CHASING THE F-RAINBOW
Claudia’s job is unique to FREITAG. She and her team of truck spotters remove worn-out tarps from around 6'700 trucks every year. In this post, she tells you how it all works, and why she’s so picky about tarps.
Contact Tarp Procurement
Would you like to sell your used truck tarpaulins to FREITAG? Bingo – you’ve come to the right place!
Our asphalt-tested Truckspotter Monica will breathe new life into your tarps, meaning that she will soon be on her happy way through the cities of the world once again – but this time in the form of bags and accessories.
Please provide us with more details and we will contact you with the speed of a pan-European express transport truck.
Contact:
Melanie della Rocca - +49 176 215749 91 - melanie.dellarocca@freitag.ch
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT DO I GET OUT OF IT?
Quite a lot, actually: you cut down on disposal costs, make your environmental footprint smaller and help to extend the life cycle of a resilient material. And you’ll earn a bit of extra cash for your coffers, too.
WHAT WILL YOU GIVE ME FOR MY TARPS?
The color, weight, appearance and so on govern how much we pay. We list our prices per kilogram of usable material.
We do a final weighing at our factory, after which we can state the definitive price. Speaking from experience, we can generally use 50% of the material weight supplied to us.
Send us an email or give us a call, and we’ll prepare an approximate quote for you.
CAN YOU SEND ME A CONFIRMATION THAT PROVES I HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH FREITAG?
Of course. We’d be happy to provide you with one.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ORGANIZING THE TARP DELIVERY?
We work with a local partner to take care of transport and customs.
HOW DOES THE TARP COLLECTION AND DELIVERY PROCESS WORK?
After we receive confirmation from you that the tarps are ready, we contact our local partner to put the wheels in motion for their collection. Our partner will then get in touch with you to determine the best time to pick them up. The tarps will be delivered to our factory in Zurich a few days after that.
HOW MANY TARPS DO I NEED TO HAVE AT THE MINIMUM BEFORE YOU MAKE A COLLECTION?
Depending on how far away you are from our factory in Zurich, one or two pallets is the minimum for us to arrange transport. In our experience, a EUR-pallet (EPAL) will hold up to four or five tarps.
HOW SHOULD I PACK THE TARPS?
To make it easy for us when handling the pallets, please tie the tarps down as securely as possible – preferably with straps or belts – on one or more EPAL/EUR-pallets (80 x 120 cm, max. 600 kg per pallet). We receive multiple deliveries each day, which is why it’s important for you to mark your pallets with your name or the name of your company.
I’D LIKE TO GET MY PALLETS BACK AFTERWARDS. DO YOU HAVE A PALLET EXCHANGE ARRANGEMENT IN PLACE?
Yes, if those pallets are EUR-pallets (EPAL). We can arrange for the pallets to be exchanged when collecting the tarps. Just let us know if you’d like to exchange your pallets when you inform us that your tarps are ready for collection.
HOW DO I RECEIVE PAYMENT FOR MY TARPS?
After the tarps arrive at our factory in Zurich, we disassemble them and remove the eyelets and straps. We also cut off all parts that are too fragile, brittle or otherwise unusable. We then take the parts that we can recycle into bags and weigh them by color. We’ll prepare a payment notice for the order based on the unit prices stated on the initial quote we sent you. We will transfer the amount directly to your bank account.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE PAID IN CASH. IS THAT POSSIBLE?
Sadly not. We can only pay our suppliers via bank transfer, by invoice or by payment order.
QUALITY REQUIREMENTS
IS IT TRUE THAT YOU ONLY BUY USED TRUCK TARPS?
FREITAG creates bags and accessories from used materials that spent their past life traversing the blacktop: seasoned truck tarps, discarded seatbelt straps, scuffed bicycle inner tubes and recycled airbags. The truck tarps that we get our hands on have racked up hundreds of thousands of miles on the road, which is perfect for how we want our bags to look.
After all, every piece of used truck tarp is imbued with its own unique characteristics. We’re especially drawn to matte, scratched surfaces and tarp where the PVC coating has caused frictional wear and tear.
That’s why we don’t buy any drop cloths, ad banners or tent tarps, even if the original material is identical to that of truck tarps.
HOW STRONG DOES THE TARP NEED TO BE?
We buy used truck tarps made from high-strength base fabric with a PVC coating (between 600g/m² and 900g/m²).
I HAVE TARPS WITH DIGITAL PRINTING. DO YOU BUY THESE AS WELL?
Yes, we have no problem with digitally printed tarps.
I HAVE TARPS WITH DESIGNS (LOGOS, ETC.) AND ONES WITHOUT. WHICH DO YOU PREFER?
Our products encompass a range of colors and patterns. We are happy to buy tarps with surfaces covered in markings, and we’re equally interested in plain tarps. It’s all about the blend!
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
WHAT GUARANTEES DO I HAVE IN TERMS OF HOW MY TARPS ARE USED?
We use truck tarps to produce bags, and cut them so that any print designs and logos are no longer recognizable.
WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH MY TARPS IF YOU CAN’T USE THEM?
If your tarps fall short in terms of quality, we’ll dispose of and recycle them. If we receive too many tarps we can’t use (see our quality requirements above), we reserve the right to deduct the transport costs for the tarps from the purchase price.
ALSO GOOD TO KNOW
WHO HAVE YOU WORKED WITH IN THE PAST? WHAT KIND OF REFERENCES CAN YOU OFFER?
We work with the largest transport companies and manufacturers in Europe. Planzer (based in Switzerland) was one of the first companies to start supplying us with tarps – and it continues to do so on a regular basis.
CAN I TELL THE WORLD THAT I’M WORKING WITH FREITAG? AND HOW?
Of course. We’re happy for you to shout it from the rooftops. And we can provide you with all the tools you need (press releases, logos, etc.). Get in touch with us and ask away!