Did you know that the first flatbed truck ever built is technically older than America? Flatbed trucking is one of the more demanding forms of freight transportation.
With heavy, oversized loads in all shapes and sizes, it’s no wonder flatbed truckers are some of the highest-paid drivers in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, truckers make an average of $47,130 a year.
Considering that truckers are responsible for almost all major ground transport of goods in the United States and internationally, are you surprised they’re well paid?
Have you ever considered what you can transport using a flatbed truck? It might surprise you to learn quite how versatile flatbed trucks are! Let’s explore some options for local and international shipping.
1. Oversized Flatbed Trailers
Heaving hauling and over-dimensional trucking are a large part of our specialties here at the Patriot Freight Group. We offer extreme heavy haul trucks, oversize flatbed trailers, and removable goosenecks.
The sign of a great shipping company is reliability. Offering reliable logistics is something essential to any flatbed truck rental.
Part of the logistical analysis in ensuring success with oversize flatbed trailers includes matching a truck hauling heavy loads with the cargo. Navigating permits is also essential.
Did you know that every sat has unique requirements for trucking permits? California, for example, sometimes issues special permits to operate vehicles that exceed the maximum limitations specified in the California Vehicle Code.
Oversize flatbed trucks need reliable management. As a core aspect of our services, we can ensure safety, legality, and reliability in every oversized trucking job we handle.
2. Less Than Truckload
Less than truckload services (LTL) are typically used for small loads of freight. Most trucking companies will put your items into a flatbed pickup truck or flatbed semi-truck with a load of other customers’ goods.
Once the truck leaves, you might have no idea where your goods are until they arrive, often not when expected. When choosing the right trucking company to work with for your LTL needs, there are a few items you should always look for.
For example, status updates, reduced freight spending, and delivery within a week or less should be guaranteed.
3. Hot Shot Flatbed Trucking
Speed should be a given with hotshot flatbed trucking. Fast delivery is the whole point of hotshot trucking.
Most hotshot trucking companies will guarantee fast delivery, but can they guarantee rapid response and reliability when it really matters? Using the right logistics significantly improves the quality of service provided for hotshotting.
Logistical analysis can further improve risk management in hotshotting. Any number of things can go wrong in domestic and international shipping using a flatbed tow truck.
Mitigating that risk is best achieved with superb logistics like those offered by Patriot Freight Group.
4. Personal Items
Golf cars, boats, farm equipment, you name it, and the best flatbed trucker company can ship it! If you’ve ever bought something large on an online marketplace, you know how complex it can be to move that item to your home.
Have you bought a boat in New Jersey but need to ship it to Vancouver? It’s not as easy as it sounds. However, with the right trucking company, international and domestic shipping of personal items should be a guaranteed service.
Most people don’t consider freight groups when transporting personal property across the country. To save money, people are more likely to give away all of their belongings that try and transport them.
However, this just costs more money once you’ve moved. Almost everything purged during a cross-country move will end up becoming an expenditure again in the future. Why not save money now and ship personal items using a flatbed trucking option?
5. Full Truckload
Besides personal items, a flatbed truck can also ship an entire load of goods domestically and internationally. Industries like oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, government and military, fire and rescue, and food and beverage all require optimum trucking.
It’s far easier and more streamlined to ship a full truckload (FTL) of freight in a dedicated run. A full truckload can be a complicated job.
Some have to head to off-grid development sites with uneasy roads. Others are situated in the middle of a city. Knowing your exact specifications is important when you get in touch with any trucking company.
Thanks to temperature-control options in our trucks, it’s getting far easier to ship goods from sunny Southern California to the frozen north of Newfoundland. Thanks to our extensive network, we can ready our truckers at a moment’s notice.
6. Hazmat
The term “hazmat” stands for hazardous materials. In order to handle hazmat jobs, trucking companies have to have certifications across North America’s many states and territories.
Safety is key when undertaking a flatbed trucking job. Most hazmat falls into one or more of four categories: explosives, flammables, poisonous materials, and chemicals.
Shipping these types of items can’t be handled by just any flatbed trucking company. One wrong move, and so much can go wrong.
Working with a highly qualified team to ship hazmat is part of your responsibility when choosing a company. Do they have commercial hazmat truck insurance?
What about full compliance with hazardous material transport regulations throughout the full journey? These types of questions should be easy to answer by any hazmat safety specialist.
Want to Learn More?
If your business or family needs support today, we’re just one call away. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you. No matter what your flatbed trucking service needs, we’ll be able to help you navigate the best way to get you and your goods from point A to point B.
If you don’t need a flatbed trucking solution, what about a career? The sky is truly the limit with Patriot Freight Group. Check out our jobs page today to see how you can evolve your work in the trucking industry!
