Low Cost, Coast to Coast Flatbed Freight and Flatbed Trailer Transport for Every Load
Flatbeds are the workhorse of open deck freight because they load from the side, the rear, or straight down from a crane. Typical loads include structural steel and rebar, lumber and building materials, industrial machinery, HVAC and electrical gear, and drivable equipment like skid steers and small tractors that come up ramps. Weather sensitive freight rides under lumber or steel tarps; ask for tarping at booking so the carrier arrives with the right gear and the quote already includes it.
Cargo taller than about 8 feet 6 inches usually prices better on a step deck, whose lowered main deck adds roughly two feet of legal height. Small urgent loads that do not fill a 48 foot deck often move faster and cheaper as hot shot freight on a medium duty truck. Give your coordinator the dimensions and weight and we will put the load on the deck that fits, not the one that costs the most.
From standard 48 foot flatbeds to specialty decks, we match your freight to the trailer that clears the route at the best rate.
Chains, straps, and tarps rated for the load, with condition documented on the bill of lading at pickup and delivery.
Your flatbed quote is priced for your exact lane and load and locked before dispatch, with nothing to pay up front to book.
This page covers both jobs people mean by flatbed shipping. Most customers need freight hauled ON a flatbed trailer: machinery, steel, lumber, palletized building materials, or crated cargo that loads by forklift or crane. Others need a flatbed trailer itself moved, an empty deck bought at auction or sold to a buyer several states away. We arrange that too, either towed by a power only tractor or loaded as cargo, and your coordinator builds the quote for the job you actually have. Moving a different trailer type? See our trailer shipping service.
A standard flatbed runs 48 or 53 feet long and 8 feet 6 inches wide, with a deck about 5 feet off the ground. That leaves roughly 8 feet 6 inches of legal cargo height and a practical payload around 45,000 to 48,000 pounds. Freight inside those numbers moves permit free on nearly any route; anything taller, wider, or heavier belongs on a different deck, and we will tell you which one before you book.
Open deck securement follows the federal cargo rules: chains and binders for machinery, rated straps for crated and palletized freight, corner protectors where straps cross finished edges, and a minimum number of tie downs set by the length and weight of each piece. The driver checks tension at pickup and again early in the run, and load condition is documented at both ends so the paper trail exists if anything ever needs a claim.
A roadworthy flatbed with sound tires, working lights, and brakes usually moves cheapest as a tow away: a power only tractor couples to the kingpin and pulls it like a normal load. Trailers that are not road ready, or that are being delivered new from a dealer, load as cargo instead, often on a step deck or lowboy, and dealers frequently nest several decks into one shipment to split the linehaul. Your coordinator prices both options where they apply.
As a general estimate, legal size flatbed freight commonly runs in the range of $2.00 to $3.50 per loaded mile, with flat minimums on short hauls. Lane direction, season (spring construction demand tightens open deck capacity), tarping, and how far the carrier must drive to reach you all move the number inside that range. These figures are estimates, not a quote: every SAC flatbed quote is priced for your specific lane and load and is firm before dispatch.
Have the cargo dimensions, weight, and both ZIP codes ready, then start with the freight shipping cost calculator or call (866) 821-4555. A dedicated coordinator confirms the deck, the tarping, and the pickup window, and stays your single point of contact through delivery.
