Glossary
The same part, in both languages.
Half the confusion in this trade is vocabulary. A driver says one word, the counter hears another, and the wrong part gets pulled. These are the terms that come up most, with the Spanish that operators here actually use — not textbook Spanish.
Systems and parts
What holds the tarp and moves it.
- Tarp / cover
- The fabric itself. In Spanish, always "lona" — never "cubierta," which sounds like a deck.
- Dump truck
- The truck. Drivers here say "volteo" for short.
- Driver / owner-operator
- "Troquero" is the everyday word in Central Texas for a truck driver, especially one who owns his truck.
- Arm system
- Two arms (or a gantry hoop) swing the tarp over the bed from a spring roller behind the cab.
- Gantry
- The hoop-shaped arm assembly. "Portería" — like a soccer goal — is the term drivers use and it is exactly right.
- Bow system
- Curved bows hold the tarp up like a tent; you crank or pull it across on a cable.
- Roll-off
- The container box that rolls on and off the truck by hook or cable hoist. Same word in both languages.
- Roller / spring roller
- The tube the tarp winds onto, usually spring-loaded to retract.
- Grommet
- The metal ring set into the hem that you tie or hook through.
- Hem
- The folded and sewn edge of the tarp. Where grommets live and where wind damage starts.
- Tailgate
- The rear door of the bed. Texas law requires it be securely closed against spillage.
Materials and loads
What the tarp is made of and what goes under it.
- Mesh
- Open-weave fabric that lets air through. Lighter to throw, not waterproof.
- Vinyl
- Solid waterproof fabric. Heavier, and the choice when the load has to stay dry.
- Heavy duty
- "Uso rudo" is the standard Spanish term for the reinforced grade, and it is what our heavy lines are called.
- Ounce weight (oz)
- Weight of a square yard of vinyl. Higher number means thicker and more abrasion-resistant.
- Hauling
- The job itself — moving material. "Acarreo" is the everyday noun.
- Aggregate
- Crushed stone, gravel, and sand. The most common dump load in Central Texas.
- Loose material
- The statutory term in Texas law for anything that can blow or spill — the category that triggers the covering requirement.
- Freeboard
- The gap between the top of the load and the top of the bed rail. Some states allow it as an alternative to covering; Texas does not, for commercial vehicles.
We sell tarps, so read this with that in mind — which is exactly why we marked the symptoms that are not a tarp problem. Selling you fabric that won't fix your truck costs us the customer.
Related
Turns out it is the tarp?
Tell us your truck and we'll point you at the exact size — in stock in Austin, or a real build time if it isn't.