They’ve Got Waste Covered

They've Got Waste Covered
Saturday, September 01, 2007

Conscientious waste haulers utilize automatic tarping systems to keep garbage contained, off fellow travelers, and out of the environment.

By Diane McDilda

Nobody likes driving behind a truck that's got garbage flying out of the top. Whether it's a full jar of spaghetti sauce heading for your windshield or a shopping bag floating with abandon until it's snagged in shrubbery, there's really no reason for waste to escape its traveling confines. Tarps have been around for decades and used to control litter. They're not mandatory on a national level, but most states and municipalities do have laws on the books making them a legal part of hauling operations. Problem is, the law's not always enforced.

When tarps first came on the waste market, drivers had to risk life and limb climbing up and around the waste and scaling the containers to cover their loads. In some places this is still the case. More commonly, though, automatic tarp deployment-and-recovery systems are used that let drivers and operators cover their loads without risking injury.

Quick, Too
Besides safety and litter control, there are other benefits to using automatic systems. Most automatic tarps can be deployed or retracted in just a minute or two, if not less. Manual tarps can take half an hour to cover and 10 minutes to uncover. Over the course of a day, a lot of time can be saved and more trips made by making the change to an automatic system.

Carolyn Peck is the purchasing manager with Waste Industries USA Inc., a company that provides solid waste and recycling services in the Carolinas and other nearby states. Peck has been purchasing automatic tarps from O'Brian Tarping Systems out of Wilson, NC, a for over 30 years.

"It takes time to put on a manual cover," says Peck. "But more importantly are the safety reasons. Using automatic tarps avoids the potential for people to misstep trying to get over the trash. People can get injured from trash sticking up, and there are back injuries. But, absolutely, it's extremely important to be productive. Here, automatic tarps aren't really an issue—they're a given."

Improving safety and saving time translates to saving money. Donovan Enterprises Inc. in Stuart, FL, manufactures tarps for both transfer trailers and rolloff containers. "Most companies start using automatic tarps for safety," says Scot Furman, vice president and division manager with Donovan. "Then they realize the time they're saving and they see the cost savings."

And if you're saving time, you're saving money, too, whether you are hand-pulling a tarp or waiting for replacement parts. Even the best-quality and well-maintained tarping systems will need replacement parts at some time during their useful lives. When that happens, haulers expect to know that the parts they need to get back on the road are on the way. O'Brian Tarping Systems utilizes the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) and believes this sets it apart from its competition. Systematic product numbering and tracking makes providing replacement parts easier. While locating the proper part is crucial, getting it to the customer in a timely and economical way is essential.

"Normally, parts are designed for tarping systems so we can ship them UPS," says Sean O'Brian, president of O'Brian Tarping Systems, the company his grandfather started over 40 years ago. "When a part is damaged, a truck might need to be taken out of service, and this costs money. Most of our parts can be sent UPS, not freight, so we can deliver quicker and with less downtime."

Choosing a Tarp
While automatic tarping systems may be a given, choosing the right one may not be so easy. It usually comes down to application: what will be hauled; what kind of containers they'll be using; whether sizes will vary or be the same; whether water resistance will be a concern; and, of course, how much money there is to spend. The selection can be wide and varied, making eeny-meeny-miny-moe seem like the easiest way to decide. But those looking to automate their tarps are best served by learning about the different systems available.

Systems can comprise different combinations of features including stationary or adjustable gantries (the tower behind the truck cab where the tarp spool attaches); arms that pull the tarp over the waste; and arms with knuckles or sliding pivots that can cover a variety of container sizes. Most automatic tarping systems range on the order of $2,000 for the more simple and straightforward designs that cover a single or very limited size container. On the higher end, you can expect to pay upwards of $7,000 or more if hauling a variety of sizes of containers using a more automated system.

The Basics
For those with a more minimalist approach to tarping there's the Tuff-Tarper series by Pioneer, a Wastequip company in North Oxford, MA. It's affordably priced at about $2,000 and is sized for single-axle trucks carrying 8–14-foot containers. On the Tuff-Tarper, the gantry is fixed as are the arms.

The Skyhook by O'Brian is another tarping system available to those with set container sizes and costs about $2,500. The Skyhook is armless and relies on the adjustable gantry to reach up over the load. This system comes in two sizes: one to fit 16-foot and one for 22-foot containers.

Donovan makes the armless Hy-Tower. It's semi-automatic, with an adjustable gantry, and is priced at about $4,000. After the gantry is raised, the tarp unfurls much like a window shade and is controlled manually by the operator. The simplistic system is virtually maintenance-free, and tarps will likely need replacing once a year. This type of design is well-suited for tight spaces.

"Sometimes, there's no room for arms. In Chicago, trucks need to drive into alleys without their arms being ripped off," explains Furman. Donovan also sells equipment in the United Kingdom, where older narrow streets aren't designed for today's bulky trucks.

Mid-Range Systems
Affordable mid-range systems include Donovan's Quick Flip II. It's an automatic tarping system for rolloffs ranging from 15 to 40 cubic yards and comes in at about $5,000. This system uses the truck's hydraulics to raise the gantry and a hydraulic direct-drive motor to move the arms.

Roll-Rite Corp. in Alger, MI, manufactures the Hooklift or Rolloff Tarp Systems that use an adjustable gantry. The arms rotate from fixed pivots. The price for this system is usually on the order of $5,000. "The adjustable tower and fixed pivot work well for haulers with one container size," says Erl Henry, regional sales manager with Roll-Rite. "The systems are set up for one size, usually 30 yards."

Pioneer's Econocover includes an adjustable hydraulic gantry, and the fixed arms don't extend. Brian Houston, sales manager for Pioneer, explains, "The arms are spring-loaded and flip to cover the waste. A hydraulic motor winds the tarp back up." If haulers need to the arms to extend, providing more flexibility in container length and height, the Boss Series, HR3500, would do the job. The arms are controlled by master/slave, or rephrasing, cylinders where one is set to go ahead of the other, making one side of the tarp move first and together move more smoothly.

The Cadillacs
If haulers are looking for a more sophisticated system, there are the O'Brian Diablo and Magnum models that run about $7,000 each. They have the ability to cover containers ranging from 10 to 40 cubic yards and have the option of a fixed or adjustable gantry. The arms rotate on the Diablo, using a rotary actuator enclosed in an oiled gear-pivot assembly, so monthly greasing isn't necessary. At 850 pounds, it's lightweight. The arms on the Magnum operate using cylinders. Both systems can be plumbed into the truck's hydraulics system.

Roll-Rite's Hooklift and Rolloff are standard models that can also be designed with a sliding pivot. The sliding pivot allows the base of the arms to slide forward and back, covering more distance and adding flexibility in the size containers they can cover. Extending the range from 10 cubic yards to 40 cubic yards will increase the cost of the standard model by a couple of thousand dollars to about $7,300.

Houston estimates that Pioneer's Strong Arm series covers about 80% of the tarping market. The going price for this system is about $7,000, and he believes its strong points are the arms and the gearing. "The patented gearing allows complete control of the unit. There's no free-falling. The tarp goes as far as next notch in the gearing wheel," says Houston. "The telescopic arms are also patented and allow you to cover different lengths and heights of containers."

Rantoul Truck Center in Illinois sells waste-handling equipment to municipalities and private haulers. The company uses the Strong Arm, SARG series on all its trucks. "We're very happy with the product," says Jeff Seegmiller, sales manager for Rantoul. "They also have excellent sales and support. If we're going to buy a product then the company has to give us support, and Pioneer does. It's a given that their systems are going to be on all the trucks we use."

Transfer Trailers
For transfer trailers, haulers are more likely to use side tarping systems that roll or flip. The longer length of the trailers, when compared to rolloffs, means tarps attached at only the front and back won't provide the coverage needed to keep waste from flying out from the sides, particularly when the truck is driving at higher speeds or the weather is windy. Front-to-back sliding tarps provide the coverage needed for the full length of a transfer trailer.

Donovan manufactures the Sidewinder, which is a fully automatic, single flip-topper that pivots on side-mounted hinges attached to the trailer. Mountain Tarp, Pioneer's sister company, is headquartered in Middlesboro, KY. It offers a side tarp for transfer trailers, aptly called the Side Flip, that runs about $3,950. But rather than having the tarp connected to a bar running alongside the top of the trailer, it's attached to a flexible cable, helping bring the weight of the system down to about 275 pounds.

Roll-Rite also manufactures the TarpStretcher, a side-to-side tarp rolled on a spiral torsion spring. The arm has a knuckle-pivot and rolls the tarp across the top of the waste. The axle that holds the tarp can span larger trailers.

Cramaro Tarpaulin Systems offers a variety of tarping systems throughout the US, Canada, and Australia and is known in the industry for inventing the front-to-back cable system for transfer trailers. Bows, or ribs, are sewn into the tarps and provide stability along the length of the trailer. The Slide-n-Go system was specifically designed for trash trailers and uses cables to move the tarp along the top of the trailer. The system can be designed for any length container and costs about $2,000. The cables are usually operated manually using a hand crank. Electric motors are available but rare, as most haulers prefer the hand crank.

Cramaro's Lift-n-Load system comprises a single flip-top that runs along an axle on the container. It comes in at just under $4,500 and adjusts to different widths and can fit trailers up to 53 feet long. It's an easy one-button operation for the hauler.

When it comes to comparing the Lift-n-Load to the Slide-n-Go and choosing a system, Ernie Dempsey, vice president with Cramaro, admits it's up to the hauler. "It's convenience and time versus money."

Pulltarps Manufacturing, out of El Cajon, CA, offers a cable system that can range from as low as $800 for a shorter system up to $3,000 for a longer one. Pulltarps's Super Slider front-to-back systems come with either single or twin cables. The twin offers independent movement on both sides.

Pulltarps is the only company to manufacture the single continuous cable that avoids the potential for jamming that's sometimes experienced with the twin-cable systems. With the appropriate tarp selected, the system can be water resistant.

Most important is that the majority of manufacturers work with their clients to design a system, combining different options, that suits their purpose and is affordable.

Tarps
While there's much ado about automatic tarp deployment systems, one shouldn't forget about the actual tarps. Even with all the bells and whistles of flipping and sliding, deploying and retracting, if the tarp doesn't hold up, the system isn't doing its job.

"We all get focused on the mechanics," says Furman, speaking of Donovan's Mighty Mesh material. "A lot of times fabric can affect the operation of the equipment. People get excited about engineering the mechanics, but forget to engineer the tarps. We started with tarps and try to keep it simple."

John Beckwith is with RDK Truck Sales, a distributor of tarping systems in Tampa, FL. He agrees with Furman. "The Mighty Mesh is resistant and puncture-proof. They last two to three times longer than other tarps. We sell a lot of Mighty Mesh tarps as replacements for other systems."

Controls
Controls are used for tarping systems that rely on electric motors to raise and lower gantries or move the arms. They are usually located on the outside of the cab, behind the driver. This allows haulers to be outside the cab, where they can watch the system as it deploys or retracts, but it often limits their view of the process.

Stan Chesson is the owner of Power Waste Systems LLC in Alabama and uses Pioneer's Rack-n-Pinion model tarp, which includes an adjustable gantry and telescoping arms. Chesson believes that deploying the tarps isn't difficult but operators do have to take the time to learn the process. Standard controls for an adjustable gantry-and-arm system include three levers: one to raise and lower the gantry; one to extend and retract the arms; and one to unroll and roll up the tarp.

"When covering a load, first the arms have to be extended a little before you raise the gantry. If you raise the gantry too soon the tarp can fall under it. So you have to roll the tarp out and extend the arms as you raise the gantry," says Chesson.

Because controllers are usually mounted behind the cab on the driver's side of the gantry system, operators must take extra care to watch the tarp as it rolls out. "While extending the arms, if something hangs up on the passenger side, the driver can't see it. If one arm gets caught and doesn't extend, it puts pressure on the other arm," Chesson explains.

Roll-Rite offers a wireless control system that allows drivers to walk the entire perimeter of the truck while the tarp is deploying. "The custom relay is made for our systems," says Cindy Cook, marketing manager for Roll-Rite. "They've been on the market longer for the agriculture industry, but for solid waste they came out about one and a half to two years ago. So far, we're getting good feedback on them."

The Roll-Rite relay control box has been revamped from its original design and now comes prewired with a key fob. The electric-over-hydraulic power pack means it can easily work with tarps that are not connected to a truck's hydraulic system. By walking around the truck during deployment, haulers can catch a problem well before any damage is done.

Installation and Care
Tarp manufacturers such as Donovan and Roll-Rite prefer to work solely with retailers and not sell directly to customers. Others, such as O'Brian, Pulltarps, and Cramaro, sell direct and use dealers as well, and may or may not provide installation. O'Brian manufactures all its own tarping systems, sewing tarps and fabricating hoses at its facility in Wilson, NC. The only exceptions are the Italian-made valves.

O'Brian ships its systems to local dealers who can install tarps for clients or, depending on the proximity, will send a crew out to take care of it. Those handy with a welding torch can install the systems themselves. Terdik and his team usually install the tarps they purchase from O'Brian. "The last tarp we purchased, we had it installed at the factory, but I can install one in less than a day by myself. If you know how to weld, you can do it," says Terdik.

And like any piece of equipment after it's installed, maintenance is a big part of how it operates and how long it lasts. "Drivers have a lot to do with how long a tarp lasts," says O'Brian. "They need to be educated on how to operate in a safe manner and on maintenance. If the system starts running sloppy or if bolts are loose, they need to take it to maintenance. Once a driver gets used to an automatic system, he won't want to go back to hand-tarping. One company makes drivers go back to using their hand tarp if they damaged their automatic system." A day hand-tarping probably does the trick.

The best way to avoid having to repair a system is to do routine inspection and maintenance. "We primarily use the O'Brian Magnum system or the Autocover II," says David Peck, who is fleet manager with Waste Industries and is responsible for maintaining the company's trucks and tarps. "We check every truck when it comes back in the yard. The driver does an end-of-the-day check, and every two weeks the trucks are lubed and inspected. And every 45 days the trucks are inspected and the fluids are changed. We have a 147-point safety and maintenance checklist that includes the tarping system."

Chesson has found that a weekly inspection is adequate to keep his company's tarps in good operating condition. "We run out on a weekly basis and grease the frame and all pivot points and extend the cover." This ensures that his trucks will stay on the road and out of the shop.

Diane McDilda is an environmental engineer and technical writer in Gainesville, FL.

MSW - September/October 2007