Routing the load…
Open deck · crane or forklift loading
Flatbed
transport, quoted to the line.
The open-deck workhorse: steel, lumber, machinery, palletized industrial freight — anything that loads from above or the side and rides exposed or tarped.
Deck height
~60 in
Deck length
48–53 ft
Freight height
to ~8 ft 6 in legal
Capacity
to ~48K lbs
How this equipment runs
Flatbed Transport.
A flatbed is the most available open-deck trailer in North America, which makes it the cheapest open-deck capacity on almost any lane. Steel coils and plate, lumber and building products, machinery on skids, precast components, palletized industrial freight — if it loads by crane or forklift and doesn't exceed 8'6" of height, a flatbed moves it.
Securement is the craft: chains and binders for steel and machinery, straps for crush-prone freight, tarps when weather matters (count on tarping adding to the rate — it's real labor). Coil loads need coil racks or a coil-experienced driver; we don't put coils on a driver who hasn't hauled them.
Flatbed is also where 'a little oversize' starts cheap. A 9-foot-wide load on a flatbed is a routine width permit in most states — not escorts and surveys. We run the permit check on anything over 8'6" wide or tall before quoting so the rate already includes it.
Frequently asked
Flatbed questions.
When is a flatbed enough vs step-deck or RGN?
Under 8'6" tall and under ~48K lbs with crane/forklift loading → flatbed. Taller → step-deck. Drive-on or over-height/overweight machinery → RGN or lowboy. The coordinator confirms loaded dimensions before locking the trailer type.
Does tarping cost extra?
Yes — tarping is physical work and tarps are consumables, so tarped loads price above untarped on the same lane. If your freight is weather-sensitive, say so up front and the quote includes it.
Can a flatbed carry an oversize load?
Routinely — width is the usual dimension. Up to 12' wide is a standard permit class in most states; beyond that, escorts and route restrictions phase in. Height is the flatbed's weak axis: past 8'6" of freight you're usually better on a step-deck.
Got a flatbed load?
Quote it now.
Line by line, no TBDs.
Open deck · crane or forklift loading. Permits, escorts, and route checks included. A named coordinator quotes it the same day.