looking to start hauling lumber i have got 48ft flatbed just wondering where to buy and what size is most popular i no i need at least 8ft drops

 

I bought mine through my local trucking store near me. I bought the heaviest weight they had. I have 2 tarps with flaps on one end. They are 8' drops and are 27' long and 24' wide. I think 27' may be a standard. Longer than you need but you need to overlap and also, some times you may hang over the end of your trailer 3 or 4 feet. I paid $900 for mine.

 

You can usually find a 3 tarp set for about $700-800. There are a number of tarp companies. There could be one near you. Tri-State is in East St. Louis. Arkansas Tarp is in West Memphis. There are several in Ohio and Northern Indiana. There is one just off I-10 East of Houston near I-610. I don't remember the name, but they are on the South side of I-10 on the access road. Some tarp repair shops also sell tarps. Where do you live?

 

I think ripp jr. is near me, Gman. Why does a 3-tarp set make sense, wouldn't you need two lumber and two steel?

 

Don't forget padding tarps to protect your other tarps. You can also use your padding tarp for a smoke tarp or use it for smaller freight. I tarped a load of lumber with one lumber tarp. All that wasn't covered was a small section of one of the ends. The top and both sides folded over and left only the center portion exposed. I use one of my padding tarps rather that another lumber tarp.

 

i might be wrong why would u use anything but 8 ft drops can someone tell me cause a buddie of mine has 2 27ft tarps wiyh 6ft drops i can get fro around 350.00 only used a couple of times

 

When I pulled a flat all the co. supplied was two 20"X27" tarps with a 6" foot flap. We pulled anything they could find and it wasn't really an issue. They called those tarps plywood tarps because they are just the right size for lumber piled 2 bundles high. If you're going 3 high than you need taller tarps or sometimes guys will turn the tarp sideways if they have D-rings all they way around. For my money I'd probably buy the ones with the 6" flap unless I knew I was going to haul a lot of insulation or something else that was going to piled to the sky.

 

A 3 tarp set is a little easier to handle, especially when you have a smaller load to tarp. The disadvantage is that you usually don't have the flap except for one tarp. It really depends on what you plan on hauling. Most loads that I haul don't require the larger lumber tarps. I rarely haul lumber because the rates are usually low and it is heavy. If I were to haul mostly lumber then I might consider having two of the large lumber tarps with the flaps. With the 3 tarp set, you can usually use one of the smaller tarps to cover one or more coils. Most loads that I tarp will usually take no more than 2 tarps. The only way I can think of that you would need 2 lumber tarps is if you mostly hauled lumber or loads which regularly required 8 foot drops. You don't really need 2 steel tarps if you have the 3 tarps set.

 

Go to www.tarps4less.com
Here's a rundown of what they have:

24'X26', 16oz, 8' drop, two rows of D-rings - $392.50 per tarp, tarps are only shipped in pairs, shipping is included in the price

same tarp but 18oz - $403.00 per tarp

16oz, THREE rows of D-rings - $422.50 per tarp

18oz, THREE rows of D-rings - $433.00 per tarp

Remember, tarps are shipped in pairs, and the shipping is included in the price. Sounds like a pretty good deal, but I don't have much tarp-buying experience.

 

I just looked at www.harpstarps.com. They have the three piece tarp set, along with standard 24'X26' tarps. The prices are comparable to the prices at other website that I gave, although these prices don't include shipping. I Googled the companies that GMAN named, but nothing came up for them.