Everything You Should Know About The Services Of Flatbed Trucking Companies

While driving on the highway, you must have seen a type of truck that has a large surface open from all sides. You must have seen vehicles loaded on it or other objects that are large and heavy. This type of truck is called a flatbed truck, which is used for transporting overly sized items like machines, heavy equipment, etc. It is basically used for the purpose of hauling such items that cannot be easily loaded on a regular vehicle. 

So, if you are thinking of obtaining the services of a flatbed trucking company, you must read on as we have gathered everything you should know about flatbed trucking.

What does a flatbed truck look like?  

If you have a shipping company and you are hiring one of the flatbed truck companies for shipping purposes for the first time, then you should be aware of the built of the truck. Why? Because flatbed trucks come with more than one type which means each type will serve different functions depending on its dimensions and built. 

Although you would see a variety of trucks in the market, we will talk about the two most common types: single-drop and flatbed. The single drop which also goes by the name of step deck is a truck that has two deck surfaces, one is elevated followed by the other one which is flat, long and present at a lower level. 

The other type, flatbed truck, is composed of only one flat surface or flatbed trailer at the back. This trailer typically has a height of 48’ and a width of 8.5’, with a maximum freight capacity of 48,000 pounds. The elevated deck of step deck is 11’ in length and 8.5’ in width whereas the lower and much longer flat deck is 37’ in length with the same width as that of the elevated deck.  

The dimensions of both types of trucks are absolutely similar, but the difference in the engineering of the decks poses a real impact on what types of cargo can be easily carried and transported. Usually, the single drop truck is found to be good for carrying heavier freight such as a tractor or large machinery because it has a much lower deck that makes the forklifting of the heavy load from ground to the trailer easy.

On the other hand, the flatbed truck is usually good for transporting goods like construction equipment, logs, not-so-heavy machinery, and other such products. So, it is better that you work with your shipping agent to decide which type of truck will be best suited for your freight.  

What are the benefits of flatbed trucking services?

The reason for flatbed trucking being so popular is that it offers a myriad of benefits in terms of hauling heavy stuff. By heavy, we do not mean your furniture, but heavy machinery, vehicles, or construction equipment. If you are considering getting the services of any of the flatbed trucking companies in Oregon but want to know the usefulness of these services before you make a decision, then keep reading on.  

Easy Loading

The conventional trucks that come with enclosed trailers may be good for moving your home appliances and furniture, but they do not provide ease in lifting over-dimensional cargo. Apart from that, enclosed trucks also do not offer enough space for oversized items. 

Whereas, flatbed trucks enable you to load gigantic and insanely large items with ease and convenience, thanks to its entirely open and long trailers. You can easily forklift the cargo items from any direction and can place it anywhere you want on the truck deck. 

Enough Space

As there are no enclosing walls and roof, cargo of any size can be easily placed and you would still have plenty of room to add more and more. You can load items on top of each other for as high as 10 feet. This means if you are loading big containers of 7 or 8 feet, you can still place something over them like medium-sized machinery or logs.

No dock limitations

Many people go for dry van trucking services because it provides safety with enclosed trailers, but what they don’t realize is that dry van hauling can be much more time consuming than flatbed trucking. The reason behind this is that the dry van needs to have access to the dock where it can be loaded and unloaded easily. 

This process is not only painstaking but it also poses limitations in terms of having permission to access the dock. But, flatbed trucking involves no such constraints; these trucks can be easily loaded and unloaded anywhere, be it any residential location or a construction site. 

Security & Safety

When you hire experts for hauling your cargo across the map, they ensure complete security and safety of all the goods. They come fully equipped with chains, racks, and coil to secure the cargo such that you would not see anything even slightly moved from its place. Flatbed trucking companies ensure the protection of your goods at all costs.

Special Equipment

Again, flatbed trucking companies are typically well equipped with all the special tools required for safely transporting the cargo to the destination. With various specialized materials, they ensure quality and fast services. 

Convenience

The companies giving services in flatbed trucking do not manually load the cargo neither do they use dock loading, but they perform the loading and unloading with crane, forklifts, and winches. Thanks to these special pieces of equipment, the entire process of shipping becomes much more convenient and easy. 

Bottom line

If you are looking for the shipment of your heavy freight, instead of going for dry vans, hire top flatbed trucking companies to do the job. This way you would be able to save time and the entire transporting process becomes much more convenient. Thanks to all the specialized tools a flatbed trucking team comes with, you can have your cargo shipped unscathed and on time.