How To Buy The Right Size Tarp

When buying a truck tarp, the size you want depends on how big your cargo is — that's obvious. If you carry only one kind of freight and nothing else, congratulations. You know exactly which size tarp you need, so you order that one from D.S. Sewing and use it every single day of the year. As you probably know, however, not every hauler has it so easy. What if your cargo varies from trip to trip, and you're hauling loads of all different sizes? One day you've got lumber stacked 8 feet high, then you drop that off and pick up skids full of roof shingles. After that you might be hauling a short load of steel beams. To protect all those different cargos, you'd have to buy an array of tarps and keep them with you at all times, right? Wrong. That could cost thousands of dollars and take up valuable room on your trailer. But the proper fit is important — a tarp that's too small won't protect your cargo from rain, road salt, or thieves. One that's too big will billow out like a parachute when you get on the highway. "The correct size makes a good fitting tarp, and a good fitting tarp lasts longer than a tarp blowing around," says Dave Steinhardt, D.S. Sewing owner.