Flex-Shield Truck Tarps: Approved Installation Methods

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You’ve made the purchase, and your new shipment of Flex-Shield tarps is heading right to your loading dock. Now you just need to get them ready for use.

The standard tarp from Celina Industries is outfitted in the same basic fashion as all of the others. Each tarp has a line of reinforcement to which is attached metal D-rings for attaching a rope line. How is this done? We have the whole process of prepping your tarp laid out in the rest of the blog!

ROPE LINE ATTACHMENT

  1. Choose the rope you wish to use
    Celina Industries offers ropes in nylon, polyester, and polypropylene depending on your price range and what style of ropes you prefer.
     
  2. Thread the D-Rings
    Take the rope and feed it through the D-rings one at a time. Once you reach the end of the tarp, pull a few feet of rope past the end of the tarp, and then make sure there is a few feet loose on the other end of the rope before cutting it. This allows you to have a little bit of wiggle room when adjusting the ropes later on.

If you’re using only rope (and not attaching bungees), slide an S-hook onto the rope between each D-ring so that they are evenly spaced. When installed on a trailer, the S-hooks can be used to attach directly to the trailer.

BUNGEE ATTACHMENT

A.      This happens during installation, so skip for now

VINYL ORIGAMI

The important thing to remember about the folding is to keep the tarp oriented like the end result – keep the top outside of the tarp up, and folding in toward the center. Here’s our video on folding.

  1. Fold in any flaps at the front or back of the tarp.
  2. Each side of the tarp should be folded in toward the center. Choose either the Two-Fold or Two-Thirds Fold Methods; the Two-Thirds-Fold Method is perfect for smaller tarps because it doesn’t take up as much room when folding is complete. The Two-Fold Method is simple, which each long side folded toward the center twice.
  3. The tarp is then folded in half (same direction as the previous folds) if it’s wider than 4’. You will end up with a really long, narrow shape.
  4. Roll the tarp up from the end.
  5. If the tarp has flaps on one end but not another, be sure to note this and always roll the tarps the same way (flap first or last). This will allow you to always know which side to start from when unrolling the tarp.

And that’s it! While there are more ways to prep, store, and utilize truck tarps of all sizes and styles, we’ve found this to be a good primer to get you on your way. In case you have any other questions, or would like to know more about our products, give us a call at 888-324-0654. After hours? Send us an email at sales@celinaindustries.com.