Securement specified, not assumed
Straps versus chains, how many, and the working load limit required for the commodity. It goes on the rate confirmation so the driver arrives with the right gear.
Flatbed and Open Deck
Flatbed and open deck, properly secured.
Open deck freight is the part of trucking where the details are legally binding. Chain counts, working load limits, tarping, permits and escorts. We match the load to a carrier who owns the right gear and knows the rules before it rolls.
At a glance
The specs that set the rate.
These four details decide the equipment, the carrier and the number. Have them ready and your quote comes back faster.
- Equipment
- 48 and 53 ft flatbed, step deck, double drop, RGN, Conestoga
- Typical capacity
- Up to 48,000 lbs standard, heavy haul quoted separately
- Best for
- Steel, lumber, pipe, machinery, building materials, equipment
- Extras
- Tarps, coil racks, pipe stakes, oversize permits, pilot cars
How we run it
What Verve does differently here.
Tarping stated up front
Eight foot smoke tarp, lumber tarp, or none. Tarping is time and money, and discovering it at the dock is how a load sits for two hours.
Over dimensional handled properly
Anything past legal width, height or weight needs permits per state and sometimes escorts. We plan the route and the permits instead of hoping.
Conestoga when weather is the risk
A rolling tarp system protects the freight without the labor and the fall risk of tarping by hand, and it loads from the side or the top.
Flatbed and Open Deck FAQ
Questions about flatbed and open deck.
When the freight is taller than roughly 8 feet 6 inches. A standard flatbed deck sits about 5 feet off the ground, so a tall load goes over the 13 foot 6 inch legal height. A step deck lowers the main deck to about 3 feet 6 inches and buys back a foot and a half of clearance.
Generally anything over 8 feet 6 inches wide, 13 feet 6 inches tall, 53 feet long, or 80,000 pounds gross. Limits vary by state and by route. Oversize moves need permits, sometimes escorts, and often daylight only travel, all of which we build into the quote and the transit time.
The carrier is legally responsible for securement under the federal cargo securement rules, and the driver has the final say on whether a load is safe to move. The shipper is responsible for accurate weight and dimensions and for loading in a way that can be secured.
Carriers provide tarps. What matters is telling us at quote time whether the load needs tarping and which type, because it changes the rate, the carrier selection, and how long the truck sits at your dock.
Also available
Other freight services.
Full Truckload
One shipper, one trailer, one direct run. The fastest and least handled way to move a full load anywhere in the lower 48.
LTL and Partial
Anything from one pallet to a half trailer, priced so you pay for the space you use instead of the space you do not.
Refrigerated
Temperature controlled freight with continuous monitoring, documented setpoints, and carriers who understand a cold chain.
Expedited and Hot Shot
When a line is down or a job site is waiting, a dedicated truck leaves now and drives straight through.
Drayage and Intermodal
Port and rail container moves, plus long haul on rail where it saves real money without wrecking the schedule.
Have open deck freight that needs the right gear?
Send the lane, the dates and the freight details. Most quotes go back the same business day.