One for the Open Deck Guys

[Musicman]

Could you tarp this load?

[GMAN]

I could tarp it, but would prefer to not do it. That is the type of load that is likely to result in some tears in your tarp. You will need to use a lot of padding. I have tarped some strange loads.

[mgfg]

Lots of time and as GMAN said LOTS of padding. I would load the tall pieces close together and the highest pieces @ the front and the lowest to the rear. Obviously the tighter you keep it the easier it is to tarp.

If I showed up to load that and a broker had NOTrepresented the load as such I would either get more money for the additional work or I would strongly consider leaving.

[Windwalker]

Carpet... Rubber mats... Cardboard... Duct tape... Anything you can use to make corners a bit more dull, then make sure the tarp doesn't flap around. Hope you've got patching material and a can of glue.

Oh, yeah... Anyplace the tarp can flap around, it will wear the paint off the equipment too. Right down to bare metal.

[GMAN]

It will help protect your tarp if you throw some straps across it. 2" rachet straps work well for that sort of thing. You will minimize any damage to your tarps if you can keep them from moving around.

[Musicman]

The broker represented the load as a “recycling machine” that would take up 32 feet of deck space. We asked about the general shape and dimensions and the broker only pointed out that the machine was tall and we must have a step deck. I got there and started looking at the pieces and realized that this really should be shipped on a Conestoga. I called the broker and said that unless I could find a hundred feet of carpet, even if I tarped the load in Connecticut, it would just be covered by shreds of tarp by the time I got to California. He called the customer and the customer said run it untarped so I did a “Snoopy dance” and hauled ass.

I was just wondering what you more experienced open deck types would say. I don’t feel so inadequate now, so thanks.

Just a thought… do they make rip-proof tarps, perhaps made with Kevlar or a similar material? What tarps would you suggest for hauling this type of stuff? My eight foot drop, three piece lumber tarp set is obviously not the best choice. There seems to be quite a bit of this type of stuff moving out there that requires a step-deck and I wouldn’t mind doing more (especially LTL) if I can properly equip my truck for it.

[Maniac]

No rip proof tarps that I know of, like was mentioned, lots and lots of padding, thats all you can do.

Personally I tried my best for no tarp stuff, left a lot of loads sitting also, you also can't have a tarp for everything, they will add to your tare weight.

[Windwalker]

Don't wait for them to tell you a second time not to bother tarping the load. One of their issues, this time of year, might be road salt. I have had loads that did not have to be tarped in summer, rain or not, but in winter, they had to be covered because of the salt. They weren't worried about a little rust, especially when the material was stored outside in the weather to begin with, but road salt will cause pits in the surface, and that was what they didn't want. Might be like that with your load.

[GMAN]

You are going to have loads that will be a challenge to tarp. You will rip tarps no matter how well you tarp. You can get some carpet or carpet padding (less weight and easier to handle). I bought some furniture pads at Harbor Freight for about $6/each. I believe that they are about 4' x 6'. They are light weight and durable. I also have felt padding, which is also light weight. I carry 5 tarps on my step deck. I think my tarps are 18 oz. You can go with a lighter weight tarp, but I prefer the heavier tarps due to the added protection. One thing you can do is watch how you load, especially when you have a difficult to tarp load. If you can put enough padding and keep it from moving around then you have a much greater chance of protecting your load. When air gets underneath the tarp it can move back and forth and the wind can act like a saw or knife which cuts the tarp. If you want to do LTL then you might consider getting some smaller tarps, such as 16' x 20'. You can sometimes wrap the smaller tarp around and either use bungies or a 2" ratchet strap to keep it secure. You will need 1 or 2 8' drop tarps. In fact, after you see what you will need, you might want to consider buying some light weight 10' drops. They make 10' tarps for step decks. I believe that a set is 3 or 4 tarps. That could give you everything you need to tarp. I would not turn down loads simply because they need to be tarped. If you do then you will lose a lot of loads.

[rank]

You did good. I had a similar situation with a sand blasting machine out of PA. The driver called me and said, "If I tarp this the tarps will be ruined". I called the broker and said they should have ordered a curtain side step. The shipper OK'd the no tarp.

Just a tip. I have found that they all want their stuff tarped for $50. Jack the tarp fee up to $250 and you will be surprised how reasonable they become.

[GMAN]

Raising the fee to tarp can make a difference. Some people want their products tarped whether it really needs it or not. It is interesting how they will sometimes change their minds when they realize that it will cost them money to have their load tarped.

[RostyC]

Yep, been there done that. fun, fun, fun.
padding
padding, more padding, even more padding!

Then a patch kit when you're done.

[Musicman]

You did good. I had a similar situation with a sand blasting machine out of PA. The driver called me and said, "If I tarp this the tarps will be ruined". I called the broker and said they should have ordered a curtain side step. The shipper OK'd the no tarp.
Just a tip. I have found that they all want their stuff tarped for $50. Jack the tarp fee up to $250 and you will be surprised how reasonable they become.

That is nearly word for word what I told the broker. I said that while I wanted to honor my commitment to haul the load and would do so if I thought I would be able to keep the load tarped, I didn’t see the point in trying to tarp the load if the tarp was going to be shredded by the time I got to California anyway. The customer would be angry because the load wasn’t protected and I’d be out $700 for a tarp set. It would be a lose, lose situation.