If you are not a transportation expert, “Flatbed Trucking” sounds unfamiliar. However, you might come across this term very soon in the future. Whenever you decide to ship your vehicle with a reliable automobile transportation company, this could be one of the shipping suggestions. This article will introduce its concept and demonstrate all the pros and cons of flatbed trucking.
What is Flatbed Trucking?
Flatbed trucks are open carriers, flat with no roofs or sidewalls. So, they are open to the air. Flatbed trucks are usually around 48- 53 feet long and 6 inches wide, and their decks are 60 inches high with a capacity of 48,000 pounds. They are known for their ability to transport different items compared to enclosed carriers, and they stand out as an essential choice within the trucking industry.
Flatbed Trucking Pros
High capacity with various choices
Flatbed trucks are ideal for transporting oversized cargo that can’t be loaded on enclosed trailers. These trucks are the best option since they don’t have any physical walls on the sides, providing more dimensional flexibility for large items to be loaded flatbed on the truck. The cargo includes woods, machines, oversized vehicles such as tow trucks, long pipes, military machinery, highway barriers, etc. They are also used to move shipping containers from factories to seaports.
Easy to load and secure the cargo
While shipping items into an enclosed trailer can be quite challenging due to the door size and the all four sides being covered, the ability to load will be limited. The flatbed trailers are easier to deal with; they allow the operator to load up the items comfortably.
Unlike many beliefs that open carriers are not safe for cargo, flatbed trucks have proved to be one of the safest options for transporting huge items. Everything is secured on the truck board using straps, tie-down, and nets.
Economical
Are you worried about the financial side? Flatbed trucks are the best option; this service cost is very reasonable. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get your vehicle or other items transported from one place to another, unlike enclosed carriers which are more expensive. Flatbed carriers offer considerable protection and efficient transport service for the best price.
Time-consuming
Although flatbed trucking is time-consuming due to the size of the trucks, the number of trips required to transport all orders is relatively low, resulting in lower production costs. It also doesn’t require a lot of cleaning and maintenance compared to enclosed truck trailers that need to be cleaned from all sides and the inside of the trailer box regularly.
Flatbed Trucking Cons
There are some security-related issues
Flatbed trucking shields load items to some extent, but because they are opened to the air, the cargo is exposed to external factors such as weather conditions, dust, and road hazards. Another safety concern is the item’s weight. Flatbed trucks usually transport heavy and oversized loads; if the latter were poorly secured, it can affect the truck maneuverability and increase the risks.
As for the missing walls, like any other open carrier, flatbed trucks are not secured from stealing. The good news is the cargo is usually heavy and very hard to steal, but when it comes to smaller items, the risk of theft is higher, which requires extra attention.
Strict regulations
Since flatbed trucking can be pretty risky sometimes due to reasons mentioned earlier, the transport department has set some strict rules that are difficult to circumvent regarding the tools used to tie-down cargo, the trailer size, and the weight limits. All transport companies must follow these rules, and they have to ask for a permit for every oversize load, or they will be charged with expensive taxes or even a potential license suspension.
High driving skills are required
It is not easy to drive a flatbed truck, and drivers must adjust their driving habits to operate these heavy, large, and less flexible trucks. They also should meet some physical demands since they will be driving for very long distances and being able to maneuver oversize loads.
Finding a skillful flatbed truck driver isn’t that easy. It’s recommended to hire an experienced vehicle transportation company with good online reviews. Only reviews will accurately describe how good or bad the business is. Tempus Logix is an automobile shipping company with over 1000 positive reviews from satisfied clients. The company has all kinds of trucks and trailers, including flatbed trailers with professional drivers.
Conclusion
Flatbed trucking is an efficient transport method that has proven its worth for quite a long time. However, like everything in this world, this method has pros and cons.
Flatbed trailers are the ideal transport services to ship large and heavy cargo that can’t fit in enclosed trailers. It is economical and easy to load. On the other hand, it might be a little riskier than different shipment types with more strict laws to guarantee safety.