Abstract: An apparatus for removing open bed truck tarp support bows from their position over a truck bed. The apparatus includes a control bar positioned along the upper edge of one side of a truck bed, with a multiplicity of truck tarp bows extending radially from the bar. A lever for rotating the control bar is also attached to the bar. When the control bar is rotated outward, the bows rotate upward and away from the open truck bed providing uninhibited access to the truck bed for loading and unloading. When the control bar is rotated inward, the bows are lowered to extend across the truck bed to support the truck tarp thereon.

Abstract: A truck for transporting and dumping a load which includes a vehicle with a fifth wheel configured to pivot about a horizontal first axis from a first extreme to a second extreme. A dump trailer hitched to the fifth wheel includes an elongate load bed. The trailer also includes a hitch base for coupling the trailer to the fifth wheel, an arm pivotally linking the hitch base and bed, and a load bearing lift mechanism. A lift mechanism selectively tilts the trailer bed to dump a load. The lift mechanism has an upper end portion connected to the bed and a lower end portion pivotally connected to the hitch base. The lower end portion is configured to pivot about a second axis generally parallel to the first axis. The second axis is horizontally displaced from the first axis so that loading of the fifth wheel by the trailer substantially maintains the fifth wheel in one of the first and second extremes during dumping and avoids the need to lock the fifth wheel during transport.