Truck drivers invest in flatbed truck tarps primarily to protect the cargo from road debris, extreme weather, and other unforeseen situations. That’s why tarps have to be made of durable materials that can withstand the punishment of heavy over-the-road driving. That notwithstanding, there might be other reasons a shipper may require a flatbed trucker to cover a load with a tarp. In other words, cargo protection is not necessarily the only purpose of flatbed truck tarps.
A case in point was a flatbed recently photographed traveling down Route 77 in eastern Arizona. Not only was the truck carrying an oversize load, but it was also accompanied by a rather impressive convoy that included a number of other trucks and plenty of black SUVs. The rather large object underneath the massive gray tarp was pretty much unidentifiable.
This is a case in which the flatbed truck tarp used to cover the object was both protecting it from damage and preventing onlookers from knowing what was underneath. Although it is not for us to determine what the cargo was, however, It was covered for a reason- to protect it.
Keeping Cargo Secretive
There is plenty of speculation about what might have been under that massive flatbed truck tarp. The popular ideas range from, it might have been new equipment being transported to the Air Force Base to old equipment on its way to bone yard out in the desert.
Another possibility is that the cargo was totally unrelated to the military. It could’ve been a satellite dish or a piece of high-tech equipment or even construction equipment. We will never know, thanks to a massive gray truck tarp that effectively served its purpose.
Regardless of what was being transported through the desert, there are times when shippers demand secrecy of their cargo. Such cases would require flatbed truck tarps to completely cover all visible surfaces of the cargo, with no exception. Not only would these tarps have to be capable of protecting the cargo from road debris and weather, but they would also have to be secured in such a way as to prevent any parts getting loose or falling off during shipping
These kinds of loads travel across our roads more often than most of us realize. We just don’t know because truckers do such a good job of covering them entirely. They get where they are going with an intact load while shippers and receivers enjoy the benefit of keeping their precious cargo from eyes they don’t want seeing it. It is a win-win for everyone.
