Manual covering or automatic covering: which solution to choose?

Transporting bulk goods by road imposes specific safety regulations required by the Highway Code. containers and trailers carrying various types of load such as industrial waste, green waste, debris, stones, sand, vegetation, or household waste must be equipped with custom tarps or tarpaulin nets. Implementing this kind of protection ensures the safe transportation of goods for other road users. Secured manual or automatic covering systems for containers and trailers eliminate the risk of accidental load loss and preserve the quality of the transported load (animal containerding, cereals, vegetables, etc.).

Automatic covering vs. manual covering: which solution to choose? OTEXIO provides answers and guidance in making your choice.

Advantages of Manual covering

Are you considering implementing a solution to ensure the protection of your goods during their transportation by container or trailer? OTEXIO, a specialist in custom tarpaulin manufacturing for trucks and dumpers, offers reliable, high-quality, and high-performance covering solutions.

For a simple and quick installation of protective tarps on your dumpers, trailers, and trucks, opt for the benefits of manual covering:

• Easy handling thanks to the LiteCover® system.
• Serenity: preserving operator safety with ground-level manual covering of containers.
• Economical and environmentally-friendly covering system.
• Improved productivity during covering and uncovering operations.
• Time-saving.
• 100% secured load protection.
• No risk of truck tipping.
• Low maintenance requirements.
• Training on the use of the LiteCover® / SafeCover® system provided by OTEXIO.

OTEXIO offers accessories protected by two European invention patents, part of the LiteCover® / SafeCover® covering and uncovering systems.

Advantages of Automatic covering

Prefer a French-made automatic covering system? Choose and test a secured and 100% automatic system with its covering arm. Automatic covering offers numerous benefits for your drivers and operators:

• Net deployment via remote control, 100% radio controllable from the ground or the truck cabin: no manual manipulation.
• Preserved driver safety.
• Improved working conditions: quick and easy covering action.
• Increased number of daily loadings and transports: improved productivity, no accidental load losses, efficiency.
• covering of overflowing dumpers.

At OTEXIO, we offer companies a 100% automatic covering system with a covering arm. Made in France, our automated system has two nets on its reel for covering the truck and trailer. The installation of our 100% automatic system, following receipt of your chassis plans, complies with European size standards.

Summary Table (price / maintenance)

	Manual covering	100% Automatic covering
Purchase Price	Approximately €2,000	Approximately €10,000
Maintenance/Upkeep	Very low	Regular

Whether you choose the method of manual covering or 100% automatic covering, you benefit from the same advantages:

• Safety: zero risk of dumper, truck, or trailer tipping. Operators work safely while preserving their physical health (no awkward working posture, minimal effort).
• Handling speed: manual covering is performed with ergonomic, reliable, and durable accessories in less than 3 minutes. Automated covering is carried out using a remote control in less than 30 seconds.
• Productivity gain: both methods allow for a higher number of dumper, truck, or trailer loadings daily.
• Reliability of covering systems: compliant with European standards, both manual and automatic covering methods are efficient and high-quality, suitable for all types of materials.

However, these two covering systems have differences:

• The technique of manual covering, such as with the rule tarp for example, requires training to learn its use.
• 100% automatic covering remains the fastest solution in terms of installation (less than 30 seconds for covering or uncovering).
• Manual covering is much more cost-effective to purchase than automated covering.
• The maintenance cost of an automatic covering system is higher than that of a manual covering system.

Which Type of covering to Choose for What Use?

Are you looking for the most reliable and high-performance solution for covering your trucks, dumpers, or trailers? Do you want to benefit from the advantages of ground-level covering? Manual covering or 100% automatic covering? Each type of load corresponds to a specific covering method.

1. Traditional manual lateral covering with straps: construction, agri-food, and environmental sectors.
2. Traditional manual lateral covering with straps under sheet piles: agri-food and environmental sectors.
3. Autoblocking manual lateral covering: agri-food and environmental sectors.
4. Manual lateral covering with net: agri-food and environmental sectors.
5. 100% Automatic covering: agri-food and environmental sectors.
6. Manual longitudinal covering: construction, agri-food, and environmental sectors.
7. Manual longitudinal covering with angle drive: all sectors.
8. Longitudinal covering with net: all sectors.
9. Longitudinal covering with electric control: all sectors.
10. Manual butterfly covering: agri-food
11. Hydraulic-Controlled Butterfly covering: Agri-food and environmental sectors.

OTEXIO is a specialist in manual covering and 100% automatic covering for dumpers, trucks, and trailers.
Would you like to learn more about our range of custom tarps?

Feel free to contact us.