When you work with a dump truck, you need to recognize that the materials you carry can create hazards for other drivers on the road. To prevent damage to other drivers' cars and the liability associated with such damage, you need a tarp system that you can easily use. Some companies will even require that your truck have a tarp before they will allow you to work for them. Thus, it is important to know what your options are. 

Manual Roller

The most basic option consists of a tarp roller that attaches to the front of your truck. To deploy the tarp, you simply pull on the end until it extends to the back of your dump bed. You can then tie the tarp down with cords to secure it in place. Even if you attach a rope to a pull tarp that you can reach and operate from the ground, you will still have to get out of your cab and take the time to deploy your tarp. You also have to worry about the pull rope or the tarp itself snagging on objects extending from your truck bed. Thus, a manual roller is better than nothing but it definitely leaves room for improvement. 

Manual Arms

The next step up is a tarp that utilizes manual arms. You should be able to operate these arms with some sort of a crank system and the arms will help to keep the tarp above your load so that you don't have to worry about snags. Once the tarp is deployed, you still have to tie the sides down to make your load as secure as possible. The benefit of a manual tarp is that it should help you to save time when deploying your tarp.

Automatic Arms

Your final option is to install automatic arms. These arms allow you to deploy the tarp from the comfort of your cab with nothing more than the push of a button. While you stand to save the most time with an automatic roller, you should still get out of your cab to tie down the sides of your tarp and thus prevent dirt, sand, or rock that is heaped up above the sides of your truck from falling out. 

As you might imagine, your installation costs go up as you move up from a manual roller to manual arms and finally to automatic arms. On the other hand, if a tarp system helps you to save time, you can complete your deliveries more quickly and thus make more money by completing more jobs than you would otherwise have time to do. Thus, you need to balance how much money a tarp system costs with how much money you stand to make when choosing a tarp system for your truck. Contact companies like LoAlbo Enterprises Inc. for more information.