chip truck tarping

Hi everyone,

I don't know if this is the right section. It says bulk and I'm thinking wood chips is bulk.

I started with a company on monday of this week driving chip truck.

Two loads a day. Should take about 8-9 hours to complete.

I've been putting in 10 plus. Partly because I don't know the roads yet but the tarping is really slowing me down.

I have been shown by three other drivers how to do it but I'm still having problems.

I was shown to crank the tarp to within about a foot or so to the other edge of the trailer (the edge that has the straps that hang down the side) and lift it up and try and push it over the edge.

The thing that happens is, the other end that doesnt have the crank is lagging behind while rolling closed so I can get the crank end over (or close) but the other end is not cooperating.

I'm afraid of hight's so climbing up there to fix it is pretty stressful.

I know there are better solutions to doing this but I don't think the company would make the investment.

I'd ask other drivers (again) at the company but I never see anyone. I just go to the yard and pick the truck up.

While they were showing me how to do it they said I'll figure it out. I need to figure it out real quick.

Do you guys have any tips to getting that tarp to roll better?

 

Thanks,

I had to climb up there at the start of my shift today because the stupid thing was messed up on my first load.

When I was moving it I noticed the end of the tube had some old frayed cord sticking out of it and deducted that there may have been a cable or something attached at one time.

When I was at the dump yard I was looking at trucks from other companies and sure enough, they had some cord or cable up there.

Now, you just verified my suspicion again.

As far as dropping chips in with the tarp half closed...No, won't work, has to be fully open.

The last guy that showed me how to do it climbed right of the front ladder after he rolled it half way and fearlessly stood up there. He proceeded to manhandle the front part of the tarp over, climbed back down and rolled it the rest of the way closed.

I'm afraid of heights and I'm not going to put myself in a position to fall 14 feet to the ground.

This place is an accident waiting to happen. It's an old business so I wouldn't be surprised if there have been many over the years.

I had to quit the job about two hours ago after tarping what would be my second load of the day.

I'll give the details in my response to Toomanybikes' in the post bellow.