3 pc tarp for a stepdeck: what sizes?

[tracer]

Can anyone tell me what would be a good solution in terms of sizes for a 3 piece tarp system?

48' step
11' upper deck
37' lower deck
34" height (lower deck)

I'm not sure if I need full 10' drop tarps as my dispatch is beating about the bush on this. Most of their trailers are flatbeds and they don't know what to recommend for a stepdeck. I doubt I'll be hauling lumber or stuff like that - the company has plenty of flatbed guys for that - but I want to get a setup that would get me started. I read old posts on "tarps" and the idea of having only 3 tarps (instead of 4) seems appealing. Any comments are appreciated. I plan to go with lightweight design where the top is made with regular 18 oz vinyl, while the sides are 10 oz ... something like that.

[GMAN]

For the most part you won't need anything other than a 8' drop. On the other hand, there are loads that go on a step deck that can be 10' high and require tarping. If I were starting out with a step deck and planned on getting lightweight tarps I would go for the 10' drops. It makes you more versatile. Just make sure you get extra rows of d rings. I do legal and over-sized on my step deck. 8' drops work on most anything that I haul, but I bought the tarps before buying the step. I have also bought additional tarps since from people who wanted to get out of the business. You can turn tarps sideways and get a little more length out of them. Some shippers are more adamant about covering the entire shipment than others. I also know step deck owners who have a few smaller tarps for doing LTL.

[tracer]

For the most part you won't need anything other than a 8' drop. On the other hand, there are loads that go on a step deck that can be 10' high and require tarping. If I were starting out with a step deck and planned on getting lightweight tarps I would go for the 10' drops. It makes you more versatile. Just make sure you get extra rows of d rings. I do legal and over-sized on my step deck. 8' drops work on most anything that I haul, but I bought the tarps before buying the step. I have also bought additional tarps since from people who wanted to get out of the business. You can turn tarps sideways and get a little more length out of them. Some shippers are more adamant about covering the entire shipment than others. I also know step deck owners who have a few smaller tarps for doing LTL.

What size lengthwise would you recommend? One tarp for the upper deck and two for the lower deck?

[GMAN]

If you go with a 3 tarp system would have one for the top and 2 for the bottom. The tarps should be long enough to cover the entire load. A 24' x 26' tarp should cover the top deck. That gives you 8' on each side and 10' across one side and 8' on the other. The bottom tarp should be large enough to cover a 10' tall load. That means that each of the two tarps should be about 28' x 29'. If you have a lower deck height then you may want to get a slightly larger tarp to accommodate the extra height. If you have a full load there will be enough tarp for some overlap. A little larger tarp won't hurt if you can find some that are already made up. It would be better to have a tarp that is a little larger than too small.

[tracer]

If you go with a 3 tarp system would have one for the top and 2 for the bottom. The tarps should be long enough to cover the entire load. A 24' x 26' tarp should cover the top deck. That gives you 8' on each side and 10' across one side and 8' on the other. The bottom tarp should be large enough to cover a 10' tall load. That means that each of the two tarps should be about 28' x 29'. If you have a lower deck height then you may want to get a slightly larger tarp to accommodate the extra height. If you have a full load there will be enough tarp for some overlap. A little larger tarp won't hurt if you can find some that are already made up. It would be better to have a tarp that is a little larger than too small.

the problem I see with this is I'll have to use these huge tarps each time I have to tarp, even if the load is only 4 ft tall. how do you dispose of this extra 6 ft of tarp with a short load (10' drop minus 4' load on the lower deck)? Rolling them up will probably take half a day

[kelgar50]

What I do in that siruation is this
I have a pair of 8ft drop parachute tarps(great tarps light and have lasted me since '05 65lbs each)
and when I load something short say 4ft I take and roll the tarp out then pull the lower part of the tarp in on top of the load do that on both sides to where the bottom of the tarp is under the top of the tarp and then you have a 4ft drop tarp.I have 1 4ft drop I use on the top deck (I also have a wilson step 48x102 with the 11 top and 37 bottom)and have 1 6ft drop I also use when needed for ltl work.This is all I have used for the past 4yrs and have never need any more.
Also my 2 8ft parachute tarps will cover the trailer from end to end and if you do it right and over time you will figure out the trick to where you can go from the top deck to the lower with the same tarp and not have the tarp below out going down the road.Meaning you do not have to breakout a 3pc tarp.

[GMAN]

the problem I see with this is I'll have to use these huge tarps each time I have to tarp, even if the load is only 4 ft tall. how do you dispose of this extra 6 ft of tarp with a short load (10' drop minus 4' load on the lower deck)? Rolling them up will probably take half a day

I have 5 tarps on my step deck. You can buy smaller tarps to use for smaller loads. It is rare for me to use more than 2 tarps on a load and I have a 53' step deck. I have used more but it isn't the norm. You can get by with 8' drops. You could get 1 or 2 steel tarps. They are smaller and easier to use. I probably use my steel tarps than the larger ones. I know one guy who has a couple of 16' x 20' tarps for LTL's. I would not worry about trying to get everything starting out. You can get along with one lumber tarp and two steel tarps. Unless you haul a lot of tall or over sized loads that require tarps you should do just fine. I just tuck the excess tap underneath. You can add things as you go along. I also haul quite a bit of freight that doesn't require a tarp.

[tracer]

What I do in that siruation is this
I have a pair of 8ft drop parachute tarps(great tarps light and have lasted me since '05 65lbs each)
and when I load something short say 4ft I take and roll the tarp out then pull the lower part of the tarp in on top of the load do that on both sides to where the bottom of the tarp is under the top of the tarp and then you have a 4ft drop tarp.I have 1 4ft drop I use on the top deck (I also have a wilson step 48x102 with the 11 top and 37 bottom)and have 1 6ft drop I also use when needed for ltl work.This is all I have used for the past 4yrs and have never need any more.
Also my 2 8ft parachute tarps will cover the trailer from end to end and if you do it right and over time you will figure out the trick to where you can go from the top deck to the lower with the same tarp and not have the tarp below out going down the road.Meaning you do not have to breakout a 3pc tarp.

do you know what material your 8 ft drop tarps are made of? is it kardura, the stuff Peaks Tarps uses? I wanted to buy these but then one guy told me they tear easily and that the top part that makes them water-resistant is quite thin and flimsy...

[tracer]

You can get along with one lumber tarp and two steel tarps. Unless you haul a lot of tall or over sized loads that require tarps you should do just fine.

Gman, thanks very much for the comment. I definitely like the idea of 3 tarps better (1 lumber, 2 steel). I'm thinking of making steel tarps (4' drop) different size: one for the upper deck and shorter loads, and one longer, maybe enough to cover a 4' concentrated load. When I pulled a flatbed last summer I noticed I often was loaded with stuff that took only 24-26 ft of the flatbed deck (the shipper would leave 10 ft in the front and 10 in the back). 1 steel tarp wasn't enough but 2 was like an overkill. Anyone tried using one lightweight tarp to cover a 4' tall load that's 24-26 ft long? Or is it not practical?

[kelgar50]

My 8ft drop's are parachute material and they are 26' long.They work great and they are light my 8ft drops are 65lbs each I have a 6ft drop that is made of 18oz material and it is 95lbs.
So it is up to you also the parachute material conforms to shapes better and is harder to tear and if it does tear it does not continue to tear like vynil the threads tighten up and stop the tear.
One downfall of parachute is you can't just patch it you have to take the tarp in to get stiched up.

[tracer]

My 8ft drop's are parachute material and they are 26' long.They work great and they are light my 8ft drops are 65lbs each I have a 6ft drop that is made of 18oz material and it is 95lbs.

I think we're talking about the same material. Peak Tarps calls it "KARDURA". They say this material is similar to what they use to make backpack bags.

You have the same trailer as I"m getting, so I really appreciate your comments as your setup might work great for me too. Could you tell me what length do you think is best for smaller tarps (what have you found from experience)?

8' drop: 24' x 26' to cover the entire trailer 48' long
6' drop: 20' x 20'?
4' drop: 16' x 20'? to cover the upper deck 11' long

Thanks!

[kelgar50]

When are you picking up your new sled?Did you get some load levelers aswell?
I think you will be very happy with your choice Wilson makes a great product and the people are very nice to deal with.I had some work done on my step @ there plant in Sioux City,Ia a couple of years ago after getting rearended in Ca they were very quick with the repairs and even knocked the price of the repair down.
But anyways on to the tarps,
The 4ft drop I have is infact a 16'x24' and it works great for the top deck.My 6' drop is 26' long I had 2 of these but one got destroyed word to the wise when toteing your tarps on the top deck make sure you have a 4x4 strapped to the deck in front of the tarps.One of my 6ft drops worked its way out from the strp holding down the tarps and it fell down between the 1/4 fenders and the drives @ 60mph put on a hell of a smoke show thankfully I was out on a 2 lane road in the desert with next to no traffic.

I think you would be fine with getting a 2 4ft drops (parachute type)then get 2 8ft drops with flaps inthe same material and you should be fine.I never ran into a situation where I needed a 10ft drop.
Start with that and if you find your self needing a biger tarp then buy one later.

[rank]

In addition to the 3 pc 10' drops that I mentioned earlier, we also have a 2 pc 4' drop. I agree that you'd be OK 95% of the time with a 8' drop though.

[tracer]

When are you picking up your new sled?Did you get some load levelers aswell?
I think you will be very happy with your choice Wilson makes a great product and the people are very nice to deal with.I had some work done on my step @ there plant in Sioux City,Ia a couple of years ago after getting rearended in Ca they were very quick with the repairs and even knocked the price of the repair down.
But anyways on to the tarps,
The 4ft drop I have is infact a 16'x24' and it works great for the top deck.My 6' drop is 26' long I had 2 of these but one got destroyed word to the wise when toteing your tarps on the top deck make sure you have a 4x4 strapped to the deck in front of the tarps.One of my 6ft drops worked its way out from the strp holding down the tarps and it fell down between the 1/4 fenders and the drives @ 60mph put on a hell of a smoke show thankfully I was out on a 2 lane road in the desert with next to no traffic.

I think you would be fine with getting a 2 4ft drops (parachute type)then get 2 8ft drops with flaps inthe same material and you should be fine.I never ran into a situation where I needed a 10ft drop.
Start with that and if you find your self needing a biger tarp then buy one later.

Wilson starts building the trailer at Moberly, MO plant on Aug-10th. I can't wait It's going to be finished on 14th and I plan to pick it up shortly after that. I'll probably deliver a flatbed load from Canada to Chicago, IL and then pick up the new trailer and have them put it on top of the flatbed. I haven't bought the load levellers yet, but I found a local company that makes pretty decent ones and the price is pretty much the same as in the US. Re the tarps, you're probably right - I'll keep it simple and just get 2 four drop tarps and 2 eight foot drop tarps to start. All will be lightweight, probably from Peak Tarps...

[tracer]

In addition to the 3 pc 10' drops that I mentioned earlier, we also have a 2 pc 4' drop. I agree that you'd be OK 95% of the time with a 8' drop though.

Rank, our load manager and even dispatcher still haven't found time to tell me what tarps will work best. I'd hate to wrestle with 10 ft drop tarps so I'll probably just get a standard 'flatbed' setup: 2 lumber (8') and 2 steel (4') tarps, and will go from there. Especially as you say you don't really need 10' drop tarps most of the time ... Can always order more... Thanks for the input.

[specialkay]

Tracer when I pulled a tandem flat/drop we had 2 "plywood tarps" 20'X24' with a 6'flap on one end they were nice because on a tandem most loads weren't that high to need a 8' drop and a lot of time loads of bar are around 20 to 24 feet long so you could use the flap to get a little extra length instead of dragging out the second tarp. The other thing to do is when you get "ground tarps " made up put grommets around the outside so you can fasten it to the load or use it as an actual tarp instead of your good ones.

[tracer]

... on a tandem most loads weren't that high to need a 8' drop and a lot of time loads of bar are around 20 to 24 feet long so you could use the flap to get a little extra length...

when i pulled a tandem flatbed last summer i too often had such loads: for example, skids with bricks. they were 4' high and probably took 24' or 26' of space on the trailer only. the shipper started loading right after the last axle on the truck and the last skid was around the front axle on the trailer. i remember wishing i had one long 4' drop tarp, so that i wouldn't have to wrestle with two of them.

once i got a load of light steel coils. they loaded 5 of them on my trailer and the total weight was just under 45,000 lbs. i had to cover it with the standard 4' drop tarp (16' by 24') and it was too big for this particular load. i think having a short square "machinery" tarp in this situation would be helpful. 14' by 14' or 16' by 16'?

choices, choices ... as germans say, "wer hat die wahl, hat die qual"

[GMAN]

I know of a couple of step deck owners who don't even carry tarps. That works fine as long as you can find a non tarp load. They lose quite a few loads from time to time. Until you know the type of freight you will be hauling I would go with the 2 steel and 1 lumber tarp if you want to stick with 3 tarps. By turning the steel tarps sideways you can tarp an 8' tall load. Tarp shops can make you any size tarp you want. If you haul a lot of coils you may want to buy one or more coil sacks. They just slip right over the coil. I would not want to haul a lot of coils on a step deck. It is a waste of a good trailer.

[tracer]

I know of a couple of step deck owners who don't even carry tarps. That works fine as long as you can find a non tarp load. They lose quite a few loads from time to time. Until you know the type of freight you will be hauling I would go with the 2 steel and 1 lumber tarp if you want to stick with 3 tarps. By turning the steel tarps sideways you can tarp an 8' tall load. Tarp shops can make you any size tarp you want. If you haul a lot of coils you may want to buy one or more coil sacks. They just slip right over the coil. I would not want to haul a lot of coils on a step deck. It is a waste of a good trailer.

That's the problem. I talked to Flatbed Dispatch a few times and they just keep beating about the bush in terms of tarps and pretty much everything else. MacKinnon itself only has flatbed trailers in their Flatbed Division (tandems, multi-axle, and b-trains). So, they are not too sure about stepdeck but they have freight. I suspect I won't haul coils (even with a flatbed last summer I did it only once and these were smaller coils, where you take 5 of them). Also, on the flatbed I remember using steel tarps much more often than 8' foot 'monsters' But I saw of the stepdecks haul 8' loads a couple of times in ... winter. Your advice re: 3 pc tarp setup makes sense as I want to get started with as little cash outlay as possible and then add tarps if necessary later on. Thanks very much!

PS: I just saw a low Wilson step at a Flying J (17.5" wheels) and it sits really low! that's going to be great for tarping.

[tracer]

I would not want to haul a lot of coils on a step deck. It is a waste of a good trailer.

Do you mean they're bad for the trailer? Mine will have reinforced frame - "steel coil package"...