I have narrowed it down to a step deck but have a few questions

God yes. Never got $500 PER tarp, though. My 8' drops aren't those super nice light expensive tarps. Mine weigh about 150 each, and I'm not touching them in the Summer for free. There's a good hour and a half, and a lot of sweat involved. Then you have to do the reverse at the receiver. So if a regular strap and go is paying $3.50, I'm not throwing tarps for the same money. That tarp load price needs to stand out.

 

It’s not uncommon for O/D loads. I’ve gotten 1500 before on a 12`x12`x12` crate. RGN of course

 

Personally i do 3pc 4x4s at 8 foot, 4 pc at 4'9" but step may be a different animal. Hate moving timber around. Yes sometimes it would be nice to have more but not that often.

 

On the subject of edge protectors, that’s one thing you don’t need to spend a lot of money on. the ones I probably use the most are these disposable cardboard ones. If you are thrifty and keep your eyes out you can usually pick them up for free from customers. Our warehouse dummies pull these off incoming freight and usually just throw them away. I snatch them up whenever I can and keep a stash of them in my box. I have found that the plastic ones break and/or slide off easily.

Same thing with wood, drivers bring in loads of reels or whatever and they don’t want to keep their wood so they just toss it in the dumpster. And it just sits there free for the taking.

 

Delete

 

These are like gold, you can make them out of PVC but it’s worth $30 to have one on board. Many uses other than just edge protectors also.

 

Paint roller, take the roller part off so just the bar. Works for strap adjusting as well. The bucket notch will hold the standard Vee boards. Standard threads for any extension pole.

 

What about load levelers…?

2 or 3 or none….?

 

If he's getting a set of 8' ramps, the "HD" or "Discount" brand 20" wide, 23k lbs per axle will double as levelers. Just have to get the stake pocket uprights, & lumber clips to go along with the set..

 

I would add at least a couple 25ft 5/16 grade 70 chains, 4 or 8 6ft 3/8 chains with grab hooks on one end and slip hooks on the other and bump your binders to 16.