Tarping a flatbed safely

Tarping a flatbed safely

Tarping is part of the job on a flatbed, and it's one of the riskiest parts. Washington State's Department of Labor and Industries, which studies trucking injuries through its SHARP program, says many drivers there are hurt every year while tarping, and identifies falls from height while tarping as a leading cause of work-related hospitalizations in transportation and warehousing. Heavy tarps, uneven loads, wind, rain and ice all make it worse.

What the research found

A study from the University of Waterloo, published in the journal Work in 2011, watched flatbed drivers tarp loads three ways: by hand from on top of the load, and with two mechanical alternatives. Manual tarping put the most physical demand and fall risk on the drivers. In the manual trials, drivers jumped down from the trailer to the ground 58% of the time, and from the load down to the trailer 75% of the time. All the drivers preferred the alternatives, which were faster and kept them off the load, though less versatile. It was a small study, nine drivers, but it matches what injury records show.

Workers loading lumber onto a flatbed truck in 1940
Loading lumber in Phoenix, 1940. The climb onto the load is the same today, and so is the risk of coming down the wrong way. Photo: Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. Library of Congress, no known restrictions.

Habits that cut the risk

  • Don't jump down. Climb down with three points of contact, and carry a ladder for getting onto and off the load.
  • Use a tarping station when the shipper has one. Many have overhead rigs or fall protection; it's worth asking.
  • Watch the wind. A tarp catching wind can pull a driver off a load. Unroll it with the wind at your back, and get the front edge tied down first.
  • Roll the tarp out forward, so you can see gaps and voids in the load before you step on them.
  • Watch your footing. Straps, dunnage and wet or icy tarp are where boots slip and catch.
  • Lift less. A lighter tarp, or a 3-piece set instead of one big tarp, means less weight to throw. Fold tarps so the end you need first comes off first.

Equipment that helps

Side kits, sliding tarp systems and tarping stations all reduce or remove the need to stand on the load. They cost more and don't suit every kind of freight, which is why most flatbedders still tarp by hand at least some of the time. When you do, the habits above are what keep it routine.

A good tarp setup helps too: the right drop so you're not wrestling extra fabric, and enough rubber tarp straps to tie down every D-ring quickly.

Sources

  1. University of Waterloo researchers, comparison of flatbed tarping methods, Work (IOS Press), 2011, abstract
  2. University of Waterloo CRE-MSD, tip sheet: tarping and untarping flatbed trailers
  3. Washington L&I SHARP, tip sheet "Don't Fall for It" (CDC Stacks)
  4. Washington L&I, flatbed tarping fall fatality report 71-220-2022
  5. Washington L&I SHARP, hazard bulletin: trailer falls while tarping (100-11-2022)

Written by the TrueTarps team. Questions about your job? Contact us or request a custom tarp.