Low Cost, Coast to Coast Double Drop Transport for Tall and Over-Height Freight
A double drop is an open-deck semi-trailer with two height changes: a short upper deck over the gooseneck, a drop into a long center well, and a rise onto a short deck over the rear axles. The well sits 18 to 24 inches off the pavement and typically runs 25 to 29 feet long, so freight up to roughly 11.5 feet tall travels under the 13 foot 6 inch limit most states enforce. Compare that to about 8.5 feet of legal freight on a flatbed and 10 feet on a step deck. Detachable gooseneck versions, covered on our RGN trailer page, open the front of the well so machines can drive on; fixed-neck double drops load by crane or forklift.
The trigger is height. Freight much over 10 feet tall is over-height on every other open deck, and each state adds permits, and sometimes escorts, to that kind of load. Put the same piece in a double drop well and it often travels legal or lightly permitted. Tall and heavy combinations are the classic fit: an excavator with a fixed cab, a vessel or tank standing on end, a press or transformer. The trade-off is the fixed length of the well; pieces longer than the well need a stretch double drop or a different trailer, which is exactly the call your coordinator makes before dispatch.
The well of a double drop puts your freight 18 to 24 inches off the pavement, the lowest ride on any common open deck.
If the load still runs over-height or over-width in the well, we pull the state permits and build them into the quote up front.
Every double drop carrier we dispatch is FMCSA licensed and insurance-verified, with securement gear matched to your load.
Ship A Car, Inc. arranges double drop shipping nationwide for loads that are simply too tall for a flatbed or step deck: excavators, drill rigs, tanks, presses, and plant machinery. Since 2012 we have matched this kind of freight to vetted, FMCSA-licensed open-deck carriers. Every quote is priced for the specific piece, lane, and permit picture, then locked before dispatch, and you work with one dedicated coordinator from booking to delivery.
Every double drop move starts with four numbers: the height, width, length, and weight of the freight. From there your coordinator confirms whether the piece rides legal in the well or needs permits, whether loading is by crane or drive-on, and which trailer configuration fits. When the numbers are close, we also price the load on a step deck, because the more common trailer is often cheaper and faster to cover, and the honest answer is the right truck, not the tallest one.
Ship A Car, Inc. has arranged specialized freight since 2012, and double drop loads are where process matters most: the well fits one way, the permits change state by state, and the crane schedule at both ends has to line up with the truck. Our coordinators run those details on every load, which is why equipment dealers, riggers, and plant managers keep routing their tall freight through us.
We confirm the exact dimensions, select the trailer configuration that fits, and plan the route around it. Need drive-on loading, a stretch well, or a multi-axle setup for extra weight? Our carrier network covers the variations, and your coordinator stays reachable through the whole move, not just at booking.
Tall freight carries a high center of gravity, so securement is not an afterthought. Loads are chained and strapped to the federal cargo securement standards, with edge protection where straps cross the piece, and the driver re-checks the tie-downs within the first 50 miles of the trip, as the rules require. Condition is documented on the bill of lading at pickup and delivery, so the record is there if you ever need it.
Have the height, width, length, weight, and both ZIP codes ready, plus how the freight loads at each end. Start with the freight shipping cost calculator or call (866) 821-4555; your quote includes any permits and is firm before dispatch, with no deposit to book.
