Care & Maintenance Guidelines
Truck Covers perform best when basic care and maintenance guidelines are followed. Tarp manufacturers are the best source of information on how to get optimal performance and extended use from truck covers. The fabrics used to make truck covers are designed to take extreme heat and cold, resist tearing and rubbing and handle high-speed stress for many years. The general care guidelines listed here, plus common sense and good judgment, will extend a truck cover's life.

Secure tie down:
Secure tie down is required for best cover performance. Wind whip is one the most damaging wear factors to a tarp. A loosely tied down cover can get torn apart. At highway speeds, waves run through the cover from front to back. If the back end of the cover is loose, the waves snap it back and forth like the tip of a whip. Wind can damage any fabric and can make a vacuum under a loose cover, drawing in dirt and moisture. Tie down problems can be avoided by following these tips:

• Winch straps should never be used over the tarp, only over the load. Then cover with the tarp.
• Keep the cover under slight, but firm tension. Too much tension puts unnecessary strain on the fabric and tie down points.
• Rubber straps, elastic shock cord or rope arrangements work as tie downs. Check with the manufacturer to get the correct size strap. Note: when using rubber straps, the hook on one end should either be permanently crimped closed onto the tarp or turned away from the tarp so it doesn't wear through the tarp as you are driving down the road.
• A rule for judging cover tension is to make sure the cover is snug and the tie down points aren't pulled much lower than the rest of the cover hem. After the cover is securely tied down, the hem should be straight.
• Tuck corner tabs under the end flap. Loose corner tabs like scoops, drawing dirt and moisture into the load.
• Use batten ropes to prevent billowing, especially on odd-shaped loads or when the cover isn't custom-fitted. Billowing created wind whip and increases wind drag, thereby reducing fuel efficiency. Some truck covers have sewn-in webbing to prevent billowing.

Selection
Choose the correct cover for the job. Custom designed covers are great for their intended uses, but it doesn't make much sense to use a square cornered wallboard tarp on a rounded flatbed load. It's difficult to get good tie down and prevent billowing when the cover doesn't fit.

Padding
Pad sharp corners and edges on the load. New fabrics do great resisting tearing and rubbing, but give them a chance to do their best. Sharp load corners can tear these fabrics, so avoid unnecessary risks by padding edges. The padding material doesn't need to be fancy. Pieces of foam, batting, cardboard or carpet pads all work well.

Handling
Install and remove covers carefully. Overhead cranes and truck covers don't mix well, so pay close attention if someone insists on using an overhead crane.

Moisture
Keep covers reasonably dry. Truck covers get wet. Most fabrics are water-repellant and mildew resistant, but covers should be as dry as possible when stored. Where condensation is a problem, it's better to store covers on wood pallets rather than floors. Canvas covers should be stored with special care since cotton fibers absorb water.

Cleaning
Keep covers reasonably clean. Truck covers do get dirty. New fabrics are designed to resist dirt and clean easily. Caked-on grime can eventually shorten a cover's service life as well as add weight to the tarp. Also, some pollutants and chemicals can get stuck on the cover, degrading certain coatings and fibers. The time between cleanings varies with the frequency of use, but the average interval is between three and six months. Beware of harsh cleaning solutions, as they can hurt the special properties of the cover fabric. Before using anything stronger than soap and water, check with the cover manufacturer first. A good truck cover will last for any years, but normal over-the-road use eventually will show on any cover. When repairs are needed, doing the job right the first time can save time and money.

Inspection
Frequent inspection is the best way to catch minor tears and pin holes before they become more serious. A simple and easy way to check an open top trailer cover is to go into the empty, covered trailer and mark the spots where sunlight shines through. Many truck cover manufacturers include large scale inspection set-ups with their cleaning services. Taking advantage of both these services may save time and money.

Patching
For every type of truck cover fabric there is a patching method that works best. It is very important to use the correct material and method for the fabric. Truck cover manufacturers usually supply repair kits for small patching jobs for a nominal fee. Patch kits normally include vinyl fabric, vinyl adhesive and cleaner. If you have questions, check with the manufacturer. Here are some points to remember:

• It is suggested that all patching be done from the underside of the tarp. If the area being patched is a cut/slit/hole larger than 10"-12", the patching process should be completed on both the top and bottom sides of the tarp.
• Adhesive is the most common method for patching by the end user. The first step in patching the tarp with the adhesive method is to clean the tarp surface using the provided cleaner. A patch should be cut with rounded corners at least one inch larger than the area being repaired. Adhesive should be applied to both the patch and the tarp. Apply pressure from the center of the patch to the outside edges to form an even bond.
• Vinyl coated or laminated fabric can be patched by heat sealing. Hand-held heat sealers can be used to weld patches onto the cover while it's still on the truck, reducing repair time.
• Rubber coated fabrics cannot be patched by heat sealing. These patches normally are cemented. Be sure to use the correct adhesive.
• Canvas covers generally are patched by sewing, but some adhesives work.
• Make sure the patch fabric matches the cover fabric. Mixing fabrics may lead to poor patching results.

Major Repairs
Leave the major repairs to the cover's manufacturer. They have the equipment to do the job more effectively, making fewer repairs necessary in the long run. They also have the ability and necessary tools to replace a damaged end section, saving a basically good cover, and can repair worn tie down points, loose grommets or raveled webbing. These kinds of repairs make the truck cover last longer and may prevent failures on the road.

The timely use of these simple care and maintenance guidelines can lower repair costs and lengthen truck cover life.