Flatbed shipping is a great way for your business to ship large, oversized, or awkwardly shaped cargo. These shipments are unlikely to fit into a standard shipping container or truck and can cause problems for your business.
Flatbed shipping offers a convenient and reliable solution.
What is it, and how does it work? This post will explore flatbed trucking’s advantages, the types of flatbed trailers available, and more.
What is flatbed shipping?
Flatbed shipping is a popular transportation method for a wide variety of goods. Let’s break it down, one key detail at a time, to understand why it’s a go-to solution for businesses worldwide.
What is a flatbed truck?
A flatbed truck is just what it sounds like — a heavy-duty truck with a large flat bed. The beds are open to the elements. They have no side walls, no roof, and no other covering.
Flatbed trucks can be rigid (one unit) or articulated (two separate units connected securely.)
What are some types of flatbed truck trailers?
Here are some of the different types of flatbed truck trailers used around the world:
- Flatbed: The standard trailer with a flat space for loads and no sides or roof.
- Drop deck: Drop deck trailers have two decks: one near ground level and another higher up. They are suitable for transporting tall goods with less need to worry about height restrictions.
- Removable gooseneck (RGN): The front end of RGN trailers can be detached. That makes loading and unloading large goods easier. They are commonly used when transporting very heavy loads.
- Extendable: Extendable flatbed trucking trailers can be made longer than standard flatbeds to carry oversized loads.
- Lowboy: Lowboy trailers have a lower-than-average height, making them ideal for transporting particularly tall freight like heavy-duty equipment or machinery.
- Skirted: Skirted flatbeds feature durable metal skirting beneath the bed. This covers integrated storage on both sides of the trailer. Skirted flatbeds are a popular choice for agricultural and construction applications.
- Hot shot: Hot shot trailers are short enough to be used by class 2 trucks. Often used for transporting small less-than-truckload (LTL) cargo within a short timeframe.
- Conestoga: Conestoga trailers include tarp systems that can be set up and removed as needed. These tarps help protect freight from weather during transportation.
What are the advantages of flatbed shipping?
Flatbed trucking offers many advantages, including:
- Flexibility for large cargo: Flatbed shipping is a versatile option, providing flexibility for transporting larger freight that can’t fit into standard trailers.
- Easy loading: Loading and unloading cargo onto flatbed trailers is easier than with some alternatives. That’s due to the open design, which allows teams to load goods onto the truck from different angles and positions (not just the back.)
- Accommodate heavy shipments: Flatbed trucking is beneficial when transporting particularly heavy loads. They tend to have greater capacity than standard trucks.
- Suitable for various types of equipment: Different types of flatbed trucks on the market can accommodate diverse equipment types. That gives you more shipping options and the flexibility to find the right flatbed trucking solution for you.
- Can ship standard-but-awkward loads: Flatbeds can be used to ship “regular” shipments that can fit into standard shipping containers yet need more flexibility. That makes for more convenient and practical transportation when dealing with cargo that has an unusual shape.
- Durable and reliable: Flatbed trucks are generally strong enough to deal with challenging road conditions. They can withstand harsh and help protect loads that may be vulnerable to movement in transit.
What types of industries use flatbed trucking?
Flatbed trucking is common in industries that involve large or oversized equipment. These include:
- Construction: For transporting scaffolding, materials, cranes, and other heavy equipment from site to site.
- Agriculture: Moving combines, tractors, and other common machinery.
- Aviation: Shipping engines, wings, and other large loads that may have an awkward shape.
- Automobile: Transporting vehicle components, shells, and other heavy goods.
- Manufacturing: Moving bulky cargo to and from companies, such as factory machines.
Find the right flatbed shipping services for your business
Flatbed trucks can help companies across different industries transport tricky freight safely, efficiently, and conveniently. They offer a flexible solution when dealing with large, heavy goods that may have an unusual shape unsuitable for standard trucking.
At DTS, we are dedicated to helping businesses find the right transportation solution for their needs — including flatbed trucking services.
We’re always ready to arrange flatbed shipments to suit diverse needs, whether you require double drops, RGN, or any other type of flatbed trucks.
To find out how we can help you with professional, reliable flatbed shipping and transportation services, get in touch today.
