What is a Tarp? Which are the Most Popular Types of Tarps?

Rapid Tarps™ are tarp selections made of premium, durable fabrics and constructed especially for mechanized tarping systems to meet the harsh demands of heavy-duty commercial trucking. Rapid Tarps online selections ship fast and provide efficient cover for dump trucks, trailers, and roll-off containers. All Roll·Rite® brand tarps are engineered to be easy to install and remove, making them ideal for hauling loads that need to be covered and uncovered quickly.

Here are some of the most popular types of tarp fabrics, along with their features and benefits:

Mesh Tarp

Mesh tarps are an excellent choice for applications like construction vehicles, including municipal dump trucks, dump trailers, stone slingers, or grapple/bulk loaders. The breathable material allows air to pass through, making them ideal for use as protective covers for aggregates such as dirt, sand, and gravel.

Mesh tarps are lightweight and easy to handle, making them a popular choice for general truck and trailer loads. Mesh tarps for trucking come in a variety of fabric weave styles and are offered in various stocking sizes or can be ordered in custom sizes, making them versatile to meet many needs. The mesh material is durable and resistant to tearing and fraying, ensuring that it can withstand harsh weather conditions and heavy use.

Industry-standard mesh tarps are a popular, affordable option for tarping general load types. They are easy to install and remove, making them a convenient solution for frequent tarping of truck and trailer loads.

Mesh tarps are a practical and versatile solution for anyone who needs a breathable, lightweight, and durable cover for their vehicles. Roll·Rite offers a variety of mesh tarp selections especially designed for Roll·Rite automated tarp systems and specific load types.

Premium Mesh: Ideal for Dump Trucks and Trailers

Roll·Rite’s Premium Mesh offers a longer life cycle than most industry-standard mesh tarps. Ideal for hauling aggregates like stone, gravel, and sand, the weave contains fine particles yet breathes enough to minimize flapping, ideally to lay flat and securely cover dump truck or dump trailer loads. Premium mesh tarps are durable and easy to install and remove, making them an ideal solution for construction and landscaping, municipal, and other commercial applications hauling general loads. For best results, quality, and performance, look for original Roll Rite Premium Mesh tarps when replacing tarps for Roll·Rite electric tarp systems.

Super Tough Mesh: Ideal for Roll Off Tarps

Super Tough Mesh Tarps come in various stock sizes and are available for custom orders. Super Tough Mesh tarps feature a special fabric that has ‘self-healing’ woven threads to reduce fraying and is specially designed to meet the specific needs of challenging loads such as waste and scrap debris. These Super Tough mesh tarps are suited for hook lift and roll-off container trucks and trailers, for optimal coverage to secure and contain loads. They can also be easily repaired or replaced, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

Super Tough Mesh tarps are an excellent choice for anyone who needs a durable tarp that will last through the rigors of waste and scrap hauling.

Roll-off tarp systems are designed to cover roll-off containers used in construction and demolition and waste and recycling industries. Roll·Rite’s tarp roller systems help improve safety on the job for drivers and everyone around the job site. These tarps keep detachable containers on roll-off, hooklift, or lugger vehicles securely covered and on the road load after load. Super Tough Mesh is a popular tarp selection for roll-offs hauling demanding debris. Roll-off tarps are easy to install and remove, and they are available in various sizes.

Vinyl Tarps

Vinyl tarps are a popular choice for applications that require heavy-duty protection from the elements. These tarps are made from a waterproof material that can withstand harsh weather conditions, making them ideal for use in covering grain, silage, and other agricultural materials.

Vinyl tarps come in various thicknesses, or weights, and sizes, making them a versatile option that can meet specific needs. The thick vinyl material is also highly durable and resistant to tears, punctures, and UV damage, to help withstand heavy-duty use and harsh weather conditions.

Vinyl tarps are an excellent choice for anyone who needs a heavy-duty, waterproof cover for hauling moisture or temperature-sensitive loads. If you need a waterproof cover for your equipment, then vinyl tarps are a durable and versatile option that can meet your needs. Vinyl tarps are also easy to install and remove, making them a convenient solution for people who need to cover and uncover items regularly.

Roll·Rite offers a variety of vinyl tarp selections. Our most popular vinyl tarps are heavy-duty 18oz vinyl and heat-resistant asphalt.

Heavy Duty 18oz Vinyl Tarps for Dump Trucks

Roll·Rite heavy-duty 18oz vinyl tarps are designed from durable, waterproof vinyl material and are perfect for covering trucks and trailers hauling moisture or temperature-sensitive loads. For loads requiring a tarp with heat rating or direct contact with loads like asphalt, Roll·Rite also offers a heat-resistant asphalt tarp.

Heat Resistant Asphalt Tarps for Dump Trucks

Asphalt tarps are designed specifically for hauling hot asphalt in dump trucks. These tarps are made from a heat-resistant material that can withstand direct contact with asphalt and temperatures up to 400°F. Roll·Rite’s Asphalt tarps are fabricated with welded seams, pocket reinforcements, and grommets for a longer-life tarp that withstands frequent use with electric tarping. They are available in various sizes and can be customized to fit specific dump truck models.

Conclusion

Choosing the right tarp material for your trucking needs depends on the application, size, and type of load hauled. No matter what type of vehicle or payload you need to cover, there is a tarp available to meet your needs. Consider the features and benefits of each tarp type to find the one that best suits your requirements. Roll·Rite offers mesh, vinyl, and asphalt tarps for truck, trailer, and roll-off applications to ensure you get the best quality and performance for your Roll·Rite automated covering solutions.