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California Tarping Laws
California State Dump Truck Tarping Laws and Requirements:
California: California Highway Patrol, Sacramento, CA. 916-445-1865.
23114.
a. No vehicle shall be driven or moved on any highway unless the vehicle is
so constructed, covered, or loaded as to prevent any of its contents or
load other than clear water or feathers from live birds from dropping,
sifting, leaking, blowing, spilling, or otherwise escaping from the vehicle.
b.
1. Aggregate material shall only be carried in the cargo area of a vehicle. The
cargo area shall not contain any holes, cracks, or openings through which
that material may escape, regardless of the degree to which the vehicle is
loaded, except as provided in paragraph (2).
2. Every vehicle used to transport aggregate materials, regardless of the
degree to which the vehicle is loaded, shall be equipped with all of the
following:
A. Properly functioning seals on any openings used to empty the load,
including, but not limited to, bottom dump release gates and tailgates.
B. Splash flaps behind every tire, or set of tires, regardless of position on
the truck, truck tractor, or trailer.
C. Center flaps at a location to the rear of each bottom dump release
gate as to trucks or trailers equipped with bottom dump release gates.
The center flap may be positioned directly behind the bottom dump
release gate and in front of the rear axle of the vehicle, or it may be
positioned to the rear of the rear axle in line with the splash flaps
required behind the tires. The width of the center flap shall extend not
more than one inch from one sidewall to the opposite sidewall of the
inside tires and shall extend to within five inches of the pavement
surface, and shall be not less than 24 inches from the bottom edge to
the top edge of that center flap.
D. Fenders starting at the splash flap with the leading edge of the fenders
extending forward at least six inches beyond the center of the axle
which cover the tops of tires not already covered by the truck, truck
tractor, or trailer body.
E. Complete enclosures on all vertical sides of the cargo area, including,
but not limited to, tailgates.
F. Shed boards designed to prevent aggregate materials from being
deposited on the vehicle body during top loading.
c. Vehicles comprised of full rigid enclosures are exempt only from subparagraphs
(C) and (F) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b).
d. For purposes of this section, "aggregate material" means rock fragments, pebbles,
sand, dirt, gravel, cobbles, crushed base, asphalt, and other similar materials.
e.
1. On and after September 1, 1990, in addition to subdivisions (a) and (b), no
vehicle shall transport any aggregate material upon a highway unless the
material is covered
2. Vehicles transporting loads composed entirely of asphalt material are
exempt only from the provisions of this section requiring that loads be
covered.
3. Vehicles transporting loads composed entirely of petroleum coke material
shall not be required to cover their loads if they are loaded using safety
procedures, specialized equipment, and a chemical surfactant designed to
prevent materials from blowing, spilling, or otherwise escaping from the
vehicle.
4. Vehicles transporting loads of aggregate materials shall not be required to
cover their loads if the load, where it contacts the sides, front, and back of
the cargo container area, remains six inches from the upper edge of the
container area, and if the load does not extend, at its peak, above any part
of the upper edge of the cargo container area.
5. The requirements of this subdivision shall become operative on September
1, 1990.
f. Any person who provides a location for vehicles to be loaded with any aggregate
material or any other material shall provide a location for vehicle operators to
comply with this section before entering a highway.
1. A person shall be exempt from the requirements of this subdivision if the
location that he or she provides for vehicles to be loaded with the materials
described in this subdivision has 100 yards or less between the scale houses
where the trucks carrying aggregate material are weighed and the point of
egress to a public road.
2. Drivers of vehicles loaded with aggregate material leaving locations
exempted from the requirements of this subdivision are authorized to
operate on public roads only until they are able to safely cover the load at a
site near the location's point of egress to the public road, however, an
uncovered vehicle shall not be operated more than 200 yards from the point
of egress to the public road.
23115.
a. No vehicle transporting garbage, swill, used cans or bottles, waste
papers, waste cardboard, ashes, refuse, trash, or rubbish, or any noisome,
nauseous, or offensive matter, or anything being transported for disposal
or recycling shall be driven or moved upon any highway unless the load is
totally covered in a manner that will prevent the load or any part of the
load from spilling or falling from the vehicle.
b. Subdivision (a) does not prohibit a rubbish vehicle from being without cover while
in the process of acquiring its load if no law, administrative regulation, or local
ordinance requires that it be covered in those circumstances.
c. Vehicles transporting wastepaper, waste cardboard, or used cans or bottles, are in
compliance with subdivision (a) if appropriate binders including, but not limited to,
bands, wires, straps, or netting are used to prevent the load, or any part of the
load, from spilling or falling from the vehicle.
d. This section does not apply to any vehicle engaged in transporting wet waste fruit
or vegetable matter, or waste products to or from a food processing
establishment.
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