The 2015 Mid-America Trucking Show held in early April was quite a show. Independent contractors, carriers and shippers from all over the country descended on the show to see the latest and greatest in new equipment. Among the highlights of the show were new flatbeds from companies such as Great Dane. Yet no matter how technologically advanced flatbed trailers become, the need for tarps will always be crucial to the game.
Great Dane unveiled a brand-new all-aluminum trailer that they have named the Freedom XP. No, it has nothing to do with your computer’s OS. Rather, it is a completely new concept in 48-foot flatbed trailers designed from the ground up. Designed with an emphasis on visibility, sporting LED lights, polished filler plates, additional mud flaps and the options to include a single coil package perfect for loading on and secured quickly.
As impressed as visitors to the Mid-America Trucking Show were with Freedom XP’s features, an experienced trucker knows that, it would only take a few cross country trips before that shiny new trailer begins to look worn. No amount of sparkle or polish can change the punishment the open road dishes up. And that is why truckers still need flatbed truck tarps alongside slick new trailers.
Platform on Wheels
The Freedom XP offers a 22-disc brake system that is as good as anything Great Dane has ever produced. Even so, the trailer is just a platform on wheels intended to carry everything from steel coil to factory equipment to pallets of landscaping materials. This means the tarps drivers choose to protect their loads is as important as the platform underneath them.
Truck tarps do not get a lot of media attention at equipment shows because they are, quite frankly, not nearly as glamorous as an all-aluminum flatbed trailer. Additionally, tarp technology has not changed all that drastically over the years. It is hard to put together a flashy presentation that impresses show participants and convinces them to purchase. Nevertheless, this does not diminish the importance of truck tarps for flatbed hauling.
Tarps Make the Difference
The versatile yet utilitarian truck tarp makes all the difference between a successful flatbed trip and an unsuccessful one. From the truck driver’s perspective, not having the right kinds of tarps on board is a quick way to lose jobs. From the standpoint of shippers and receivers, tarps are the link that cargo stays safe from point A to point B. Some will not even consider using a driver until that driver first proves he/she has the necessary tarps on board.
Mytee Products carries a full range of steel, coil, lumber and smoke tarps for flatbed truckers. Most of the tarps we sell are made of high-quality polyethylene with reinforced webbing and brass grommets. We also carry canvas tarps as well. Our tarps offer exceptional durability at affordable prices.
The two keys to using tarps successfully are choosing the right tarp for the job and not buying new tarps on the cheap. Insofar as the former is concerned, not every tarp in a trucker’s toolbox is suitable for every job. That is why manufacturers make different kinds. Having at least a few of each makes the trucker’s job a lot easier.
In terms of buying new tarps, going cheap is never a good idea. You get what you pay for. By spending a little more on a high-quality product you can rely on, you will actually spend less over the course of your career by purchasing fewer total tarps. The extra money you spend on quality is well worth it.
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