Most states are home to at least a few flatbed shipping companies. However, people often assume they are identical to ordinary trucking companies. This misconception has led many to believe that trucking companies can perform the same hauling feats that flatbed shipping companies can.
This is untrue, as oversized shipping services are the only reliable way to transport oversized freight by road. Their flatbed trailers are suited for carrying equipment that exceeds traditional freight dimensions safely. Oversized shipping companies are considered reliable due to the following reasons.
1. Experience with transporting oversized freight
Flatbed shipping companies deal with oversized items all year round. They have plenty of experience loading and unloading over-dimensional freight onto trucks, so they can be trusted to move your cargo safely.
Are Flatbed Shipping Companies Reliable?
The older a flatbed trucking service is, the more reliable it is likely to be. This is because flatbed shipping companies continuously improve their services by learning from their past deliveries and revising their methodology.
By contrast, ordinary trucking companies deal with oversized freight on rare occasions. They often have to rent flatbed trailers for one-time oversized deliveries and are less familiar with standard procedures for transporting oversized equipment.
Oversize freight is usually secured in place using straps or tarps. Truck drivers who work for ordinary trucking companies may not have much experience securing open loads, as they are used to transporting freight in enclosed trailers.
As a result, oversized items that are transported by ordinary trucking companies are often less secure than freight transported by flatbed shipping companies.
2. Better insurance coverage
Flatbed shipping companies also provide better insurance than ordinary trucking companies. Insurance coverage is important because your over-dimensional freight may get damaged during transport.
Most flatbed shipping services offer insurance coverage of at least $100,000. If your cargo’s value exceeds this amount, you can get in touch with the shipping company’s insurance provider and pay for extra coverage.
Unexpected things tend to happen when you are transporting oversized items by road, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Look out for flatbed shipping companies in your area that offer good insurance policies.
3. Extensive planning
Flatbed shipping companies spend days or even weeks charting out their travel route for each delivery. Some oversized freight can’t be transported on certain roads due to its size, so alternate travel routes are usually planned-out instead.
This planning ensures that your cargo makes it to its destination safely and with minimal delays. Flatbed shipping companies also plan their loading and unloading activities beforehand. It’s not uncommon for these companies to book a particular loading crane months in advance to ensure that it is available to load and offload your item on its scheduled delivery date.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to trust flatbed shipping companies with your oversized freight. So look up the flatbed shipping services in your area and watch these pros do what they do best.