The Big Cover Up

Melanie A. Lasoff

Tarps are the unsung heroes of solid waste management. Of course, customers get mad when their trash isn't collected, but they can become even more upset if uncovered garbage trucks are rolling down the road leaving pieces of debris in their wake.

Haulers across the country have learned that these large bolts of material stretched tightly across their containers are good investments in community relations and, in some cases, necessary to comply with local restrictions. According to many users, tarps are durable and cost-effective.

Today's covers can be more than the tarps themselves. Just as with collection systems, time is important to the hauler, so some manufacturers have developed tarping systems to deploy the units quickly and safely.

Tarps and tarp systems come in various models, sizes and types of material to fit different operations. Waste Age has compiled a sampling of the latest products by tarp and tarp system manufacturers.

Acme Canvas Co. Inc., Malden, Mass., manufactures auto-tarp replacement covers in many styles of materials.

B&B Equipment Sales Co. Inc., Miami, manufactures an automatic cover for roll-offs. Model ROC 2600 HR covers all height and length containers, requires little space to mount and has side arms powered by a Torsion spring, according to the company. The ROC 230 model cover features hydraulic powered side arms and a spring powered head roller. The low-profile hydraulic side arms reportedly protect the unit from damage when loading and unloading the container.

Benlee Inc., Romulus, Mich., features hydraulic-driven container covers for roll-off trailers, roll-off trucks and open toped fixed trailers. The covers, which can be used on standard roll-off containers from 22 feet to 45 feet, mount to nose for trailer installation, to the cab of the roll-off truck or to the container for fixed units. The units operate off the power unit hydraulic system.The company's Roll-Cover is available in kits with mounting instructions. All hydraulic components are included.

Donovan Enterprises, Stuart, Fla., offers a line of tarping systems for the waste industry, including Sidewinder, the company's new automatic tarping system for transfer trailers, which leaves one side of the trailer free of hinges for unobstructed loading, according to the company. The company also offers Hy-Tower, a pullover-style armless tarper that hydraulically raises the tarp 12 feet above the frame of the truck, and Hammerhead, an armless tarper designed for hooklift trucks.

K-PAC Equipment, Hutchinson, Kan., a division of Krause Corp., manufactures the K-PAT auto tarp, which accommodates a wide range of containers without hoses fastened to the arms, the company states. It features an expendable gantry to fit 15-yard to 40-yard containers, and an optional cab guard. The K-PAT also comes with a hydraulic sliding pivot for mounting and container adjustment, according to the company.

Newmantek USA Inc., Garden Grove, Calif., features the Eagle Tarp, a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) cover for garbage trucks, roll-off boxes, and farm and agricultural products. It is reinforced at the edges with HDPE 500 Denler Mono Filament with a 70 percent shade factor. Newmantek's line includes various sizes of tarps, all of which feature an extra large brass grommet stitched into the tarp every 2 feet. The 12-foot by 24-foot and 12-foot by 26-foot tarps weigh 14 pounds and are individually boxed for shipping.

O'Brian Manufacturing Co. Inc., Wilson, N.C., manufactures the Auto- cover II-CH and CH, heavy-duty automatic tarping systems to cover roll-off containers. The unit II-C features a 31/416- inch wall, 2 inch wide rectangular steel tubing and a 12 inch stroke upper cylinder, while the II-CH features a 11/44 -inch wall, 2 inch rectangular steel tubing with a 24 inch stroke upper cylinder. The company reports a redesigned elbow, rephasing cylinders, bolts at pivot points and hydraulic hoses that are routed inside arms.

Pioneer Cover-All, North Oxford, Mass., manufactures a complete line of automated tarping systems specifically designed for roll-off trucks, trailers and pup trailers. Pioneer's Rack 'n' Pinion model RP4500 is designed to move the side arms to cover and uncover loads in a synchronized movement. The telescoping side arms are designed to hydraulically extend or retract to clear the front head board of any container and then adjust to rest on the tail board when being transported, according to the company. The feature is capable of covering 20-yard to 50-yard containers.

Roll-Rite Corp., Alger, Mich., reintroduces its full line of lightweight aluminum tarping systems for dump bodies. The Polished-Aluminum 6000 Series encompasses Roll-Rite's electric arm-style tarp systems for dump bodies and trailers; the electric-over-hydraulic arm-style systems for waste transfer trucks; and the new design for semi-automatic systems (window-shade style) for light trucks. Powr-Lock lid-like action, available on the electric-over-hydraulic system, locks the tarp onto the container. Standard equipment includes the Super Duty II motor with a five-year warranty.

Thor Division, Odin International, Austin, manufactures roll-off, diaper and transfer trailer tarps.

Top Hand Glove, McCaysville, Ga., offers heavy-duty mesh tarps. Brass grommets are included every 2 feet, or according to the operator's specifications. All of the company's tarps and covers can be customized to fit the operator's needs, according to the company.

Wilkens Industries Inc., Morris, Minn., manufactures the Hydraulic Power Flip Top Cover, which is operated from the ground and opens and closes completely in less than 45 seconds, according to the company. The system is powered from the truck's wet kit or a 12-volt power pack, and the control valve is designed to be operational without converters or switching valves. Features include a heavy duty main frame, cover frames and hinge assemblies. The system can be made to fit any make or model of trailer, according to the company.