5 Things to Know Before Purchasing Lightweight Lumber Tarps

When your lumber tarps are nearing the end of their life, it is time to purchase a replacement before they become too worn to use. This will help you avoid potential safety hazards brought about by worn out truck tarps. Here are some things you should know and remember when shopping for lightweight lumber tarps:

• Keep in mind the types of loads you typically handle and transport. Lightweight lumber tarps may not be the best option for certain types of cargo, such as those that require weighted covering. Lumber tarps are best for securing and weather-proofing lumber and similar types of loads. Their lightweight nature makes them easier to maneuver over large trucks and flatbeds, making sure that the tie-down is tight and fool-proof.

• Tarps come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and configurations. Take into account the type of truck you drive so that you choose the right kind and size of lumber tarps to purchase. Knowing the right tarp size that your truck needs is crucial to ensuring the safety of your tie downs and avoiding exposed cargo, which could damage the products and materials you are transporting and put you at risk of road accidents.

• Choose the right accessories for lumber tarps. Investing in good quality shock cords, ropes and rubber tarp straps, D rings, and other tarping accessories is also important if you want to ensure secure loads and a longer lifespan for your lightweight lumber tarps. Choose high quality tie down accessories for your tarps and invest in corner protectors to keep your tarps in top condition longer. Corner shields protect tarps from sharp edges, which can cause tears and holes.

• Buy lumber tarps from trusted manufacturers and suppliers to ensure the quality of the products you are purchasing. Good quality tarps do cost more, but they don’t have to break the bank. Look for companies that offer competitive pricing on quality truck tarps. Choose American made tarps that are designed to withstand the rigors of the different weather conditions truck loads are subject to in the country.

• Finally, choose lightweight lumber tarps and load securing products that are made to work together to ensure the utmost safety of your truck and cargo. The best companies offer tarps and straps, along with lumber hauler packs, that make load securement a lot easier and more safe.

Safety Tips for Tarping a Flatbed Truck

Tarping a truck may seem like a simple task that can be done without training. However, there is a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way of securing loads on trucks. Educating your drivers will go a long way in reducing your losses and ensuring that your operations go smoothly on a daily basis. Tarps for trucks are crucial tools that every truck driver should know how to handle. Flatbed tarps are different than the lightweight coverings that you usually use for personal applications. They are a lot heavier and much more difficult to handle, which is why educating and training your drivers for proper flatbed truck tarping is important if you want to ensure their safety and efficiency on the road:

• Regardless of the type of product that you are hauling, your truck’s contents are valuable cargo for your clients or your own company. This is why, apart from maintaining the value and quality of your load, it is also important to keep truck cargo properly secured to ensure the safety of others who are traveling around you. When securing a load, it is critical to conduct pre-trip inspections and make sure that the truck’s load has been properly prepared for tie down. Use only heavy-duty flatbed tarps and the correct tie-down straps to ensure adequate security. Visually inspecting every tarping accessory, as well as ensuring their quality, is also important to make sure that they won’t fail in transit. Pre-trip inspections like these can save you a great deal of money and headache in the long run.

• During transit, avoid roadside inspections unless absolutely necessary. The best locations to re-inspect or re-secure your load is at rest stops or parking lots as opposed to roadsides, which can cause all kinds of trouble should problems occur during your inspection. 

• Apart from the right tarps for trucks, it also pays to provide your drivers with the right accessories, such as proper footwear and high-visibility clothing and accessories to help keep them safe on the road and on delivery sites. Proper footwear, for instance, will help them avoid slips and falls while securing loads onto huge trucks. Considering what truckers do are high-risk tasks, precautions like these are important to follow to ensure their safety and avoid headaches resulting from preventable and avoidable accidents at work and on the road.