Rope vs rubber tarp straps? Any tips and tricks?

The "truckers knot" is gold!

 

Have used rope on all tarps for years. As with anything, speed come from doing the task. How the rope is hooked to the trailer is one factor. Does the trailer have rope hooks under the rail? That can speed things up.

One thing I do not do is leave the rope in the tarps.
For rope, I carry 2 each of 100,75,25 foot lengths.
I do have about 25 bungees for pinning down corners and for the odd spots.

On knots, using good knots and knowing how to tie them is a key. A truck knot can be used almost anywhere along the rope to make a section tight.
Do a google search on truck or truckers knot, several videos will come up.
People call this a knot, it is actually a hitch. In the rope world, you have two major classes of “knots” hitches and bents.

 

Are you using long ropes or are you using a whole bunch of short sections of ropes and using them just like bungees?

 

That seems impractical unless every load is basically the same, or the same height. I don't mind using rope, I mostly use shock cord because I drop / hook loaded and tarped trailers regularly and that's what the company provides. However, I'm fond of using regular rope if I'm delivering the load myself and hanging onto the tarp.

Either way though, it's a long length of rope, not short sections. Personally I'd switch, but if you don't hang onto your tarps then I'd just learn to deal with it.

 

You may want to look at a taut line hitch, it’s fast. Easy tie and pull to take out, plus it can be adjusted quick if need be.

 

I haul glass and we ONLY use rope. The company had a driver get popped in the eye when a bungee strap broke, so they outlawed bungies. We carry a 600' spool of rope to replace bad, old or cut ropes...and in 6 months, I am on my 3rd spool.