side-kit-tarps

Trailer Tarps – Know About Various Tarps and Accessories For Flatbed Trucks

You drive trucks and haul cargo for a living! But how much do you really know about trailer tarps?

Truckers use many flatbed accessories to make sure that their load is secured and one of the most important of all accessories will be trailer tarps also known as truck tarps. These tarps are multipurpose products. It can be used to cover and protect all types of material that are been transported by truckers, be it food products, metal products, construction work products, heavy machinery, lumber, and all other forms of cargo.

trailer-tarp

Goods that are transported on a flatbed trailer always have some or the other kind of risk associated with them. The transporters or the truck drivers worry about the protection of the goods from different on-road challenges. They also have to make sure that the goods do not fall off from the trailer when they travel at high speeds on highways and rough paths.

Generally, truckers need to travel long distances and even across borders to deliver the goods. Many countries have rules that require the truckers to cover their cargo with appropriate trailer tarps. So it is again important to cover the goods with the tarps because of the government rules along with the security of the cargo. Different types and styles:

Types of Trailer tarps :

While there are many varieties of tarps for flatbed loads, today we’ll be closely exploring six that are associated with specific types of cargo.

1. Steel Tarps

Steel-Tarps

There are new technologies being implemented to manufacture the tarps that are sturdy and can be used for a longer period of time. Steel tarps are appropriate to cover metal products and are made of heavy-duty vinyl material. These tarps protect the metal cargo from inclement weather and keep them from corrosion and rust.

2 Lumber Tarps

lumber-tarps

The other type of truck tarp is a lumber tarp. Lumber tarps are generally used to cover tall loads of lumber and are also made of high-quality vinyl material. These tarps are specially designed to protect lumber and have 6ft to 8ft drop. This cargo is completely covered and protected. Covering the cargo with such tarps will ensure that your cargo remains in place and protected from external elements while it is been hauled to cover long distances.

3. Mesh Tarps

mesh-tarp

Then there are mesh taps available in the market. It is not necessary that all kinds of materials need protection from the rain, snow and other weather conditions. Materials like gravel, asphalt, sand and small rocks do not need weather protection. However, truckers still need to cover such loads so that the objects do not fly and disturb other drivers on road. Mesh tarps are best for covering such materials.

Mesh tarps are pretty much exclusively used to transport live cargo. This can include beehives, trees, plants, and other small animals. Mesh tarps are designed to allow air to pass through them, which is necessary for anything that takes in air. These tarps are lightweight, durable, and come in a variety of sizes and color options.

4. Machinery Tarps

Machinery tarps are virtually identical to steel tarps. However, they’re differently-shaped. Machinery tarps have different flap options and are more customizable, so they can cover oddly-shaped loads (like farm equipment or industrial machinery). Other than that, machinery tarps are similar to steel tarps. They’re made of heavy-duty 18 oz vinyl or a mix of 18 oz vinyl and parachute fabric. They have four rows of D-ring anchor points.

machinery tarps

Each machinery tarp has heat-sealed seams that make the tarp 100% waterproof on top, galvanized D-rings that are zinc-plated to resist rust, and the option to choose airbag nylon fabric that’s made in the USA.

 5. Coil Tarps

coil tarps

Coil tarps are designed to protect coiled metals, like steel coils. A  coil tarp is a fitted cover made of 18 oz heavy-duty vinyl. It has slits along the corner from the midpoint to the ground so you can easily run the Grade 70 chain through both ends of the coil to secure it to the flatbed.

6. Smoke Tarps

Smoke tarps, also called nose tarps, are heavy-duty 18oz vinyl tarps designed to protect the front of a flatbed load from soot, smoke, and exhaust from the cab’s smokestack. Use smoke tarps any time you think you might run the risk of smoke or soot damaging your load.

smoke tarps

  • Some types of loads are easier to damage with smoke than others.
  • For example, PVC pipe, saplings, and foam board are easier to harm with smoke, and receiver are much less likely to take in loads that have taken smoke damage

The trucking industry takes a huge share of the market in the whole transportation industry. If the goods are delivered in a sound position to its destination, it is because the truckers take extra precautions in the protection of the goods with tarps and other accessories. Tarps for trucks protect goods from external environments. It holds them in a position to prevent loads from falling off the truck. No doubt these tarps are important for truck drivers.

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