The Benefits of Using a Flatbed Truck for Moving and Delivery

One of the most advantageous aspects of trucking is its versatility; this includes the ability to adapt your own trucking style based on the type of vehicle you own.

If you run your own hot shot trucking business or partake in trucking as a side hustle, then you might already own regular pickup trucks that are effective at hauling quick, small loads, or box trucks for delivery professionals that excel at LTL shipping. However, these vehicles are not without limitations, such as reduced spacing and storage capacity due to their height and width restrictions.

Luckily, there might be a better alternative for your trucking needs.

What is a Flatbed Truck?

A flatbed truck is a type of truck with unique bodywork, consisting of a flat ‘bed’ that, unlike a regular bed in pickup trucks, has no sides or roof. This distinctive feature offers a number of benefits for truckers in the transportation and logistics industry.

Take a look below at the top four advantages of using a flatbed truck for moving and delivery.

Easier Loading and Unloading

Since flatbed trucks contain no sides or roof surrounding their bed, they typically have a much larger surface area for bed storage compared to their pickup and box truck counterparts. This allows for flatbed drivers to have a much smoother experience when it comes to loading and unloading their trucks.

Loading and unloading flatbed freight, whether by hand or with a crane, can easily be done in any direction. Ease of loading and unloading helps save time and creates operational efficiency in the supply chain, which is crucial if you work in the trucking industry. Fulfilling cargo deliveries on demand in a timely manner can mean the difference between a successful or damaged business partner relationship.

Reduced Driving and Number of Trips

The increased storage space of a flatbed truck allows you to fit as much cargo as possible, meaning less time spent driving back and forth for multiple hauling trips. Reduced driving time leads to more efficient delivery times, which should be a top goal if you own your own trucking company. Over time, you can expect an increase in savings as well due to less fuel consumption on the road.

More Flexible Jobs and Hauling Options

Due to the openness of the truck bed, flatbed trucking opens up new opportunities for you to take on specific jobs and haul certain types of freight that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to do.

For example, flatbed trucks are a popular choice in the construction industry, where it’s crucial to have a transportation solution for construction equipment and same-day delivery of building materials. Other heavy-duty tasks like moving crates of scrap metal or a bulky farm tractor for a client on a trucking job can be easily accomplished through a flatbed truck.

Plus, different types of flatbed trailers can be equipped onto your truck, each with their own unique functions. A typical, common flatbed trailer is sufficient enough for trucking jobs that involve pallet delivery or home furniture moves. On the other hand, extendable flatbed stretch trailers exist for heavy, wide loads or freights that are excessively long, like fitting lumber onto the truck bed.

Less Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning a pickup truck bed can be a tedious process; dirt and debris accumulation and snow pileup in the truck bed over the wintertime is often a headache to deal with. Thankfully, the open deck nature of a flatbed truck makes it a lot easier to clean and maintain. Unlike a traditional truck bed, you no longer need to worry about debris getting stuck in corners or crevices. And, you can avoid having to repaint sidewalls or a roof when objects leave serious scratches or dents.

Additional Resources

Looking for more information about trucks or trucking? Check out these additional posts from GoShare.

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