Photo by Anil Kapahi

Kinley and two local business partners created TarpX, a new load control system for pickup trucks and small trailers which replaces the ubiquitous blue tarp with bungee cords with an adjustable all-in-one system.

This is significant, because with more than 39 million pickup trucks on the road in the U.S., unsecured loads cause more than 25,000 accidents each year that result in deaths, injuries and property damage. Moreover, debris that fly off the back of pickup trucks can blow into water sources, causing clogged drains, ruining water quality and negatively affecting ecosystems.

Now, the distinctive black tarps with the yellow X can be spotted all over the UW campus: Grounds maintenance uses TarpX on all 18 of its pickup trucks that haul landscape cuttings, dead branches, dug-up shrubs and other yard debris from campus every day. "We care about safety," says UW Grounds Supervisor Clarence Geyen. "And the fact that there is a UW connection makes it even better."