Step deck dispatch for freight that's too tall for a flatbed
A step deck sees fewer postings than a flatbed, but many of them pay better, because fewer trucks can haul them. Tall machinery, equipment that drives on, and loads that would be over height on a standard flatbed. The catch is that every one has to fit: the freight height on the lower deck, the length of each deck, ramps if it drives on, and tarps if it needs cover.
Our step deck dispatch checks all of that before we counter. Conestoga dispatch works the same way, with the rolling tarp system counted as the reason a shipper picks you. Each load comes to you for a yes or no, and the broker sends you the rate confirmation.
- 5% of gross, 1 truck
- 7% new MC
- 4% fleets
- No setup fee
The step deck posting checklist
This is the card we run every step deck and Conestoga posting through before we pick up the phone. When every line checks out, the load is ready to counter. When one doesn't, it either gets fixed with the broker or it never reaches you.
1. FREIGHT HEIGHT
Height of the tallest piece, against your lower deck height. Legal total height is set by each state, commonly 13 ft 6 in, so the freight has to fit under it with your deck height added.
2. DECK LENGTHS
Length of each piece against your lower and upper deck. Tall pieces have to sit on the lower deck, which is shorter than the trailer.
3. WEIGHT AND AXLES
Total weight and how it sits, so axle weights stay legal. A heavy piece in the wrong spot can overload an axle group even under 80,000 lb gross.
4. RAMPS
If the freight drives or rolls on, do you need ramps, and do yours fit the machine's width and weight?
5. TARPS OR ROLLING TARP
Tarp size and type for a step deck, or whether a Conestoga's rolling tarp is the reason for the load. Tall freight needs drop tarps that reach.
6. PERMITS
Over legal height, width or weight means permits and possibly escorts. If so, it's an oversize load and gets priced like one.
READY TO BOOK
Every line checked. Now we look at the broker, counter above your floor and bring you the load to approve.
What each trailer is for, and why it changes the rate
A step deck, sometimes called a drop deck, has a short upper deck over the tractor's fifth wheel and a longer lower deck behind it. The lower deck sits closer to the ground than a flatbed's, so taller freight can stay under legal height. That's its whole value: loads that would need an oversize permit on a flatbed can often run legal on a step deck.
A Conestoga is a flatbed or step deck with a rolling tarp system built on, a frame that slides open like a curtain. It lets freight load from the side or top with a forklift or crane and then covers it fully without anyone climbing up to tarp. Shippers with valuable or weather-sensitive freight pick Conestogas for exactly that.
Both earn a premium over standard flatbed freight in many markets, because fewer trucks can haul the loads. But that's not guaranteed, and posted rates swing with construction and equipment seasons. Public rate figures appear on this site only with a named source and a date.
How a step deck rate should be built
A step deck rate should cover more than linehaul. Tall freight takes more securement, drive-on equipment takes ramp time and care, and tarping tall loads is heavier work than tarping a flat load of lumber. Here's how we look at it.
- All-in rate per mile with empty miles to the pickup counted, compared against your floor.
- Tarp pay for tarped loads, and a premium for the Conestoga's built-in cover where the shipper requires it.
- Stop pay and detention in writing, especially at job sites and equipment dealers with loose schedules.
- Reload. Step deck freight is thinner than flatbed freight, so where a load leaves you matters more. We look for the next load before we accept this one.
Check any step deck or flatbed load with the flatbed rate calculator, which builds the all-in rate from linehaul, tarp pay, stops and empty miles. If a load doesn't need the lower deck height, it may run as a regular flatbed load; our flatbed dispatch page covers how we handle those.
What our step deck dispatchers handle
- Searching boards and our broker, dealer and shipper contacts for step deck and Conestoga freight on your lanes.
- Running every posting through the checklist above before we counter.
- Getting dimensions, weights, loading method and tarp requirements in writing.
- Negotiating tarp pay, stop pay and detention into the rate con.
- Checking every broker on FMCSA's public records and their payment terms.
- Reload planning, check calls, detention claims and a weekly report of loads, gross, fee and empty miles.
When a piece goes over legal dimensions, it becomes an oversize load. We handle those too, with permits and escorts priced in before we quote. See oversize load dispatch for how that works.
Securing tall and drive-on freight
Step deck loads are often machines and tall pieces, and those are the loads where securement matters most. Federal cargo securement rules in 49 CFR Part 393, Subpart I, set the number and strength of tiedowns, and heavy vehicles and machinery have specific rules of their own, like securing attachments and blocking tracked equipment.
Before we book anything heavy or unusual, we confirm your gear matches it: enough chains and binders with the right working load limits, straps and edge protection for crated freight, wood for blocking, and ramps rated for the machine. If you carry drop tarps for tall loads, tell us their size so we don't book a load that needs more coverage than you have.
A Conestoga takes much of the tarping off the job, but the freight inside still needs proper securement. The rolling tarp keeps weather out; it doesn't hold the load.
Drive-on equipment brings its own risks at loading time: a ramp that slips, a machine that's wider than the deck, an operator who isn't yours. Ask who drives it on and off at each end, and make sure the shipper and receiver have someone qualified there. If the answer is you, that's extra work and the rate should say so. We ask on every drive-on load before it reaches you.
Every step deck load comes to you first
Every load reaches you with dimensions, weight, loading method, tarp needs and terms, after it's passed the checklist. You say yes or no. After your yes, the rate confirmation comes from the broker to you. Say no and you owe nothing.
With tall freight, seeing the details first is how you avoid the load that's two inches over height at the scale. Try the flow on the card.
Measure your own deck height loaded, not just from the spec sheet. Suspension, tires and load all change it a little, and a little is what matters when the freight is close to the limit.
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What step deck dispatch costs
5% of the gross on loads you haul for one truck with authority 6 months or older. 7% while your MC is under 6 months. 4% for two or more trucks while the fleet rate lasts.
No setup fee, no minimum, month-to-month and 30 days notice to cancel. A week you don't haul costs nothing. The fee breakdown has the full math.
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Step deck dispatcher questions
What should I check on a step deck posting?
Can a new MC get step deck loads?
What does a step deck dispatcher need from me?
What freight needs a step deck?
Do you handle oversize permits?
Have a step deck posting? Run the lane math first.
Put in a step deck posting: lane, loaded miles, empty miles and the offer. The card works out the all-in rate and tells you to take it, counter or pass. If you'd rather have the desk run the checklist on every posting, the application takes about two minutes.
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