Flatbed and step deck
Open deck for freight that loads from the side or overhead. The step deck exists for one reason: to buy back height you cannot get on a standard flatbed.
Open deck families
Every deck we quote, and what each one is for
Open deck is not one trailer. These are the variants you are likely to be offered, drawn to the same scale so the differences in deck height and length are the ones you can actually see. Tell us the freight and we will tell you which of them it belongs on.
Step deck, side elevation
| Flatbed length | 48 ft or 53 ft |
|---|---|
| Deck width | Roughly 102 in |
| Flatbed deck height | Roughly 60 in from the ground |
| Legal freight height on flatbed | About 8 ft 6 in before permits |
| Step deck lower deck | Roughly 40 in from the ground |
| Legal freight height on step deck | About 10 ft before permits |
| Max payload | Roughly 45,000 lb to 48,000 lb |
| Securement | Chains, binders, straps, edge protection, tarps as required |
Figures are industry standard and vary by manufacturer and by carrier. Confirm exact dimensions against the specific trailer before you plan a load to the inch.
Legal height is measured from the ground, not the deck
The number that matters is total height from road surface to the top of the load, and the usual legal ceiling is 13 ft 6 in. A 60 inch flatbed deck leaves you about 8 ft 6 in of freight. Shippers routinely measure the freight alone and get a surprise.
When it stops being routine
Past legal dimensions you are into specialized and overdimensional, which is a permitting and routing exercise with real lead time.
Typical commodities
Steel, lumber, pipe, rebar, precast concrete, machinery, HVAC units, construction equipment, crated goods too large for a van.
Operating notes
What actually goes wrong with this equipment
Height decides the trailer
Work out total freight height first. Under 8 ft 6 in, a flatbed is fine. Over it, you are on a step deck or you are buying permits.
Tarping is labour
Tarping a load is an hour of physical work in Florida heat. It is priced, and it changes which drivers will accept the load.
Securement is regulated
Working load limits, tiedown counts and edge protection are federal requirements, not preferences. The driver decides what is safe.
Other equipment
Know what you need?
Send the lane and the freight profile and we will price it.