Today, while I was waiting to get loaded with cement in my bulker, I noticed a flatbed which was loaded with cement bags, whose owner / driver took out a tarp which was folded up like a newspaper !!! It was amazingly light, and he was throwing the thing around, as one would a piece of cloth. Out of sheer curiousity, when I got off my truck and asked him about it, he told me that it cost about 70 bucks Canadian ( maybe about 60 bucks or so US ). Has anyone seen or used anything similar ? Is a tarp like this acceptable for covering loads ? Would DOT create a hassle about it ?

 

I use a lightweight tarp for hauling nursery stock. It is very light weight. Nursery tarps are usually a mesh. There are also light weight plastic tarps that can be purchased from Walmart, Northern Tool, and many other outlets. I don't recall the weight, but there are regular flat bed tarps which are made out of a lighter weight material which can be purchased from some tarp companies, such as Tri-State Tarp. The main thing the DOT is concerned with is whether a load is secured. It is usually the shipper who is concerned about whether a load is tarped. There are some loads which required a tarp, such as dumps and waste trucks, in some areas of the country.

 

70 bucks? Was it also the size of a newspaper? Rather cheap for a tarp.

 

At that price it sounds more like something you can buy at Walmart or many sporting goods companies. If so, they usually won't stand up to the stress of wind and the elements. I ripped a tarp and bought one of those once. Winds were high. I didn't make it out of town before it was shredded. :?

 

If you plan on pulling a flat bed it will be much better to get the heavy duty tarps designed for this type of work. Prices typically start at around $225 and go up depending on the size and style.