All About Truck Tarps That Will Securely Cover Your Cargo

When you are heading down the road with a big trailer full of products, you are absolutely certain that you want it to arrive at its destination in its original condition. That is where truck tarps come into play. These tarps, made of heavy-duty tough materials and coated with polyethylene, will stand up to on-the-road conditions. They will resist tearing in the winds.

As fall and winter approach it is important to have truck tarps on hand to cover the loads when the rain threatens it. The wind and rain can be a big enemy to the tarp so it is important to make sure the tarp material is thick and tear resistant.

The larger, heavy-duty tarps, sometimes weighing over a hundred pounds, are sold individually. The smaller sizes of tarp are sold in cartons, making it simple to keep all of your cargo trucks quickly covered. Coverings as small as 6' X 8' are available in cartons of 16. The 12' x 16', 12' x 48' and 12' x 54' are sold individually. These waterproof covers weigh 6.5 ounces per square yard, are 1200 denier with a 14 x 14 mesh count. They remain flexible even in cold conditions.

Hems on all sides are reinforced with braided roping and are stitched twice for extra support. The interior seams are heat sealed. These specialized coverings have one inch steel 'D' rings securely attached to nylon-reinforced corners every two feet. Where the 'D' rings are attached, the fabric reinforcement area is triangular shaped for stronger and more secure attachment.

Varieties of dump vehicles, such as articulated, transfer, truck and pup, and bottom dump, use roll tarpaulins. Flatbed trailers often carry larger, more durable items and they should be covered as well, to keep them in optimum condition. It is possible to special order any size that is needed to do the job at hand.

Solid brass grommets are used to reinforce the corners of the tarpaulin. This makes it convenient to tie down securely, keeping your product safe from the weather. The fabric resists spills of acid, does not tear easily and resists mildew in humid weather. Ultraviolet treatment is applied on both sides of truck tarps to further protect your load.

Truck tarps can come in many types of varieties. The truck can be covered with poly tarps or canvas tarps as long as the material in fastened properly.

Michael Stein is the president of Tarps Plus and is an expert on tarps and the tarp industry.

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A Couple of Thoughts About Buying That New Truck Bed Cover for Your Pickup

I have often been asked by fellow pickup truck owners why they should bother with a tonneau cover for the bed of their trucks. While it all seems to make so much sense to me, apparently not everyone gets it. There are a number of good reasons to put a cover back there, irregardless of which kind of cover you choose. First, tonneau covers help keep the nasty elements and weather out of the bed of your truck, and whatever you are hauling in it! Secondly, they keep all the lookie-loos from checking out what you've got back there. Third in line, there is a definite boost to your fuel economy by flattening out the back end. A fourth thought is also that they just look cool back there, and make the whole truck look cool!!!

Before you take my advice and rush out to buy a truck bed cover for your rig, here are a few thoughts you should take into consideration BEFORE you buy! I mean - you really don't want to be wasting a lot of your money by getting a cover that doesn't do what YOU need it to. Looks are one thing, but function and purpose are critically important too!

Do a little thinking about how you plan to, or actually do use, your truck. Is it a truck you use a lot for your job or work? Is it used more for hauling your weekend toys? Do you just use it for recreation? Or is it just your favorite vehicle for cruising or getting around? Finally, how much can you afford right now?

Financially speaking, the soft tonneau covers generally cost less than the hard covers. Soft covers that zip or snap or hook will usually also be less expensive. A little more work for you - but if money is tight, certainly a good way to go.

Maybe looks and color are a key for you. The fiberglass covers quite often offer a wide range of color choices, and the likelihood of matching your vehicle's color. Fiberglass covers are an example of a hard tonneau cover. Easy to get a larger color choice with a hard flat surface, than on a soft pliable material.

The hard top covers are more sturdy, do a much better job of maintaining a nice straight even shape over the bed, and offer less wind resistance. Some are made from metals, some from fiberglass, some from plastics and polymers. All make for an excellent look back there.

How much help are you going to have putting the cover on and off, or opening and closing it? A heavier hard cover can be some real work if it's just you trying to do it all yourself. So are some of the soft tops because of their flexibility. You know, once you take them loose, the shape is lost, and it becomes a little like folding a fitted sheet - if you know what I mean!

If you are one of the millions that use your truck for your job or your work, then you really want to consider covers that are simple to open and close, and covers that can be left open - either in part - or the whole thing. Here, I think the soft covers are good because they can be rolled or folded up - without a lot of effort. There are also hinged covers that can be opened in sections. Again, lighter weight is better here. Easier for you to work with alone. If not a soft cover, then think about aluminum or other light weight hard materials.

If this is going to be something that you take off a lot and stow away in your garage, you probably want to go soft, as they will roll or fold up nicely and quickly, and won't take up much space. The hard covers are going to be like stowing your roof rack or kayak in the garage - where you will need some room along a wall, or an overhead storage rack.

One final thought here is about what you carry in the bed. If you continuously are carrying expensive toys, tools, supplies, or gear in the bed, then the best option going is a hard cover with a tailgate lock. These usually involve at cover that can't be opened unless the tail gate is down. With a lock, you can keep the tailgate secure, as well as everything in your bed. Also a lot harder to cut through a hard top cover with a knife or machete.

The whole idea is to really shop around and look around, and see what looks good on a vehicle like yours. And study up to see what features match up to YOUR specific needs and use. Looking cool is great, but not at the expense of functionality! Your time is definitely worth a lot, and so is the gear you are hauling. There are a lot of solid auto accessories web sites and stores out there selling good quality truck bed covers, and many offer lots of info about the tops they sell. Some even have instructions - to make sure it's something you can handle! Enjoy your search and happy hunting!

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