Flatbed & Specialized Freight
When cargo cannot go through a set of van doors, it goes on a deck — loaded from the side, from above by crane, or driven on under its own power. That changes everything about how the load is planned, secured and covered.
Choosing the Deck Before You Book the Truck
Open-deck equipment is selected by cargo height far more often than by weight. Most states cap overall vehicle height at 13'6", and that ceiling is measured from the pavement — so the deck height of the trailer directly determines how tall your load can be before it needs a permit. A standard flatbed sits around 60 inches off the ground and leaves roughly 8'6" of legal cargo height. Drop the deck and you buy headroom: a step deck's lower level gives about 10 feet, and the well of a double drop gives about 11'6".
Weight matters second. With a tractor and empty trailer consuming most of the 80,000 lb federal gross limit, practical legal payload on a standard flatbed lands near 48,000 lb — less on heavier specialised trailers. Beyond that, the load is a permitted move, and belongs on our oversize and heavy haul desk instead.
| Trailer Type | Legal Cargo Height | Typical Max Payload |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Flatbed (48' / 53') | approx. 8'6" | 48,000 lbs |
| Step Deck (Single Drop) | approx. 10'0" | 46,000 lbs |
| Double Drop (Well 25–29') | approx. 11'6" | 40,000 lbs |
| RGN / Lowboy (Detachable Neck) | approx. 11'6" | 40,000–80,000+ lbs |
Operational Safeguards
Securement to the Federal Standard
FMCSA cargo securement rules require the combined working load limit of all tiedowns to equal at least half the weight of the article secured. We confirm the carrier is carrying enough rated gear for your specific piece before dispatch, not on arrival.
Tarping Specified Up Front
Steel tarps, lumber tarps and smoke tarps are not interchangeable, and 8-foot drops cost more than 4-foot drops. We settle the tarp requirement at quote time so the rate you accept is the rate you pay.
Loading Method Confirmed
Crane, forklift, overhead gantry or drive-on ramp — each implies different trailer access and a different amount of dock time. We confirm the method with both shipper and receiver so the driver is not the one discovering it.
What Rides on a Deck
Open-deck volume clusters around heavy industry: steel coil and plate out of the Great Lakes mills, dimensional lumber and engineered wood from the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast, oilfield pipe and tubulars through Texas and Oklahoma, precast concrete and structural steel into metropolitan construction sites, and agricultural and construction machinery moving between dealers, auctions and job sites.
Several of these commodities carry their own securement rules. Metal coils, paper rolls, concrete pipe, large boulders, crushed vehicles and logs each have a dedicated federal commodity-specific standard on top of the general requirements — a coil loaded eye-to-the-side is secured differently from the same coil loaded eye-to-the-sky. Telling us the orientation matters as much as telling us the weight.
| What We Need | Why It Changes the Truck |
|---|---|
| Length × width × height | Sets deck type and whether a permit is triggered |
| Piece count and weight each | Drives tiedown count and axle weight distribution |
| Loading and unloading method | Determines trailer access and dwell time |
| Tarp requirement | Priced separately; affects which carriers can accept |
| Site access and surface | Soft ground and tight yards rule out long trailers |
Before the Truck Arrives
Have the Piece Ready to Lift
Open-deck loading is usually the shipper's responsibility. Blocking, dunnage and any crane or forklift capacity should be on site and staffed for the appointment window.
Flag Anything Fragile or Painted
Chains mark finished surfaces. If the piece is painted, machined or coated, tell us so the load is planned around straps and edge protection rather than chain and binders.
Confirm the Receiver Can Unload
A deck load that arrives at a site with no lifting equipment simply waits. Confirming the unloading plan at booking is the single cheapest way to avoid detention on open-deck freight.
Send Us the Dimensions
Give us length, width, height and weight and we will tell you which deck it belongs on and whether it clears legal limits — before you commit to a rate.