Flatbed equipment choices....

My Bad. Guess I should read everything before I post.

 

Nice truck, SHC. You have several good storage options. Side boxes, center drop box, headache rack w/tarp box or cabinets. You're goong to be in good shape.

 

I carried 5/16 grade 70 chains & never had a problem. Whatever you get make sure they have a stamp on the links every so many links or they'll be considered grade 30.

I never needed a ratchet binder unless I was using my side kit.

If you're using winches on the trailer I get the flat hooks. It's a good idea to get a couple spare straps that have the winder & hooks on both sides to get to the spots where your winches won't slide to.

I cut an old thick piece of rubber belting & used for corner protectors. I did have coil protectors & I also used these rubbers under them.

I cut some four foot long strips from this belting to use on top of my coil boards before I put a coil on them. I never carried carpet, if it got wet it'd weigh a ton. I put a smaller canvas tarp on each end of my load before I tarped it to protect my good tarp.

If you want to spend a few bucks you can take a set of lumber tarps to a canvas shop & have a couple of feet cut off all the way around. Then have then sew in loops on the inside of the top part & snap hooks on the bottom part. Gives you two size tarps, a six foot drop with two foot extensions.

The best thing to do with your tarp straps is to cut a piece of 3 or 4 inch pvc pipe just a bit longer then a relaxed strap & put them on there & put them in your box. They'll last a whole lot longer out of the elements.

Sometimes oversize signs are a pain on the front. Easiest thing I found was to make one of aluminum or wood & paint your sign. If a place to carry it was a problem you could put a hinge in the middle & fold it.

If you hail pipe, many places will require you to have pipe stakes. Mine were made of small channel & were only about two feet tall & would drop into the side pockets.

 

If I was you and going at this for the first time in life, I'd go with cheaper tarps until you get the hang of it. I'd hate to see you spend a ton of money on good tarps just to get them tore up from lack of knowledge.

Now if you can get good tarps cheap thru Pape then go for it.

Also take all your bungies out and crimp the hook end that is on the bungie. I see so many who don't do this and tear up tarps from the hook itself. Get yourself a can of tarp glue and extra tarp for patching holes.

Tarps will last a long time if you take care of them. Heck I still got some thats over 10 years old.

 

Very good advice. I hate it when I would help or see a drivers tarp and their hooks would not be crimped. They spend all this money on tarps and let a $2 bungee rip a hole in it. And getting your tarps patched at a tarp shop is not cheap. I always carried a patch kit with me just in case.

 

What does Pape haul that needs tarped?

 

Plate steel, small coils, and the shipper requires some shingles to be tarped. Good thing is that 99.5% of our freight that needs to be tarped can be covered w/ 4' drops.