from anti-pollution mesh to semi-waterproof vinyl to over-the-side vinyl tarp systems. Several configuration options are available such as manual drive or electric tarp motors, flat or arch support bows, regular or extended rear idlers/pulleys, metal or molded plastic bow ends and a variety of front shaft mounting arrangements. Applications from 10’ to over 50’ for any dump body or open top container. Custom sizes can be manufactured to meet unique applications such as oversized vehicles or special covering requirements. Cable tarp systems are a great option for a variety of applications, including; sand and gravel, asphalt, construction, sewage, refuse/garbage, grain and other agricultural products.
LoAlbo Enterprises, Inc. is well positioned to meet every possible truck tarping application you can come up with! With truck tarp systems and load containment solutions from the best manufacturers in the United States we can configure an accordion style cable tarp system or any flip tarp system, roll-off tarp system or pull style tarp system for your exact application. Check out our tarping systems manufacturers and tarp system options at the following links… Aero, Donovan, Merlot, Mountain Tarp, Pioneer, Pulltarps, Roll-Rite, Shur-co and Tarping Systems, Inc.
TRUCK TARPING SYSTEMS
Advancements are continually being made in the manufacturing industry, particularly when it comes to truck tarping systems. Below is a recent look at some of the systems currently available in the industry. Ask us how Acadian can support you as you adapt and create new tarp systems for the market.
Deroche Canvas focuses on tarps for dump and trash trucks, dumpsters and flatbed trailers. Their woven mesh tarps are light and easy to handle, while still providing the necessary strength and durability for transporting loads.
Harp’s Tarps manufactures automatic tarp systems, with a focus on durability and ease of installation.
Pulltarps offers a variety of systems, including semi-automatic, manual and electric arm systems, front to back tarp system, weather and shade curtain systems and more. Pulltarps caters, in particular, to the open-top hauling industry.
For a more in-depth look at these truck tarping systems.
Rolling tarp
The name of TarpStop's rolling tarp system, FasTrack, partly describes it. Like competitors’ products, it has a metal framework that supports a tarpaulin that forms sides and a top over a trailer's bed. The structure's attached to a forward bulkhead and to a rear frame. Some have a fold-down curtain at the rear.
The vertical frames are mounted on wheels that roll in tracks, allowing the entire structure to be moved forward or rearward, tarp and all, like an accordion.
Working from the trailer's deck or alongside on the ground, one person can fold or deploy the system in a couple of minutes. Part of closing it involves stretching the fabric tight with winch-type tensioners built into the sides at the front or back.
The tracks and vertical members are slightly cantilevered outside a trailer's edges, so loads as wide as the trailer’s bed can be hauled. That the structures protrude to either side is OK under federal width laws because the systems are considered safety devices, says Jeff Boyd, director of sales at Aero Industries, maker of the Conestoga 2 and Conestoga XP systems.
A rolling tarp completely eliminates the handling of individual tarps and reduces the need to climb onto and off of a trailer, making injuries less likely. Some fleets are equipping a portion of their trailers with rolling tarps and assigning those to older drivers, says Tim Demonte, business development manager at Quick Draw Tarpaulin Systems.
One drawback is that rolling tarps cannot accommodate over-width loads. Theoretically the system could be rolled all the way forward and tied against the bulkhead's corners so it's out of the way. But this would have to be done carefully or the structure could be damaged by wind, so Aero, for one, does not recommend it, Boyd says.
Another downside is weight and cost. A rolling tarp system weighs 1,500 to 2,000 pounds, depending on a trailer's length and a system's make and model, and costs $13,000 to $15,000. Even with discounts for volume purchases, those penalties explain why they are on a minority of flatbeds — perhaps 25%, says Westhke at TarpStop.