In the transportation industry, using open-deck trailers, such as flatbed trailers, to transport goods is common, and is even more popular. This is because they can transport all kinds of irregular cargo. However, natural elements (such as wind, snow, and rain) can significantly impact cargo. To solve such problems, drivers usually cover the cargo with a tarp before the transport starts.
There are different types of tarps for various cargoes. What types of types are there? What kind of cargo are they suitable for?
1. Lumber Tarp
This is one of the most popular flatbed trailer tarps. This is because they can be used to cover all kinds of loads, not just lumber. It features flaps at the end to be able to cover the end of the load. Most types of loads can be covered with a lumber tarp.
A common size of lumber tarp is 8 feet.
2. Steel Tarp
Steel tarps are mainly used to cover loads of steel. To be precise, it covers stacked steel, not steel coils. It is a cost-effective method of transportation to meet the safety requirements of hauling steel loads.
A common steel tarp size is 4 feet. This is the main difference between it and a lumber tarp. Because steel is denser than wood, it is shorter and smaller for the same weight. Therefore, a steel tarp will also be smaller than a lumber tarp.
3. Parachute Tarp
This is also a popular truck tarp. It consists of two parts. The top is usually made of heavy-duty vinyl, which can better withstand the natural elements. The sides are made of parachute fabric, which is hard-wearing but less able to directly resist bad weather. Therefore, it is a trade-off for carriers.
4. Machinery Tarp
This is a type of tarp designed to cover machinery and equipment loads. Machinery and equipment often have odd shapes and sizes and sharp edges that can cause the tarp to wear out over time. Therefore, when using a mechanical tarp to cover a load, it needs to be made to fit the equipment as closely as possible, thus reducing tearing.
5. Demolition Tarp
It has another name, snow tarp. This is the strongest tarp on the market today. It is suitable for binding and lifting heavy debris, such as concrete, and can be easily hauled away from construction sites.
6. Canvas Tarp
Canvas tarps a breathable mesh tarps usually used to cover outdoor equipment or goods. They are waterproof, but the waterproof performance is not high and cannot be washed by rain for a long time. It has the advantage of being lightweight and inexpensive.
7. Poly tarp
It is the abbreviation of polyethylene tarps, which is the most popular one in the market. But this is not used in the transportation industry because it is too lightweight. Poly tarps are usually used for yard work or to cover outdoor equipment.
8. Smoke Tarp
It can also be referred to as a nose tarp. They are for truckers hauling loads that could get damaged by the smoke, soot, or exhaust from the truck’s cab. Smoke tarps are also usually required when transporting PVC pipes.
I appreciate you letting us know that canvas tarps are breathable and waterproof, so they’re commonly used to cover outdoor equipment or goods since they’re also lightweight and inexpensive. I do deliveries for our flower shop, so I wanted to get a tarp for the flowers on our trailer. I’ll keep this in mind and consider canvas tarps once I find out where to get custom-fitted tarps soon.
Ooh, I just love it when you talked about how affordable canvas tarps are. I should tell my uncle about this as soon as possible before he makes any kind of purchase. He owns a truck and needs to cover every cargo he transports on a daily basis.