STEP DECK AND CONESTOGA DISPATCH
Step deck dispatch for the loads your flatbeds keep turning down
Tall machinery, equipment on wheels, freight that needs a low deck to stay legal. Our step deck dispatch books those loads for fleets adding drop decks and Conestogas, checks every piece against your deck heights and gear, and brings each offer to you. You say yes or no, and the rate con lands in your inbox.
- UPPER DECK
- your length, your height
- LOWER DECK
- your length, your height
Send us your deck measurements once. Every offer is checked against them.
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What we book on step decks and Conestogas
A step deck earns its keep on freight a flatbed can't carry legally. That's where we look first.
| Freight | Why a step deck | What we check before you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Construction equipment | Too tall for a standard flatbed | Height on the lower deck, ramps or loading method, weight per axle |
| Farm machinery | Tall and often wide, seasonal | Width against the legal limit, harvest timing, rural pickup access |
| Industrial machinery | Heavy, tall pieces on skids | Crane or forklift at both ends, chain count and ratings |
| Building materials | Steady volume when tall loads are slow | Tarps, pickup appointments, jobsite delivery rules |
| Conestoga freight | Cargo that needs cover without a crane-free side load | Rolling tarp system, height under the kit, shipper's dock setup |
Height is the reason step decks exist, and it's also where loads go wrong. Each state sets its own legal height and many routes have low bridges, so "fits on the lower deck" isn't the same as "legal on this route." We don't promise any height. We check the piece's real dimensions against your deck heights and the route, and anything that needs a permit is labeled as an oversize load before it reaches you.
Width matters as much. Anything over 102 inches is oversize on the National Network Legal width on the National Network102 inches (8.5 ft)23 CFR 658.15(a): vehicle width on the National Network is limited to 102 inches. Wider loads move under state oversize permits.23 CFR 658.15Checked Oct 2026 and needs permits. Interstate weight tops out at 80,000 lb gross without an overweight permit Interstate weight limits80,000 lb gross; 20,000 lb single axle; 34,000 lb tandem23 CFR 658.17: 80,000 lb maximum gross vehicle weight on the Interstate System (the bridge formula can lower it), 20,000 lb on a single axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem. Heavier loads need state overweight permits.23 CFR 658.17Checked Oct 2026, and a step deck usually weighs a bit more than a flatbed, leaving less room for cargo.
Securement on tall and heavy pieces is regulated the same way as any flatbed load Cargo securement rules49 CFR 393 Subpart I applies to trucks, tractors and trailers hauling cargo49 CFR 393.100: cargo must be loaded, equipped and secured under Subpart I to prevent shifting or falling from the vehicle.49 CFR 393.100Checked Oct 2026, with tiedowns rated for at least half the cargo's weight Tiedown working load limitAggregate WLL at least half the cargo weight49 CFR 393.106(d): the aggregate working load limit of tiedowns securing an article must be at least one-half the article's weight.49 CFR 393.106Checked Oct 2026, and machinery has its own specific rules. Your driver secures the load; the desk makes sure the truck has the chains, binders and edge protection to do it before you commit.
EXAMPLE A wheel loader from Peoria, IL to Nashville, TN, about 450 miles, posted at $1,650 with a crane on both ends. The desk asks for the machine's height and weight, confirms it sits legal on your lower deck, counters to $1,800 because the shipper wants a next-morning pickup, and brings you the final number. $4.00 a mile for a one-day run. Your call, as always.
UNIT 03
Before you buy: the step deck readiness check
Tick what's already in place. The bar shows how close a new step deck is to earning in its first week.
Price the trailer from real quotes
We don't quote trailer prices. New and used step deck prices change with steel costs, options and how many trailers are on dealer lots. Get two or three written quotes, add ramps, extra securement gear and the first year of insurance for the trailer, then run the total through the flatbed dispatch unit P&L as a new line.
Grow toward heavier work, carefully
Many fleets add a step deck as the first move toward heavy haul. That path adds permits, escorts and much bigger insurance questions, so take it one trailer at a time. When a load crosses into permit territory, the desk handles it the way our oversize load dispatch does: permits and escorts priced before you say yes.
Who drives it
Put your most careful flatbed driver on the step deck first. Machinery loads punish shortcuts: a missed chain on an excavator arm or a skid steer that shifts on the ramp is a claim, an out-of-service order or worse. Pay for the extra loading time so the driver isn't tempted to rush it, and let the desk know which loads they've done before.
Conestoga or open step deck
A Conestoga is a step deck with a rolling tarp kit. It wins loads that must stay dry but can't be side-loaded into a van, and it spares your driver hand tarping in the rain. It also loses some usable height under the frame and costs more to buy and repair. If your lanes see lots of tarped freight, it can be worth it. If they see mostly machinery, stay open.
Mixing decks in one fleet
A fleet with flatbeds and one step deck gets more options, not more confusion, if the desk knows each unit's deck, gear and driver. Each truck has its own rules card. Tall loads go to the step deck first, standard loads fill the flatbeds, and when the step deck sits, we'll offer it legal flatbed freight so it still earns.
Our take: the best time to add a step deck is after you've turned down tall loads for a month, not before. Ask the desk to log every tall load we pass on for your flatbeds. That list is better evidence than any rate chart. If it shows two or three tall loads a week in lanes you already run, the trailer has work waiting. If it shows one a month, keep the money in the bank and add another flatbed or a driver instead.
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Step deck dispatcher questions
EXAMPLE On a $3,100 machinery load, dispatch is $124 for a fleet of two or more and $155 for one truck. Pass on the load and it costs nothing.
The fee is the same for step decks, Conestogas and flatbeds in one fleet, so a mixed deck fleet pays one rate per truck. See every tier on the dispatch rates page.
01How much does step deck dispatch cost?
The same as any equipment we dispatch: 5% of gross for one truck, 4% per truck for two or more, 7% while your MC is under 6 months and then down automatically. Charged only on loads you accept and haul.
02Should my flatbed fleet add a step deck?
If you keep turning down loads because they are too tall for your flatbeds, probably. If you rarely see tall freight in your lanes, a second flatbed may earn more. Run the readiness checklist above, then ask the desk to count how many step deck loads moved in your lanes over a few weeks before you buy.
03Do step decks get paid more than flatbeds?
Often a little more per mile, because fewer trucks can carry tall freight legally without permits. It isn't guaranteed, and it varies by lane and season. The extra rate has to cover a trailer that may cost more and carry slightly less weight, so compare margins, not rates.
04Can you dispatch a step deck with ramps?
Yes. Ramps open drive-on loads like tractors, skid steers and small excavators. Tell us the ramp type and rated capacity, and we only bring you rolling equipment your ramps and deck can handle.
05Can a new MC get step deck loads?
Yes, although some machinery shippers and brokers prefer carriers with more history. In the first months we lean on brokers who onboard new authorities and on building materials and steel, which move in volume. Your fee is the new authority rate until month six, then drops on its own.
A step deck should pay for itself. Let's see the numbers.
Send us your deck measurements and lanes. A dispatcher calls back with tall-freight offers you approve one by one.
4% for 2+ trucks, 5% for one, 7% while your MC is new