The dry van driver pulls into the shipper, backs into a dock, and waits. Someone else loads the freight. Someone else secures it. The driver checks the seal, signs the BOL, and rolls.

The flatbed driver pulls into the same yard and spends the next two hours in the sun. Tarps. Straps. Chains. Binders. Edge protectors. By the time that truck leaves, the driver has earned every dollar of the premium rate.

Flatbed trucking is not for everyone. The work is harder and the liability higher. But carriers who master open deck freight access lanes and rates that enclosed trailer operators never see.

What Makes Flatbed Different

A flatbed trailer is a flat platform with no walls, no roof, and no protection from the elements. What you gain is versatility. What you lose is simplicity.

Flatbed freight includes everything that does not fit in a box: steel coils and beams, construction equipment, lumber, pipe, oversized machinery, wind turbine components, and military cargo. This freight moves on flatbeds because it has to. Shippers cannot squeeze a 40-foot I-beam through a dry van door.

That requirement creates opportunity. Fewer carriers run flatbed. Freight that must move on open deck cannot switch to van when capacity tightens. The supply-demand dynamics favor specialists who understand the metrics that drive profitability.

Equipment Requirements

Running flatbed means investing in purpose-built equipment. Standard dry vans do not convert.

Every flatbed needs a full securement kit: 4-inch winch straps rated for 5,400 lbs, Grade 70 transport chains, lever or ratchet binders, lumber and steel tarps, edge protectors, coil racks, and dunnage. A properly equipped flatbed carries $2,000 to $5,000 in securement gear that factors into your cost per mile.

Securement Regulations

FMCSA Part 393 Subpart I mandates cargo securement in exhaustive detail. Compliance is not optional.

Aggregate working load limit. Total securement must equal at least 50% of cargo weight. A 40,000-pound load needs 20,000 pounds of combined working load limit from straps, chains, or tiedowns.

Minimum tiedowns. Cargo 5 feet or shorter requires at least two tiedowns. Add one tiedown for every additional 10 feet of length.

Inspection obligations. Drivers must verify securement within 50 miles of loading and at every subsequent 150-mile interval or 3-hour mark.

Violations earn CSA points, roadside delays, out-of-service orders, and personal liability if cargo shifts. Carriers who track compliance systematically avoid the violations that ground trucks and spike insurance.

Flatbed vs Dry Van Profitability

Flatbed rates run higher than dry van. But higher rates do not automatically mean higher profit.

The premium rate compensates for longer load times, harder work, and specialized skills. Carriers who track revenue per mile alongside actual time on each load see the true picture. A $3.50/mile flatbed load taking four hours to secure might yield less hourly revenue than a $2.50/mile van load taking 45 minutes.

Winners in flatbed optimize both rates and time. They price tarping into quotes. They bill detention time aggressively. They capture every accessorial charge that manual operations miss.

Who Succeeds in Flatbed

Experience matters. Securement is a learned skill. New drivers make mistakes causing shifted loads, damaged freight, and DOT violations. Successful flatbed carriers either hire experienced open deck drivers or invest heavily in training.

Niche focus pays. Carriers specializing in specific flatbed freight develop shipper relationships and build reputations. Steel haulers know coil securement. Lumber carriers know weight distribution. Generalists compete on price. Specialists compete on expertise.

Regional knowledge helps. Flatbed freight clusters around manufacturing, construction, and industrial zones. Carriers based near steel mills or lumber yards find consistent outbound freight.

PAVA Logistics runs 200 trucks with 70% dry van and 30% flatbed. That equipment mix serves diverse shipper needs while matching freight types to driver capabilities.

Managing Flatbed Operations

Flatbed adds complexity to fleet management. You need to know not just where trucks are, but what securement gear is on each trailer.

Equipment tracking. Which trailer has coil racks? Which truck is set up for lumber? A TMS built for carriers tracks equipment assignment across your fleet.

Certification management. Some shippers require commodity-specific training. Steel mills want certification. Heavy haul requires permits. Systems should track driver qualifications against load requirements.

Accessorial billing. Tarping fees, securement charges, and waiting time add significant revenue when carriers actually bill them. Most leave money behind because manual tracking fails.

Carriers who scale past 50 trucks need equipment management that handles complexity without spreadsheet chaos.

The Opportunities Ahead

Flatbed freight follows industrial activity. Current market indicators favor flatbed carriers:

• Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding continues flowing through 2026 and beyond

• Reshoring of manufacturing brings steel and machinery back to domestic carriers

• Energy projects from solar farms to wind installations require specialized transport

• E-commerce distribution center construction drives structural steel demand

Capacity in flatbed remains tighter than dry van. Fewer drivers want the physical work. Equipment costs more. Carriers who commit to open deck face less competition. Understanding profit per truck helps you decide whether flatbed fits your strategy.

Is Flatbed Right for Your Fleet?

Flatbed works when you have drivers willing to do physical work in challenging conditions. It works when you invest in proper equipment and replace gear before it fails inspection. It works when your systems track everything from securement inventory to driver certifications to accessorial billing.

It fails when carriers chase rates without building operations to match. It fails when billing systems miss tarping fees because nobody documented the work. Carriers who struggle in trucking often expand into flatbed without the infrastructure to support it.

Running Flatbed the Right Way

Datatruck is the carrier-first TMS that handles equipment tracking, driver certification management, and accessorial billing across every trailer type. Whether you run flatbed, step deck, or mixed fleet operations, every load stays visible from dispatch through delivery.

See how carriers manage complex operations without the spreadsheet chaos.