Why Should I Use A Flatbed Trailer?

Whether it be shipping, general manufacturing, or construction, flatbed trucks are crucial to any fleet enterprise, as their advantages spread across many industries.  Flatbed trucks are frequently used for hauling oversized loads or products with uncommon shapes. These types of trucks are necessary in the businesses of hauling, dumping, and agriculture too.  Truck drivers must contemplate the load size, heaviness, and the need for dumping/unloading aides when determining if a flatbed truck would facilitate their haul.

Advantages of Using Flatbeds Trucks:

Of the many kinds of trailers available (such as flatbed, utility, dump, and cargo trailers), flatbed trailers are the most popular because they meet a variety of requirements. Here are reasons why purchasing or renting a flatbed trailer can be beneficial for your business.

1. Easier Loading and Unloading

2. Off-ground Storage

3. Multiple Sizes Available

4. Ability to Haul Heavy Cargo

5. No Loading Dock Required

Some of the Most Common Uses For Flatbeds:

Baled Tires

The millions of tires that are accumulating in the United States every year create waste, considerable fire hazards, and a breeding ground for pests and insects. Tire bales are built to help get rid of waste and discover new applications for unusable tires.  A tire bale is made up of condensed tires belted together with cable that is then repurposed for construction and other projects such as erosion management, road fill, collision barricades, decks, retaining walls, etc. One bale is made of approximately one hundred tires and weighs around 1 ton. Flatbed trailers are basically the only way to transport baled tires.

Miscellaneous Building Supplies

Lumber and scaffolding might be common building materials, but they often come in unusual shapes and sizes. Building supplies also consist of an extensive assortment of components that builders use such as rods, concrete, steel beams, and bricks. Although not the most common type of transportation, flatbed trucks may be the most functional. This is because these heavy supplies can be loaded and unloaded by crane or hand from any angle. With the use of trusses, the supplies also have the capacity to overhang the flatbed, some of which might not fit within an enclosed box trailer.

Relocation of Scrap Metal

Builders and construction companies regularly employ a service to pick up and clear away scrap metal from the job location. Then, the trucker hauls it to a scrap metal recycling site, where it is sold and repurposed. Flatbed trucks are perfect for this undertaking because they are easier to load and unload than box trailers. 

Equipment Transporting

Flatbeds are often a more reliable choice for moving farm gear, tractors, and military trucks than driving these vehicles on the road to their destination. Oversized machinery and plane parts can also be hauled by flatbed trucks.

Super Sacks

Dry products such as seeds, grains, fertilizer, legumes, and sand are hauled in a malleable bulk container called a Super Sack. They have a load capacity of around 2000 pounds.  These sacks are then hauled by flat baked trucks. Packing and transporting a Super Sack is done by stowing it on a pallet or by pulling the loops on the sack to hoist it onto the trailer. Super Sacks filled with sand are commonly used as flood blockades all over the world.

In Conclusion

Flatbed trucks are ideal for many different hauling requirements because of their versatility.  They are able to accommodate cargo that other kinds of trucks just can’t handle, and they are easy to load and unload. We at Gateway Supply admire and support flatbed truck drivers! If you are looking for more information and accessories to make your flatbed truck even easier and safer to work with, contact us. You can also call us at 806-440-1126 if you have any questions about our safety ladders.