Buy an industrial strength tarp to use on your flatbed trailer. The tarps found at your local home and garden store are not strong enough to handle the punishment of flatbed trucking. Professional tarps are covered with a layer of rubber to make them more resistant to damage, and they also have metal loops to stop your tie straps from ripping through tarp. Always use commercial quality tarps. Load your flatbed trailer evenly. For an ideal situation, your trailer will be loaded flat and level so that your tarp can drape cleanly over the top of the load. This may not always be the possible, but try to get as close as you possibly can. This will help prevent your load from tearing through the tarp due to the high winds caused by driving at interstate speed limits. Lay your tarp evenly over the top of the load. Keep the tarp as even as possible, with an even portion hanging over the side of your load all the way around the trailer. This will give your load more even coverage and make it much easier to tie the load down securely. Use bungie cords to strap down the edges of the tarp. Place the hook on one end of the bungie strap through the metal loops on the tarp. Use the other hook to secure the bungie cord to the trailer. The number of bungie cords you will use depends on how long your trailer is. The Bungie cords should be spaced evenly, about every 16 to 24 inches, all the way around the load. Tie down the load using load straps. Your trailer should be equipped with a series of nylon straps that are about 3 to 4 inches wide. Throw the straps over the top of the load and secure it to the other side of the trailer, then use the ratchet to tighten the nylpn load straps securely to the trailer.
