Best tarps for hotshot trucking, plus the gear kit

The gear in your toolboxes decides which loads you can say yes to. No tarps, no lumber. Not enough chain, no 12,000 lb machine. Unmarked straps, a write-up at the scale. This guide covers which tarps fit hotshot freight, what else goes in the kit, the math that tells you if you have enough, and what it all costs from current retail listings.

Best tarps for hotshot trucking, by freight

There's no single best tarp; there's the right tarp for the load. Our criteria: fits a hotshot deck and partial loads, covers the freight to the deck edge, stands up to sharp edges, and can be thrown by one person.

Material matters as much as size:

• 18 oz vinyl is the heavy-duty standard. It resists tears around sharp steel and lasts years with care.
• 14 oz vinyl is lighter to throw and fold. Fine for smooth freight, wears faster on edges.
• Look for D-rings every 2 ft or so, double-stitched hems and reinforced corners. Cheap tarps fail at the D-rings first.

The securement gear kit

SOURCE: Listings checked Oct 26, 2026: Global Industrial (4 x 30 ft strap), ECTTS (G70 chain assembly), Fastenersplus (Durabilt binder 4-pack, $266.19), Trucking Depot (lumber tarp), Raney's Truck Parts (steel tarp). Not endorsements; prices change. The last row is an EXAMPLE allowance.

KIT TOTAL, EXAMPLENO. 0211

EXAMPLE

Straps

$743.60

Chains

$474.00

Binders

$399.30

Tarps

$507.95

Edge protection and small gear (example)

$250.00

Kit$2,374.85

Your total moves with brands, quantities and what you already own. Lower-priced chains and binders exist; the rating stamped on the gear is what counts, not the price. Budget for wear too: straps get cut, tarps tear, and damaged gear can't be used.

Do you have enough? The WLL math

Two federal tests apply to every article you haul (49 CFR 393.106 and 393.110, checked Oct 26, 2026). The full walk-through is in hotshot tie-down rules. For sizing a kit, run your heaviest and your longest load:

HEAVIEST LOAD CHECK, EXAMPLENO. 0212

EXAMPLE

Mini excavator

12,000 lb

WLL needed: half the weight

6,000 lb

Minimum tie-downs (393.130, 10,000 lb+)

4

4 G70 5/16 chains, direct, count 50%

4 x 2,350 = 9,400 lb

Binders rated 5,400 lb, so chain sets the limit

OK

Chains needed4 (carry 6)

LONGEST LOAD CHECK, EXAMPLENO. 0213

EXAMPLE

Steel tubing bundle

40 ft, 9,000 lb

Count rule, not blocked

5 tie-downs

WLL needed

4,500 lb

5 straps over the top, 5,400 lb marked, 100%

27,000 lb

Straps needed5 (carry 8 to 10)

Count spares on top. A strap that gets cut at the shipper shouldn't cost you the load. Remember the weakest part rule: a tie-down is only as strong as its lowest-rated piece, including the anchor point on your trailer.

Edge protection, winches and small gear

• Edge protectors and corner guards. Required wherever a tie-down would be cut or worn by the cargo's edge. Cheap compared with a cut strap or a damaged load.
• Winches and winch track. Faster than ratchets on a trailer with a side winch rail, and easy to re-tension at checks.
• Winch bar and cheater bar. Never use a cheater on a ratchet binder handle beyond what its maker allows.
• Bungees and tarp straps. For holding tarps down, not cargo; they don't count as tie-downs.
• Wood dunnage and chocks. For rolling freight and to keep chains off finished surfaces.
• Gloves, a step and a tarp rope. Tarping tall loads by yourself is how drivers get hurt.

Printable gear list

Tick it before you leave home, or print it for the toolbox lid.

Gear, trailers and the loads you can take

Your gear and your trailer work together. A trailer with stake pockets and a winch track every few feet makes securement faster; one with few anchor points limits you. If you're still choosing, see best gooseneck trailer for hotshot and best truck for hotshot. Other guides are on the guides page.

Tarps, gear and dispatch

Gear only pays when the loads that need it come your way, with tarp pay on the rate confirmation. A good dispatcher asks what's in your toolboxes before searching; that's one of the questions in our guide to choosing a hotshot dispatcher. On our hotshot dispatch desk, your gear list is part of your file, tarp pay is part of the counter, and you approve or pass every load. The TruckQuick desk handles every rig type the same way.

Sources

• 49 CFR 393.104, 393.106, 393.108, 393.110 and 393.130, via Cornell LII (checked Oct 26, 2026)
• Retail listings: Global Industrial, ECTTS, Fastenersplus, Trucking Depot, Raney's Truck Parts (checked Oct 26, 2026)