Flatbed question

God I hate tarps filthy dirty #### things. And I seen a few guys over the years get hurt pretty bad tarping loads. I was in a steel mill back in the day and I walked around the corner on a trailer and there was a guy hanging half off the trailer with his leg caught in a chain twisted in a way that legs aren't supposed to go. He was tarping his load when it happened and it was a bit of a windy day. Man did he look like he was in pain,told me he had been there at least 15 minutes before I found him. His leg was badly broken to, makes me hurt just thinking of it. Ambulance had to take him away. Owner operator too so probably not well insured. His brother-in-law came and picked the truck up a couple of days later I never did find out what happened to him I'm sure you lived but I'm sure that leg gave him problems

 

Get some moving blankets or carpet. Drape them over then edges and throw a strap over them so they don’t move. Then get your tarp as tight as you can so it doesn’t flap around.

 

I remember them chip loads & I don't miss them

 

We used to get these loads out of Utah once in a while, just tall enough I’d have to use my 8ft drops. Never square on the ends and lots of razor sharp edges. Lots of carpet and felt and moving blankets, never had an issue. First pic is what my tarps looked like standing still versus going down the road at 65. Second pic is what was under my tarp.

 

Tell me the downside of a curtain side.

 

They pull hard, lots of wasted space if you’re hauling low loads, can’t haul anything long or wide.

 

You can't pic from the top with a crane. Although I used to pull one now and again and liked it. If I remember right it was a little heavy but nice for a lot of stuff

 

Well

Well, building material it can be all sort of things but if you’re a company driver and not a OO don’t thing you should be worried about ripping the tarps unless you’re responsible for them meaning you paid for then, If you’re responsible it may be a good idea for you to have moving blankets and a lot of corner protectors just in case. And if you you’re not responsable then heck with it just make sure to NOTED that you advise them.

 

I gave up on tarping years ago. If it needs tarps, I don't want it. There is no extra pay for tarping, broker's always want to claim "it's built into the rate" but that's BS.
It should be an added to the confirmation for tarping just like, detention or a layover.

Fact is everything can be tapped by the shipper, but there too cheap to pay for covering their own freight so they expect the trucker to pick up the cost. And your providing an insurance or a guarantee that the freight will be dry and damage free by using your own tarps that the broker and the shipper are not paying extra for.

There expensive, dirty, heavy and time consuming. Tarping freight is an insurance claim just waiting to happen. By the way, because I don't tarp anything anymore, I only pay $425 a month for truck insurance.

 

Or maybe have a little pride in your job and your equipment and take care of it even if someone else paid for it. I’m sure your opinion might change if you had 10 trucks and 9 of them shared your current point of view.

 

Harbor freight carries some decent moving blankets for the money especially when you know what their going to be used for. Also carpet/flooring companies that do install maybe of help.

 

Are you my co-worker that keeps ripping tarps? I don’t like that guy very much.