Lumber and steel tarps cover most flatbed freight. Three smaller specialty tarps handle the jobs they don't.
Smoke tarps
A smoke tarp, also called a nose tarp, is a small, squarish tarp that covers the front and top front of a load. Its job is to keep the tractor's exhaust soot and road grime off freight that has to arrive clean. It sits right behind the exhaust stacks, where that grime lands first.
Drivers also use smoke tarps on their own: on pipe, steel and other long freight, or on small loads that don't need a full tarp. Some shippers require one even when they don't require full tarping, so it's worth carrying one. Common sizes are around 10 x 12 ft; larger ones such as 12 x 16 and 12 x 20 ft cover bigger loads.
Coil tarps
Steel coils are heavy, round and ruined by rust, so they get their own cover. A coil tarp, sometimes called a coil bag, is shaped to fit over a coil like a cap. It's sized by the coil, length x width x height: a 6 x 6 x 6 ft tarp covers a coil up to about that size. Measure the coil, including any blocking or cradle it sits in, and pick the size that clears it.
Machinery tarps
Machinery, equipment and odd-shaped loads don't fit the long, narrow shape of a lumber tarp. A machinery tarp is square, for example 20 x 20 or 24 x 24 ft, with D-rings around the edge, so it can be draped over a tall, bulky machine from any side. Pick the size by the machine's footprint plus twice its height, the same way you'd size any cover.
What to carry
A common kit is two lumber tarps, a steel tarp and a smoke tarp, with coil and machinery tarps added if you haul that freight regularly. Our guide to choosing a lumber tarp covers the rest.
Sources
- Mytee Products, "What are smoke tarps?"
- US Cargo Control, heavy duty smoke tarp 10 x 12, 18 oz
- The Truckers Report forum, tarping the front of a load of pipe
- US Cargo Control, coil tarps
- US Cargo Control, machinery tarps
Written by the TrueTarps team. Questions about your job? Contact us or request a custom tarp.