What is a Flatbed Trailer?
William Thomas / January 2021
In super heavy and wide-load shipping companies, having the right equipment to meet client needs is a core success component. Heavy Equipment Transport understands that meeting our customer’s safety and delivery expectations depends on the timely dispatch of shipments.
This is why picking the right hauler, like the flatbed trailer, will sustain client satisfaction. With more than ten years of proven experience, we have reliable and honest experts to handle your equipment safely and industry-leading Flatbed trailer shipping solutions.
So, What Exactly Is a Flatbed Trailer?
A Flatbed trailer is the most common for shipping heavy, wide, and oversized loads such as construction equipment, machinery, and other super loads. The bodywork consists of a flat open deck with no sides and roof.
Its flat-shaped design makes it easy for clients to load and unload heavy and wide equipment. Consider the flatbed trailer for its many benefits when looking for a heavy-duty truck to haul or meet your oversized and heavy shipping needs.
Key benefits include handling maximum weight capacity, ideal for safe heavy equipment and machinery delivery. The open deck offers flexibility in handling various load dimensions and easily accommodating irregularly shaped and oversized items.
Also, the design allows loading cargo from different or multiple angles with ease and makes unloading easy and efficient. The flat design presents various securement options, including binders, chains, straps, and others, ensuring your equipment is safely delivered.
This trailer type is versatile and suitable for hauling a wide variety of super heavy loads in the construction, agricultural, military, and other fields looking for wide load transport sizes. With its ease of loading and unloading, the Flatbed is ideal for clients looking for quick and safe delivery.
The specifications of Flatbed trailers make them distinctive and the most common truck used for wide and super heavy load shipping solutions. However, our knowledgeable logistics agents will guide you on what equipment is hauled on flatbed trailers.
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“Its flat-shaped design makes it easy for clients to load and unload heavy and wide equipment.“
Specs and Dimensions of a Flatbed Trailer
Like many other trailer types, the specifications of Flatbed trailers vary depending on the capacity, manufacturer, and use. But on average, standard Flatbed trailer specifications include:
- • Open flat deck that makes loading and unloading easy
- • No roof or sides which is ideal for hauling irregularly shaped items
- • Multiple loading and unloading angles
- • Open deck allowing flexibility in securing different equipment
- • Tandem and multi-axle configurations to facilitate weight distribution
- • Customizable or specialized designs that can be extended or stretched to accommodate longer equipment.
Still, with its open deck feature, our experts at Heavy Equipment Transport understand that equipment hauled on Flatbed trailers must not be exposed to rain or other extreme weather conditions like snow and, therefore, will protect them from these elements.
These trailers have varying dimensions depending on usage and hauling capacity, but a standard Flatbed trailer has lengths ranging from 48 feet to 53 feet. It has a maximum width of 8.5 feet, a maximum deck height of 60 inches, can haul a load height of 8.5 feet, and a maximum weight of 48,000 pounds.
While these are the standard dimensions and specifications of Flatbed trailers, it’s vital to understand that there are different types of Flatbed trailers. The standard Flatbed trailers are the most popular with a flat open deck.
There’s also the Step Deck or Drop Deck trailer type, with a lower deck at the front but retaining a flat deck in the rear, providing additional clearance for taller loads. We also have the Double Drop Deck trailer type with three deck levels providing maximum clearance for exceptionally and extremely tall loads. These are suitable for oversized equipment.
An Extendable Flatbed trailer is another type in this category. It’s developed to handle extra-long loads. This design can be adjusted to meet or match the specific length of your load.
Types of Equipment Transported on a Flatbed Trailer
Heavy Equipment Transport agents and logistics experts will guide you on all the steps of your shipment but will first advise you on equipment hauled on Flatbed trailers. These vary significantly and will require expert handling. The specifications of Flatbed trailers make them ideal to haul:
- • Construction equipment such as bulldozers and loaders
- • Mining equipment like mining drills
- • Boats and marine equipment
- • RV equipment
- • Tree and other lumber equipment
- • Wind energy equipment like turbine blades
- And more
Speaking with any of our logistics agents at Heavy Equipment Transport will get you our reliable, reputable, safe, and on-time Flatbed trailer shipping solutions and services.
William Thomas
Heavy Transport Specialist
Being able to lead a team of such talented logistics agents has been a wonderful experience over the past ten years. If you would like to know anything more about the heavy equipment transport services we offer, don't hesitate to give us a call!