Size the cover to the pile
A tarp has to be larger than the load so it can tuck down the sides and catch the wind from the front. A small blue sheet that only caps the top will balloon and tear. Lay the tarp over the load with the front edge reaching the cab side of the pile, then fold the sides down outside the bed rails. Use enough tie-downs to keep the fabric from flapping. Bungee cords alone often stretch and let a corner fly. Ropes or ratchet straps through the tarp's grommets, hooked to real anchors, hold better. Do not hook a strap to a flimsy plastic trim piece that will rip off.
Tie it so the wind cannot get underneath
Highway air pushes up from the front. If the front edge is loose, the tarp becomes a sail and can cover your back window or the car behind you. Cross the straps. Check that no loose bag, cushion, or branch sticks out and saws at the fabric. A sharp board edge needs a pad under the tarp or it will cut a hole in the first mile. After a few miles, stop in a safe place and retighten. New loads settle. A tarp that was snug in the driveway can be slack at the first light.
Take it off only when you are parked to unload
Leave the cover on through the gate unless the attendant needs to see the load and tells you to peel a corner back. Untie on the bay, not in the travel lane. Watch for a loose strap that can catch a tire. Fold the tarp and put it in the cab or strap it flat so it does not blow away empty on the way out. If the site charged or warned you because a corner was open, fix the tie-down before the next trip. An uncovered load is both a road hazard and, at many sites, a line on the fee sheet. Read that sheet or ask.
Before you go
- Use a tarp larger than the pile and tuck the edges down the sides.
- Strap the front edge so air cannot get underneath.
- Stop and retighten after the load settles.
- Remove the tarp only in the unloading bay and fold it before you exit.
Clipping a small tarp with two bungees and losing half the load on the highway.
Questions people ask
Does a cargo net replace a tarp for trash?
Ask the site. A net can hold brush and still let paper and grit blow out. Trash usually needs a solid cover.
What if I do not own a tarp?
Get one before you load, or use a vehicle with a closed cargo area. Do not start the trip uncovered and hope the distance is short.
Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city, then call the site before you load the truck. Hours and accepted materials change.