Flatbed Hauling: An Overview By the Best Trucking Companies in Ohio

Because of their versatility, dry vans and refrigerated trucks are among the most frequent transporters in the United States. However, when the freight is huge or heavy, dry vans and comparable trucks aren’t always up to the task.

That’s why Flatbed trucks come into play. Let’s dig into the fundamentals of flatbed hauling in this post and learn about the best trucking companies in Ohio at the end. So keep reading.

What Exactly is Flatbed Trucking?

Flatbed trucks are commercial vehicles that feature a flat platform rather than an enclosed trailer. This vehicle allows transportation companies to move enormous or strangely shaped freight. As this sort of trailer has an open deck, the

driver must secure the load using chains or straps. A tarp may also be required to protect the items and materials during shipment.

Flatbed Trucking Advantages

Flatbed trucking firms pay them substantially more than conventional truck drivers.

They see a broader range of loads than most. And their destinations and transportation routes are as diverse as their contents.

Lastly, flatbed trucking is a less passive mode of transportation. It frequently entails physical effort, such as hauling or tying down things, which gives you a well-deserved workout while allowing for shorter commute times also.

Types of Flatbed Hauling

❖Step deck

A step deck, sometimes known as a drop deck, is a flatbed trailer that has a top and bottom deck. The step deck is

commonly used for too big or tall freight for a conventional flatbed.

Step deck loads are often transported lower in the trailer. Because the truck is lower, it can pass under low bridges even with heavy loads. Loading ramps at ground level makes it simple to get on and off the bed.

❖Extendable Flatbeds

Flatbed stretch trailers, also known as extendable flatbeds, convey freight that is too long to fit on a regular flatbed.

An extended flatbed truck can transport cargo with no overhang. Larger loads, on the other hand, may need a permit and, escorted vehicles.

❖Stretch Single drop Deck

This trailer is like an extensible flatbed. It does, however, include a drop deck.

The vehicle’s bed may be extended like a flatbed. It can extend to handle cargo that is too lengthy for ordinary step decks. A stretch single drop deck may legally carry loads that normal drop-deck flatbeds cannot.

A bulkhead can be attached to the trailer’s front to secure bulky goods. This can keep the cargo from breaking free during severe braking.

The cargo should be able to bend and go over the truck’s cab if a bulkhead is attached.

❖Double Drop

Oversize freight, including things exceeding 10 feet tall, maybe loaded using double-drop flatbeds.

Double drop flatbeds have a well in the middle beside a front and back deck. To handle tall freight, the well is normally 25 to 29 feet long.

However, the well may reduce the area available for loading freight. Loading and unloading need a crane and other flatbed hauling gear.

❖Removable Gooseneck Trailer (RGN)

RGNs are adaptable trailers for transporting long and tall cargo, such as heavy machinery. RGNs can be removed. The trailer can

be lowered to the ground and used as a ramp. That means you can drive big machinery directly onto the deck.

RGNs are typically built with three to twenty axles. Axles enable them to transport and deliver large payloads.

❖Side-kit

Panels, curving metal spines fashioned like bows, and posts around the bed’s perimeter are features of side-kit flatbed trailers. They form a framework to which you may connect tarps if necessary.

When tarps are mounted, the design of the side kit flatbed may shield delicate goods from the weather.

What Is the Process of Flatbed Trucking?

Although flatbed trucking Company Ohio is adaptable, it must follow several essential criteria when operating these trucks.

❖Loading The Cargo

To load big and bulky items into flatbed trucks, cranes and forklifts are typically employed. The cargo’s weight must be correctly balanced on the axles, and it is the driver’s job to

ensure that safety regulations are met. An uneven load can cause handling issues, injuries, and accidents.

❖Securing The Cargo

The United States Department of Transportation has set stringent cargo security regulations. The driver keeps the load stable and secure. Steel chains or webbed nylon straps, depending on the nature of the load, might secure the cargo.

❖Covering The Cargo

Flatbed trailers lack sides, walls, and a roof. Unless cargo is covered with a tarp, it is exposed to the weather. Tarping protects cargo during shipment, but it must be properly connected to be effective. Cargo flatbed trailer tarps are huge and substantial. The tarp must be maneuvered over the load with a forklift, and the sides and corners must be firmly fastened.

❖Maneuvering The Truck

Flatbed trailers are big and expand significantly when loaded with enormous items. Flatbed trucks can be difficult to drive, and special abilities are required.