Flatbed Semi-Trailers

October 1st, 2007 by Shenron

These flatbed trailers are just that – flatbeds. A long narrow strip of wood or metal materials that can get lengthy depending on the size of the trailer, and what your payload will weigh or how much space it will take up. Flatbed semi-trailers can range from many different sizes, yet they all remain the same thing – flat. This is an easy, substantial weight balance among the inner axles of the trailer, in which can deliver more stability and control while hauling anything.

Flatbed semi-trailers come any different forms: the standard flatbed, drop-deck or step-deck, double-drop, and specialized. The main differences in these trailers are their load capacities and the height of each trailer bed. It is known that most states limit the height of a legal truckload to 13 ft., 6 inches, the height of the trailer bed is critical in determining what kind of equipment you’d want to order – make orders beforehand for the quality payloads. The double-drop allows shipment heights up to 11’6″, loading and unloading can be a little more difficult; just one of those slight disadvantages. Accordingly, double-drop trailers are not as widely available as the standard-type flatbeds you see commonly today. These double-drop trailers can be more expensive.

The standard edition flatbeds are obviously the most widely available flatbed semi-trailer. The common length of this trailer is around 48 ft, but some may be available at or around 53 feet. The bed height is generally 60 to 62 inches, leaving approximately 8’4″ to 8’6″ of height available for the legal shipments. Of course, most taller shipments can be transported on standard flatbed semi-trailers, the permitting process can be time-consuming and costly. Such permits for the “over dimensional” loads may also impose restrictions – the length of “over dimensional” loads are over 13’6″ high or 8’6″ wide.

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