Crash course on tarping.. Experienced tarpers please chime in

are you mistaking "tarp strap" with "bungee"?

I put more than 30 on to hold my tarps down as I hated to have that balloon on me. Having a tarp start flapping in the wind is what destroys them. If they aren't tight, they are flapping.

 

A tarp strap and bungee are the same thing just different names for them. I use 30'' and 22'', mostly 22''. I normally use one tarp and usually use about 10 on each side and roll the ends and use a 4'' strap to hold them tight and never had an issue with bubeling or leaking water. This is for coils which is my main freight.

 

For sale locally for $800 that's what I'm looking for.

 

That's why your not using many tarp straps. Coils don't take many tarp straps. Cover a full 48 of steel or lumber and your going to need at least 100. To do it right and keep the tarp tight you use a lot of straps I carried rope as well just in case I ran out of straps I could Singh it down with rope too. Besides that ever had a tarp strap break? We carry more than we need because we know things happen. On the road and I'll be ###### if I didnt lose or break at least one tarp strap every time I tarped.

 

Yeah I see where your coming from. I guess I do have a lot more. I have the ones that are already fastened to my lumber tarps and that is probably another 70- 80. I was just curious because 150+ sounded like a lot, but when I add in those from my lumber tarps I have about that as well.

 

I always put a strap over the tarp at the front and back when I do lumber and one at the center if I use 2 tarps to keep it air tight as possible.

 

I understand. I carried about 100 for a while and then bought some cheapos just to make sure I was covered. Didn't want to worry about having one break and not having a spare. And as Murphys law would have it the one that breaks is is going to be one you need the most. I wasn't one to strap over my tarps though I could usually keep them tight without straps. I only carried 21" straps which is probably why. I'd stretch them darn things till they were about to break to keep them tight. Not smart but it saved throwing a strap over. Luckily with steel loads they always gave me plastic so I didn't worry too much if a little water got through. Worst load was a load of drywall compound. Didn't have to tarp for weather it was to keep the shrink wrap from coming off. Surprised I didn't have a claim on that load crushed a few boxes even with corner protection but I didn't want it shifting. Swear that's another reason they wanted it tarped...lot of good a tape is going to do when the load decides to shift think I had 98 tarp straps on that load but don't recall for sure.

 

Yeah I hate drywall. I used to haul drywall and the paper rolls, but I hated it because I always had to drop and hook. It never failed that another a hole left a trailer with at least one light out and some other issue. Not to mention I keep all my gear between the bulkhead and a false bulkhead. Swapping all that takes too much time for a s### paying load. I told them if they wanted me to haul drywall to get me a headache rack to minimize moving all the stuff and have not heard a word or seen a load of it since. Fine with me cause national gyp dont pay for sh## anyway.

 

I've put marks on a few straps to show how much a 4' drop would cover over the contour of the load. It's surprising how much they cover when it looks like you'd need to break out the bigger tarps.

Super sacks like to settle so if your tarp is only a couple inches off the deck it won't be for long.

 

My load was I think 16 skids of compound in a bag boxed up. Of course they wanted the load moved then and there and the load would've froze that night and an ice storm was moving in. I forgot that drywall compound compresses and crushed a few boxes. Didn't care that was a 20 hour day to get that crap off. Finally rolled in at 12:45am and after leaving at 7:30 am the previous morning. Ended up trying to blind back down an alley before the consignee showed up to unload my trailer and told me to go around the block and come down the alley. Managed to get down the alley and the guys forklift didn't have work lights. Had to use a flashlight to help him get his load off and then he held me up for another hour and a half counting every box. Rolled up my tarps collected my tarp straps and the guy didn't even have the decency to hold the light so I could get my tarps in my toolboxes. Got home around 3:30 filled out my comic book and went to bed. Took almost 55 days for the broker to finally pay me. I said never again. I loved flat bedding and enjoyed the challenge. Didn't mind the steel tarps but the day I loaded lumber and the shipper wouldn't lift my tarps for me was the day I decided enough was enough. Got one up there after 20 minutes, and almost dropped the 2nd one on my head looked at the loader said take this #### off my trailer I'm going home this load ain't paying enough for me to get my ### killed. Guy just looked at me laughed and said you ain't no flatbedder grabbed my winch bar and said I'm 5'10 110 let's see you get one up on a 6ft stack of lumber ####### in strapped the load and said you got 15 minutes to have it off my trailer or I'll dump the whole load in your lot. Told the guard at the guard shack I was leaving and to tell the loader to stay out of my town.