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DIMS × WEIGHT FLATBED → STEP DECK → DOUBLE DROP

Which deck does this load actually fit?

Punch in the load's height, width, length, and weight. We'll tell you which deck carries it inside standard legal size — for a fleet deciding what to run, or a plant deciding how a machine ships.

Cargo weight — not counting the trailer.

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Deck types, in plain English

Flatbed

Open 48–53 ft deck about 5 ft high. Freight up to roughly 8'6" tall that loads from the side or top — steel, pipe, lumber, crated machinery.

Flatbed dispatch →

Conestoga (Rolling Tarp)

A flatbed or step deck with a sliding curtain. Loads like an open deck, then closes for weather — no manual tarping. The frame costs some payload.

Conestoga dispatch →

Step Deck / Drop Deck

Lower rear deck around 3'3" buys about 2 ft of height, so machinery up to roughly 10 ft tall stays legal-size.

Step deck dispatch →

RGN (Removable Gooseneck)

The nose detaches into a ramp so equipment on wheels or tracks drives on — forklifts, loaders, lifts — with a low deck for height.

RGN & lowboy dispatch →

Double Drop / Lowboy

Drops twice into a short well about 2 ft high — the tallest legal-size freight fits here, at the cost of deck length.

Step deck vs drop deck →

Too big to ship whole?

Our riggers take the machine down into pieces that ship standard, and our millwrights rebuild and re-level it at the new site.

Machinery moving →

Trailer FAQ

How do I know which trailer a load needs?
Start with loaded height: the cargo's height plus the deck height has to stay under 13'6". A flatbed deck sits about 5 ft off the road, so it carries freight up to roughly 8'6" tall. A step deck's lower deck buys about 2 ft more, a double drop's well more again, and an RGN's detachable gooseneck lets equipment on wheels or tracks drive on. Weight and whether the freight needs weather protection narrow it from there.
What is the difference between a step deck and a double drop?
A step deck drops once, to a long lower deck around 3'3" high. A double drop (lowboy) drops twice into a shorter well around 2 ft high, so it carries taller freight but less of it by length. Most machinery that is too tall for a flatbed fits a step deck; the double drop is for the tallest pieces that still stay legal-size. More in step deck vs drop deck trailers.
What happens if a machine is too big to ship legal-size?
We don't book it whole. What we do is take the machine down: riggers pull the head, column, or bed so each piece ships standard on a flatbed or step deck, and our millwrights put it back together and re-level it at the new site. For most plant equipment that is faster and less risky than shipping it in one piece. See how to prepare a machine for shipping.
Is this selector exact?
It's a planning estimate that uses standard U.S. legal size and typical deck heights to get you to the right deck fast. The real deck is confirmed once the exact dimensions, weight, and lift points are known.