A flatbed truck is a transportation vehicle consisting of a flat body and no sides or roof around the bed, a trailer van is a truck fully enclosed.
Flatbed trucks offer many benefits that trailers vans do not. The fact of being open without the constraints of walls and roof facilitates the loading and securing of the cargo from all sides o even from the top (using a crane, for example). In addition, it is the only way to ship over the road large goods of unusual shape and size that are impossible to load in an enclosed truck.
For many industries, the main method of transportation for their goods is a flatbed truck due to the nature of their products. Some of these are:
- The construction industry: metal or PVC pipes, steel beams, pavers, bricks, etc
- The lumber industry, to take advantage of the easy loading and unloading of long items
- Scrap metal
- The aviation industry relies on the use of flatbed trucks to move large and long airplane parts
- Machinery, farming equipment, tractors, excavators, etc
Typically, these types of loads won’t be negatively affected by bad weather, pilferage, or rough roads. More susceptible cargo can be protected from the weather elements by using an adequate type of tarp.
For companies involved in international trade, it is vital to bear in mind that a conventional enclosed shipping container will not work, in the same way an enclosed trailer van was not used to move the cargo in the first place. In most cases, the most suitable equipment will be a ‘flat rack’, which is basically a shipping container with collapsible walls only on the ends allowing cargo to be loaded from the top or the sides. In other cases, the exporting carrier will decide on other alternatives such as the use of a MAFI trailer to load cargo into the vessel. Self-propelled machinery and tractors are simply offloaded from the flatbed truck and driven into the vessel (assuming is a ro-ro vessel), etc.
Shipping special haul (heavy, oversized, off shape, etc.) should not be taken lightly. You want to make sure that your cargo is transported safely, in the most cost-efficient manner without posing a threat to other drivers on the road and people involved in the handling. At Promptus, we will provide you with the advice and guidance you need. We will help you decide how to move your cargo. Call us today at 305-687-1405!
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