ENTRY 01 / STEP DECK DISPATCH
Step deck dispatch for freight a flatbed can't carry
A step deck earns its keep on tall freight: machinery, equipment and crated loads that would be over height on a flatbed. Our step deck dispatch targets that freight first, checks height, weight, permits and tarping before the rate con reaches you, and runs Conestoga loads the same way. You sign every load.
- Step deck and Conestoga
- 5% of gross
- You sign every load
Spread or closed tandems, with or without ramps. Tell us your deck heights and gear on the first call.
We record your deck heights, lengths, ramps and securement gear once, then only send loads your trailer can legally and safely carry. Anything that needs a permit is flagged before you see the rate con.
ENTRY 02 / WHAT WE BOOK
What a step deck dispatcher books
Construction machinery
Excavators, loaders, lifts and attachments that run too tall for a flatbed.
Farm equipment
Tractors and implements, busy around planting and harvest.
Industrial equipment
Generators, tanks, crated machines and plant parts.
Conestoga freight
Loads that must stay dry and clean: coils, finished goods, sensitive equipment.
A step deck can also haul ordinary flatbed freight when tall loads are thin, and that keeps the truck moving between better loads. We look at both every week. For the flatbed side of the picture, see flatbed dispatch.
ENTRY 03 / THREE TRAILERS
Flatbed, step deck or Conestoga: which trailer wins the load?
Pick an EXAMPLE load. The ledger shows which trailer can legally haul it at a common height limit, whether it needs tarping, and what is left after each trailer's weekly cost. Change the costs to match yours.
FLATBED · EXAMPLE
Deck about 5 ft high; freight up to about 8.5 ft.
Too tall without a permit
| Load gross | n/a |
|---|---|
| After trailer cost | can't haul |
STEP DECK · EXAMPLE
Lower deck about 3.5 ft high; freight up to about 10 ft.
Fits at 13 ft 6 in
No tarp needed.
| Load gross | $1,950.00 |
|---|---|
| After trailer cost | $1,730.00 |
CONESTOGA · EXAMPLE
Rolling tarp system, slightly less height; freight up to about 8 ft.
Too tall without a permit
| Load gross | n/a |
|---|---|
| After trailer cost | can't haul |
Legal height limits vary by state; 13 ft 6 in is common. Deck heights and costs are EXAMPLE values; measure your own trailer and use your own costs.
Height is the step deck's edge. The lower deck lets freight about a foot and a half taller ride without an over-height permit in most states.
Length is the trade. The upper deck is shorter, so long freight that doesn't need the height can fit a flatbed better. Ramps add weight and cost but open drive-on equipment loads.
Conestoga saves tarp time and protects freight, but costs more and loses a little height to the frame. Over a year, the tarping hours it saves can matter as much as the rate difference, so count them when you compare.
Flatbed vs step deck vs Conestoga at a glance
| Factor | FLATBED | STEP DECK | CONESTOGA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tallest freight without a permit* | About 8.5 ft | About 10 ft on the lower deck | A little under a flatbed |
| Tarping | By hand, extra time | By hand, extra time | Rolling tarp, minutes |
| Loading | Any side, crane or forklift | Any side; ramps for drive-on freight | Side or top with the tarp open |
| Usable length | Full deck | Upper deck shorter | Full deck |
| Trailer cost | Lowest | Higher | Highest |
| Freight it wins | General open-deck | Tall machinery and equipment | Dry, clean or high-value freight |
*At a 13 ft 6 in overall height limit, common in many states. Limits vary; check each state on the route.
ENTRY 04 / HEIGHT, PERMITS, TARPS
What we confirm on the rate con before you sign
Step deck loads go wrong at the shipper when the posting left out a dimension. Before a step deck or Conestoga load reaches you, we get the numbers that decide whether it is legal and worth it.
- Dimensions. Height, width and length of each piece, and how it sits on the deck.
- Weight and distribution. Total weight and where the heavy end goes, for axle limits.
- Loading method. Crane, forklift, drive-on with ramps, or a dock.
- Permits. Whether any piece is over legal size, and who pays for permits.
- Tarps. Tarp type and drop, and tarp pay on a separate line.
- Extras. Detention, layover, TONU and extra stops, written in.
If a load turns out to be over legal size, it moves from step deck work into permitted freight with escorts and route rules. That is a different job; see oversize load dispatch for how we handle it.
Why step deck owners hire a step deck dispatcher
The best loads are specific
Only a share of postings actually need a step deck. Sorting for them is the job.
Missing dimensions
A load posted without heights is a gamble at the shipper. A desk asks first.
Backhauls for a specialty trailer
Tall freight is lumpy. Ordinary flatbed freight fills the gaps when planned ahead.
Conestoga dispatch and what we need from you
Conestoga owners get the same desk with one more filter: we look for freight that pays for the rolling tarp, so the trailer isn't hauling cheap open-deck freight every week. To start, send your MC and USDOT number, certificate of insurance, W-9, trailer type with deck heights and lengths, your gear and ramps, your ELD provider and your notice of assignment if you factor.
With a CDL truck under your own authority you also need a drug and alcohol testing program in place before the first load.
Step deck seasons and lanes
Machinery moves with construction and farming. Spring and summer bring equipment rental turnover and jobsite moves; planting and harvest move farm equipment through the Midwest and Plains. Winter slows much of it in the north.
A week on a step deck, as an EXAMPLE: Monday a mini excavator from a rental yard to a jobsite two states over, loaded by ramps, chained and flagged. Tuesday a tall crated generator from a plant, crane loaded, tarped, with tarp pay on the rate con. Wednesday a regular flatbed load of building materials to reposition toward home, because no tall freight was moving that way. Thursday and Friday a farm tractor to a dealer near home. Four loads, three of them freight a flatbed couldn't legally carry.
We plan around that: chasing equipment freight into the busy regions in season, and filling gaps with ordinary open-deck loads that keep the truck rolling in slow months. Every load still reaches you as a rate con to sign or refuse.
ENTRY 05 / FEE AND QUESTIONS
The fee, and step deck dispatcher questions
A step deck or Conestoga pays the same tier as every truck we dispatch: 5% of gross with one truck and an MC past six months, 7% while the MC is newer, 4% for two or more trucks. On the EXAMPLE machinery load above, $1,950 gross carries a $97.50 fee at the standard rate. Tarp pay is part of the gross. All terms are on the dispatch pricing page.
Q01Is a step deck worth it for an owner-operator?
It can be, if you want taller freight that a flatbed can't legally carry without a permit. A step deck usually costs more than a flatbed to buy and has a shorter upper deck, but it opens machinery and tall loads that fewer carriers can haul. Run both trailers through the ledger on this page.
Q02Do step decks get paid more than flatbeds?
Often a little more per load for freight that needs the extra height, because fewer trailers can take it. For freight a flatbed could carry just as well, rates tend to be similar. The premium is in the loads only a step deck can haul, so that is the freight we target.
Q03Do Conestogas get better rates?
Conestoga loads often pay more than a tarped flatbed load, because the rolling tarp protects freight that must stay dry and saves shippers time. The trailer costs more and carries a little less height. Whether it pays off depends on how much tarp-sensitive freight runs on your lanes.
Q04What freight needs a step deck?
Freight too tall for a flatbed at the legal height limit but not big enough for a lowboy: construction and farm machinery, some industrial equipment, tall crated goods and some vehicles. If it would stand above about 8 and a half feet on a flatbed, a step deck may carry it without a permit.
Q05How much does step deck dispatch cost?
The same as every truck we dispatch: 5% of gross on loads you haul with one truck and an MC past 6 months, 7% while the MC is newer, 4% for two or more trucks. No setup fee, no contract.
Tall freight, checked dimensions, your signature
Apply in about a minute. Tell us your deck heights, gear and lanes; every step deck rate con lands in your inbox for you to sign or refuse.
RATE CONFIRMATION · TO: YOUR COMPANY
MACHINERY · 9 FT 8 IN · STEP DECK
SIGNATURE: ____________________ (yours, never ours)