Flatbed dispatch that counts tarps, tires and the trip home

Tarp pay and the extras we negotiate

Tarping a load takes time and wears expensive tarps. Brokers often post a rate without tarp pay and add it only when asked. We ask every time the freight needs it, along with pay for extra stops, chains or special securement, and layover when a shipper misses the window.

• Tarp pay. Negotiated per load, based on tarp size and how long tarping takes.
• Detention. Terms checked before we pitch; claims filed when the wait runs long.
• Extra stops. Paid per stop, with the stop order on the offer.
• TONU. Truck ordered not used pay when a load cancels after you arrive.

Flatbed dispatcher: freight we look for

• Building materials. Lumber, steel, roofing and block, often with jobsite deliveries.
• Steel and metals. Coils, pipe, beams and plate, with commodity-specific securement.
• Machinery. Equipment that fits legal dimensions on a flat deck.
• Agricultural and industrial. Seasonal loads that keep flatbeds busy in specific regions.

Taller or longer freight may need a step deck or permits. See our step deck dispatch page for loads that need the lower deck height.

Securement is your call, and your name

Cargo securement rules in 49 CFR 393 cover tiedown counts, working load limits and commodity-specific methods. The driver is the person who straps, chains and checks the load, and the driver is the one who answers at an inspection. We will never pressure you to roll on a load you are not happy with. If the shipper loads it badly, say so before you leave.

We send the commodity, weight, dimensions and any securement notes with every offer, so you can judge the load before you say yes.

Keeping the flatbed itself in shape

A flatbed trailer has its own maintenance list: deck boards and crossmembers, winches and winch tracks, stake pockets, lights, tires, brakes and air lines. Worn straps and torn tarps are consumables, but they still need replacing before they fail on a load. Tell us when the trailer needs shop time and we keep that day clear, just like the truck's PM.

Loading delays and detention

Flatbed loading often depends on someone else's forklift or crane. When that schedule slips, you wait. We check detention terms before we pitch a load and want your check-in time when you arrive. If the wait runs past the free time on the rate confirmation, we file the claim and keep after it until it is paid or closed out.

Weather, tarps and timing

Rain, wind and snow change flatbed work more than any other equipment. Some freight cannot get wet at all, and tarping in high wind is dangerous. We look at the forecast on your lanes when we plan, and if a load would put you tarping on an exposed site in a storm, we tell you so you can decide.

What to check on every flatbed offer

Every flatbed offer we send carries the details you need to judge it, so you are not finding surprises at the shipper. Check them before you say yes:

• Commodity, piece count, weight and dimensions, including any overhang.
• Tarp requirement and tarp size, and the tarp pay agreed.
• Loading method: forklift, crane or self-load, and expected loading time.
• Securement notes, especially for coils, pipe and machinery.
• Detention terms, extra stops and the delivery site, such as a jobsite with no forklift.

Home time on flatbed lanes

Flatbed freight clusters around mills, plants and building supply yards, which can pull a truck far from home. Tell us how many nights you want at home and we plan loads that turn back toward your area in time, with the return load lined up before you deliver. When a long run pays enough to be worth the nights away, we bring it to you as an option.

Running more than one flatbed

Small flatbed fleets can cover multi-truck shipments from mills and jobsites, which many shippers prefer. We coordinate those loads, stagger shop days across the trucks, and track tarp and securement needs per truck. Two or more trucks pay the 4% fleet rate while it lasts. See small fleet dispatch for how we run fleets.

What we ask on the first call

On the first call we want to know your deck length and type, how many tarps and what sizes you carry, your chains, straps and edge protection, and whether you have experience with coils, pipe or machinery. We also ask about your lanes, home time and floor rate. That way the first offer you see already fits your trailer and your gear, instead of being a load you have to turn down.

A flatbed week on our desk

An EXAMPLE week for a single flatbed, not a real result. Monday we offer a lumber load with tarp pay negotiated up from the posted rate. The owner takes it and signs the rate confirmation from the broker. Tuesday the shipper's forklift breaks down and the truck waits five hours, so we file detention.

Wednesday we have a steel load lined up out of the delivery city, with coil securement notes sent ahead. Thursday the forecast turns, and we move a pickup earlier so the owner tarps before the wind picks up. Friday the truck is home. The weekly report shows two loads, the tarp pay, the fees and the detention claim.

Flatbed on a new authority

Some flatbed brokers are careful with new carriers because securement mistakes are expensive. Others will work with you once insurance checks out. We start new MCs with brokers who accept them and freight that suits your experience. Read dispatch for new authorities for the first months.

If the truck breaks down with a load on the deck

Get safe and check that the load is still secure, then call the desk. We make the broker calls, explain what happened and what the shop is saying, and work through the options for the load. Outcomes depend on the broker, the freight and the repair time, so you get straight answers, not promises.

When we are not the right fit

If you have a steady customer filling your flatbed every week, keep them. If your deck is shorter than 26 ft, we cannot dispatch it. We are most useful when tarp pay, detention and the next load are slipping through the cracks while you are busy securing freight.