Flatbed

Flatbed freight is defined by what it is not: not enclosed, not palletized in a standard way, and not indifferent to how it is tied down. The trailer is a 48- or 53-foot deck; a step deck (drop deck) lowers the rear section to fit taller freight under bridge height; a double drop or RGN goes lower still for machinery.

What the carrier does that a van carrier does not:

• Securement: chains, straps and edge protectors, to federal cargo securement rules. The driver, not the shipper, is responsible for it.
• Tarping: covering freight that cannot get wet, a physically demanding job that carriers bill as an accessorial ($50–$150 is typical) and that adds time at pickup.
• Permits and escorts for oversize or overweight loads, which vary by state and can decide the routing.

Rates follow. Flatbed pays more per mile than dry van, is more seasonal (construction and steel in spring and summer), and is priced with the dimensions, the weight and the securement in view. A rate confirmation for a flatbed load should state the dimensions, whether tarps are required and how many, and who provides dunnage.

For a broker, the risky moment is the one where a load described as “a couple of pallets of steel” turns out to be 48 feet of coil that needs a coil rack. Flatbed loads are the ones where the details on the tender decide whether the truck that shows up can take the freight.