1. View the types of flat bed trucks used to handle any type of load.
2. Find out what equipment and supplies can be hauled on flatbed carriers.
3. See what is used to secure and protect whatever is being shipped on flat bed trucks.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know the difference between step deck and dropdeck flat bed trucks

From step decks to lowboys, flatbed trucks come in a variety of styles. Depending on what you're shipping, you may need more than one type of flat bed truck. For instance, a regular or stretch flatbed might be best for long pipes or steel beams, while dropdecks or step decks may be the way to go for construction vehicles.

I recommend: See standard specifications and configurations of flatbed trucks most commonly used in the flatbed trucking industry at Great Western Transportation. View photographs of two- and four-axle flatbed trucks of various lengths at Mitchell Bros. Truck Line.

Haul everything from bricks to windows on flatbed carriers

Whether you're moving large steel beams for buildings or bridges, or cranes or backhoes to a construction site, the flatbed trucking industry is where you'll turn. Even unusual freight such as large containers, helicopters and even sections of prefabricated houses can be hauled on flat bed trucks.

I recommend: View the photo gallery at C.H. Robinson Worldwide to get an idea of the kinds of items that can be transported on flat bed carriers. Taylor Heavy Hauling has many pictures of flat bed trucks hauling everything from platforms to large pipes and more.

Rest easy knowing your shipment is safe and secure while being transported on flatbed trucks

Transporting by flat bed trucks is a safe and secure way to get your large equipment or construction supplies from point A to point B. Your precious cargo will be secured with steel chains, strong nylon straps or high-strength rubber bungee straps. When possible or needed, whatever you're transporting on flat bed trucks can be covered using vinyl or steel tarps.

I recommend: Learn more about the strong steel tarps used for some flat bed shipments at Tarpstop. Mytee Products displays a large inventory of flat bed supplies, including tarps, transport chains, winch and ratchet straps and more.

Learn how to communicate with flatbed trucking companies

There's more to flatbed trucking than simply dropping your goods on a trailer and sending it off to your destination. You'll need to consider insurance, freight size, full or partial loads and other terms before using flat bed services.

I recommend: Get an idea about the correct way to measure your load for flat bed trucking at Access America Transport. Read about the benefits of partial load shipments at J.C. Nester Company.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider using a project cargo manager to help you coordinate the logistics of your flatbed trucking shipment.

Guide to Flatbed Trucking

Flatbed trailers haul just about anything you can lay on a slab

By Ned Averill-Snell

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose a type of flatbed trailer

Not all flatbed trailers are alike. Different designs accommodate different types of loads. If you need a particular flatbed trailer design, you need to make sure the flatbed trucking company you choose has the right flatbed trailer on hand.

I recommend: Stevens West, Inc. publishes an online Trailer Selector Guide that shows the types of flatbed trailers and their size/weight capacities.

Know the class of cargo you will ship by flatbed truck

To calculate your quote, most flatbed trucking companies assign a class to each load according to the National Motor Freight Classification uniform standards. The cargo's density, ease of handling and liability of materials are all considered in assigning the cargo to one of 18 different classes representing the typical ease of transport for goods of that class.

I recommend: The National Motor Freight Traffic Association gives details on the classifications used by flatbed trucking companies and the packaging you can apply to lower your shipping rates. Use what you learn to negotiate rates with your carrier, or buy the association's classification guide to calculate a fair price on your own.

Find a trucking company that fields flatbed trucks

Most major trucking companies have flatbed trucks in their fleets, along with the usual box trailers and such. Nearly all offer free quotes online.

I recommend: To quickly collect quotes from a range of flatbed trucking companies, try FreightQuote, QWikQuote Express or eFreightLine.

Investigate a trucking company's reputation before hiring its flatbed truck

Once you have a quote or two you like, do a background check on the flatbed trucking companies to make sure they are solid citizens. Ask companies for their overall claims ratio, which compares damage claims with the number of shipments carried. Be sure they have registered their flatbed trucks, have proper insurance, and have drug testing programs for their drivers.

I recommend: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, registers and compiles background and safety data on trucking companies, including those with flatbed trucks in their fleets.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If a shipment is unusually large for its actual weight, flatbed trucking companies may charge for a higher 'dimensional weight,' determined by size, instead of the real weight.
• •  If you ship with a wrong size or weight estimate, the flatbed trucking company may stick you with a 'reweigh' fee.
• •  If your flatbed truck load looks like less than a full truckload, talk to your flatbed trucking company about whether you can share the bed with someone else's shipment to save money -- a practice known as less than truck load, or LTL. (A full truck all to yourself is a full truck load, or FTL.)

1. Select the right trailer for your flatbed hauling.
2. Choose flat bed trucking companies that give you the services you need.
3. Consider logistics management to handle your flatbed trucking.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Pick the flatbed carriers designed to handle your specific load

In some cases, it may fall to the shipper to determine the size and weight of what's being shipped, and to choose the types of flatbed trucks to be used for the shipment. From dropdeck trailers to extended flatbeds, there are several designs of flatbed trucks of various lengths and widths to accommodate many types of equipment or supplies.

I recommend: Stein Transportation Systems has a trailer selector guide that gives extensive information about the sizes, shapes, and even maximum freight weights of each flatbed trailer in service. Great Western Transportation has several different flatbed trucks to handle everything from standard to wide loads, and encourages customers to consult them when selecting trailers.

Go with flatbed trucking companies offering the widest array of freight services

It's one thing if you're using flatbed trucking as a one-time or rare instance, but if flatbed transportation is going to be a major part of your business, you'll want to turn to flatbed trucking companies which offer above-average services. This might include tracking systems, time definite delivery, management support, a wide selection of flatbed trucks and even shipping beyond U.S. borders.

I recommend: Stevens West has flatbed trucks to handle overweight and oversized loads, and offers logistics management services, expedited shipping and even shipping to Mexico and Canada. Take advantage of the many services offered when you go through FlatbedShipping.com, which include cranes and forklifts for unloading, pilots for flag cars and tarps for covering your shipment.

Hand over the fine details of flatbed trucking to a cargo or logistics manager

Undoubtedly, there's more to your business than flatbed trucking. One option you might want to pursue is using a cargo manager employed by a flatbed trucking company or a logistics management company to handle the details of flatbed trucking while you can keep your mind on other business matters.

I recommend: Menlo Worldwide Logistics offers transportation management as part of their many services. They will find flatbed carriers, arrange the entire shipment and even supply brokerage services. Let the flatbed transportation professionals at E.W. Wylie handle your shipping needs, right down to supplying the flatbed trucks.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make sure the flatbed trucking company you are considering carries adequate cargo insurance for your shipment and, if not, that they are able to supply additional insurance as needed.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consignee

The consignee in flatbed trucking is the person to whom the load is being delivered. This person can also be referred to as the receiver.

I recommend: Look at the context in which consignees are discussed in the disclaimers from Wasem Packaging & Crating Service.

Dunnage

Dunnage is filler items that are put between bundles of lumber, steel or other materials that will be unloaded via crane or forklift. Dunnage allows adequate space between bundles for the forklift blade to go beneath the bundle for lifting onto the truck, and it can also help keep goods from shifting in transit.

I recommend: Check out Air-Lock Truck Dunnage from Inflatable Packaging.

LTL

LTL stands for 'less than truckload' shipments. These partial loads allow shippers to combine shipments with more than one customer to save money for all parties involved.

I recommend: Stevens West is one of many shippers to offer flatbed LTL service.

VBoards

VBoards are a flexible corner protector consisting of two pieces of 1x4 lumber and nylon straps. You can use them on the edges of items such as brick cubes for load containment and stabilization, as well as uniform weight distribution.

I recommend: Take a look at the VBoard solutions from Laminations.

Van trailer, box trailer, dry van

Van trailers, unlike flatbeds, have an enclosed trailer that generally include doors on the rear.

I recommend: Compare van trailers with flatbeds at 4 Way Logistics.

Exclusive use

If your client is asking for exclusive use, it wants to enter into an agreement to dedicate the use of your trailer to only one shipper. Freight belonging to other shippers is then not allowed onto the trailer.

I recommend: Find exclusive use defined at UniGroup Worldwide.