How do I check a flatbed trucking company’s tarps, straps and securement gear?

Start in the yard. Open the tool boxes on several trucks and compare what you find to what the asset list claims. Straps should be clean and intact, with readable tags. Chains and binders should be free of heavy rust and stretched links. Tarps should be whole, with sound grommets and no patches stacked over patches. Uneven kit between trucks tells you the company has no consistent standard.

Next, ask about the system. Who inspects gear and how often? Is there a written practice for taking worn pieces out of service, and does a driver have authority to ask for replacements? Look at the spending on replacement over time. Very low spending can mean gear is being stretched, while a recent spike may mean a seller is cleaning things up before a sale.

Ask about incidents: loads shifted, tarps lost, damaged freight or roadside stops linked to securement. Ask how those were handled with customers and insurers. Find out which drivers are trained and who trained them. Ask your insurer what they look for. Plan a budget to replace worn items in your first months, and ask the seller to take part of that cost into account.

Key takeaways

• Open tool boxes on several trucks and compare gear with the asset list.
• Ask who inspects and replaces gear, and what spending looks like.
• Review incidents linked to loads that shifted or tarps that failed.