Tarping system.?

I am looking into a tarping system for a new $55k 53x102 trailer. The tapping system would be another $20k. It would limit the width of loads but could tarp and unstrap in under 2 mins and would not have the work of tarping and not climbing all over load with a risk of fall. What are your thoughts?

 

It won't be that fast to untarp and unstrap, and won't speed up how fast you strap. Just saying.


Otherwise, they are handy as hell for what they work for.

 

They are great if you have dedicated freight like steel or lumber. They are horrible if you are doing a wide variety of freight including over-length or -width.

 

Easier to tarp, yes. Won't change how fast you strap down or chain the load. You'll probably use more fuel. And you won't like pulling it in high winds.

 

You do get full width inside.

If you got dedicated freight and they will load it go for it. A couple of my coustemers won’t load them and a lot of loadboard freight won’t load them either.

 

We called those curtain siders in my time (Conestoga would be the closest modern term today) Hauled one between near Lexington Ky and GM Baltimore with Astro van windshield glass in racks. They went onto the deck in that trailer and was secured somewhat and the sides took care of itself in a short time. But it really does not take away any real time savings.

However.

If you run them things like a flatbed securement will still cost you the same time, that wont change. What will be nice is not having to climb up top with rolls the size and weight of a body to tarp it all.

I prefer a covered wagon myself because at least the poles and sides went up just so and the individual steel arches gave you a fighting chance against the western plains winds that just wont quit trying to strip all that away from you.

HOWEVER, I do see the benefits of a Conestoga with the extra volume like a Van and so on. You do have also advantages in weight capacity etc among other things.

The one biggest problem I ever worried about with that curtain sider is the winter storm winds in the passes or gaps in WVa which was my first winter and a total education in winter. Once the curtains and brackets all iced over it became a sail in some situations. So that introduced a different problem. But in 2 feet of snow it's not going anywhere except where your tractor is going. And we had a very good tractor that year.

We have alot of Congas on US 67 all of a sudden these days. I think someone has come up with some freighting that needs that type of trailer all over both ways. I don't know yet what. Maybe never find out. But it's something that's fairly common these days.

Edit, the curtain sider we had used the then new really small European style tandems back there. My trainer was always particular about those #### things back then. You had to be just so with them in those days. The wheels, brakes and tires etc were all pretty small. And so the decking was closer to the ground than most normal flatbeds. A stepdeck essentially was what it was internally. But it did it's job for GM auto glass perfectly.

 

I drag a conestoga full time. It's great for steel and similar loads. Securing takes the same amount of time as any flatbed, but tarping/untarping takes like 2 minutes! Massive timesaver!

 

had a load king 53 with the tarp system on it and a set of barn doors on the back. loved it. as long as it dimensional it ships. often can even load van freight in it. some places might give you a hard time, other places will love you for it. they are becoming more and more popular every day it seems. lots of companies getting them in my area.

had a customer that loved us for having them, pulled for them every week.

didnt have a lot of trouble with the wind, pulls like a van.

would have continued pulling it if the company was on the ball.

 

I have 2 regular back hauls. 1 is 84" aluminum coils and the other is sheet aluminum. Decrement for the coils, as long as I set up the racks between panels probably wouldn't be a time saver, but the sheets would be. Just throw straps over, pull out of dock, winch down and go. Now I walk between side and stack, throw ratchet over to the other side, then go to the other side and hook to j hooks and ratchet down.

What I save in time in securement,, I'd probably lose in backing a 106" instead of 102" flatbed into the narrow spot.

 

You can get wider mirror brackets +1" or +2" on each side for that exact reason- I talked to the owner of DAK Chrome about them. He runs a bunch of connies n swears by them.