3 pc tarp for a stepdeck: what sizes?
 

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.

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?

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 :)

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.

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.

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...

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?

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.