Folding top device for a load transport container of a load transport vehicle which has a cargo space delimited by a rear wall and by side walls (16-1, 16-2), it being possible to pivot at least one of said walls outwards about a typically horizontal pivot axis out of a closed position and into an open position, said folding top device comprising a cover tarpaulin and an actuating device (32-1, 32-2, 80, 81, 82) for the cover tarpaulin, it being possible, when the folding top device is mounted on the load transport container as intended and in a manner ready for operation, to move the cover tarpaulin on the load transport container between an outstretched cover position and a gathered retracted position by means of the actuating device (32-1, 32-2, 80, 81, 82) such that, when in the outstretched cover position, said tarpaulin covers the top of the cargo space of the load transport container, and, when in the gathered retracted state, is stored on a retraction side of the load transport container such that it frees the top of the cargo space, the actuating device (32-1, 32-2, 80, 81, 82) comprising adjacent support brackets (24, 24-1, 24-2, 24-3) which are intended for the cover tarpaulin, are displaceably arranged on the load transport container, are connected to the cover tarpaulin and have guide elements on their opposite ends such that they can be guided on the upper edges (20-1, 20-2) and in the longitudinal direction of the side walls (16-1, 16-2) of the load transport container, the support brackets (24, 24-1, 24-2, 24-3) being guided so as to be brought closer together, in the longitudinal direction of the side walls (16-1, 16-2), into a collected position on the retraction side of the load transport container when the cover tarpaulin is in the retracted position, whereas the support brackets (24, 24-1, 24-2, 24-3) are pulled apart and distributed at relatively large distances from one another on the top of the load transport container in the longitudinal direction of the side walls (16-1, 16-2) when the cover tarpaulin is in its outstretched cover position, the actuating device (32-1, 32-2, 80, 81, 82) comprising a folding bracket which is likewise connected to the cover tarpaulin, is supported in the region of the guide elements of the first support bracket which is closest to the rear wall and can move relative to said support bracket about a typically horizontal fold axis which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the side walls (16-1, 16-2) between a folded-up position and an unfolded position, the folding bracket being in its unfolded position when the cover tarpaulin is in the outstretched cover position and being brought closer to an upper edge of the rear wall or abutting said wall, and the folding top device having a rigid stop apparatus (100, 102, 91, 92) for an unfolding movement of the folding bracket, the stop apparatus (100, 102, 91, 92) being connected to a rear wall or side wall (16-1, 16-2) either directly or by means of intermediate elements, and a movement of the folding bracket along the guide in the direction of the outstretched cover position causing the stop apparatus (100, 102, 91, 92) to unfold the folding bracket in a positively guided manner by applying stopping forces to the folding bracket, the unfolding being rigidly linked to the movement of the folding bracket along the guide, characterised in that the rigid stop apparatus (100, 102) comprises a stop rod, and the stop rod is guided along a stop rod guide (32-1, 110), by means of which the stop rod can be guided to a stop position, and the stop rod guide (32-1, 110) comprises an element of the actuating device (32-1, 32-2, 80, 81, 82) for the cover tarpaulin.