Just wondering what you guys think of the roll tarp systems on a flat bed. Is there drawbacks to it that you feel would outweigh the obvious advantage of quicker and easier tarping.

good if in perect working order

but let them get damaged, or a high load, or any over size yer screwed!!!

The latest thing I have seen is a Rolltite on a double drop, glass hauler, Maverick has some of them. I saw a full soft side on a double drop at a truck-stop in Illinois, I have no idea what was under it. I like them but they do limit the dimensions on what you can haul, and I could see them being easily damaged. Over width can be accommodated on some of them by rolling the tarp ahead and securing it, I've seen that done, I've also seen the back tied open to accommodate over length.

The ones with a hard roof the roll up are different. They usually have hard doors in the back.

When I was making this thread I was having a hard time deciding if one would still call a rolling tarp system a curtain side even though they are different setups.

My opinion (which isn't worth much) is that it would be real nice for typical loads. Even something a little too long would be ok as the back is simply a roll up curtain. The problem I see which I don't know how often it would be a problem is that if you want to load something that is one piece and trailer length. Even with the system collapsed like an accordian at either end of the trailer, it is still taking up a good 5 feet of the flatbed. Ofcourse preventing something that is as long as the trailer from simply being loaded straight down from the top or side. Like i said, I don't know how often this might would be the case as I don't run a flatbed. The scariest thing to me about having one would be all it will take is one moron on a fork lift to ruin your day and cost you a lot of money. As far as load height, I don't see that as much of a problem as the systems appear to give you as much height as a van. Anyhing higher would probably be on a step deck or double drop I assume. I could be wrong though.

The type of set up your are talking about is commonly called a Conestoga.

When I was running a side-kit flatbed (commonly called covered wagon), I used to see a lot of these and I really wanted to get one. They were a lot easier to break down and set up than my side kit was.

One time I tried to load some flat steel that was 96" x 46' and had to be tarped. Although the trailer I had was technically 102" wide, it was only 95.5" with the sides on. The only tarp I had was the one that went over my side kit. Even though dispatch tried to get me to use that tarp for that load, I turned it down. While I was at that shipper, there were nothing but regular flats and Conestogas getting loaded. The dimensions of the plates had no ill effect on those rolling tarps since they roll on the outside of the rub rails.

I talked to a lot of guys that pulled them and they all liked them. They did say that they had to turn down a load here and there, but by and large it was worth turning them down. I priced them once. If memory serves me correctly, they run around $40k for the trailer and tarp system new. Of course, a single drop or double drop system would run you more.

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Rolling tarp systems are awsome, we have flats,steps.and doub drops with them, the new ones work great,the older beat up ones can be a bit of a wrestlin match but it sure beats trying to fold and roll a 200 pound tarp the size of a typical front yard in a parking lot fighting high winds with rain or snow or sun pounding you, also you dont have to worry about doing a face plant off the trailer if the wind catches the tarp your trying to throw over a load and takes you with it, just roll it back and go .

You can haul pretty much anything with them , I sure seem to be seeing more of them all the time. they are a huge time saver for sure.

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