Best truck to use for flatbed

You are out of your mind... I picked up 5k lbs when I changed from van to a stepdeck. I also went from 5.7mpg to 6.4 on similar loaded weights. Even higher if the load is beneath my roofline.

 

Tarping will improve the aero even more.

 

You would be surprised how many people do not realize that tarping will pay itself in fuel savings on some loads. But I still don't take loads that need more than a smoke tarp anymore. lol

 

Overall? There really isn't any one single truck that's "best" for flatdeck. Hauling sticks and bricks up to 80k gross, you can do that with anything lock onto the kingpin of a tandem highboy. Dump 'em on the deck, throw some straps and roll.

A smartly spec'd truck for an OTR flatbed driver would be one that provides a good balance between space inside and weight savings, pulling power for running all over North America without sacrificing fuel economy.

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For the sake of driver retention, a 60" midroof sleeper is pretty much the minimum for most these days, and properly equipped with a fridge, inverter and APU (or a forgiving idle policy). A driver that's stuck in a cramped 48" flat top for a week or more isn't going to enjoy working for you.

When it comes to balance between power and efficiency, I've started to realize that a 15 litre big block isn't going to be necessary for a gross weight of 80,000 lbs or less, and the extra 800-1000 lbs it adds to the weight of the truck can offset payload space (especially with how many shippers these days are asking for 46-48k lbs of space).

New 13L technology has got to the point where 450-500 hp and 1650-1850 lb.ft. paired with a 3.55/3.70 rear end and 13-speed is more than enough to run all of North America at 65-70 mph safely, reliably and not dog it on any but the steepest of hills. And coming into Canada, a wheelbase of 244-260" won't limit your ability to run a 53' trailer in some provinces.

In my experience aerodynamics doesn't make much of a difference on fuel economy with most flat deck loads that aren't perfectly square (anything flat-fronted and oversize is going to suck fuel no matter what you do). So opting for all that additional aero-fairing equipment isn't going to make the extra money spent (including replacing parts when they get hung up on a deep rut in a muddy lot) really all that worth it.

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Good examples of quality flatdeck trucks:

Peterbilt 567 - 510/1850 MX-13


Kenworth T680/T880 - MX13


Mack Pinnacle - Mack MP8C (MaxiCruise - 505/1860)



Out of all the sleeper layouts I've encountered, either in real life or seeing in pictures, the new Mack 70 inch and the current Kenworth 72 inch midroof have the most space combined with the best ergonomics and storage.

 

My international had the side farings, and they are nothing but a pita for flatbed use, I see many that get tore up in places we have to go. I bought everything and got rid of mine, and changed to larger tanks at the same time.

 

Yeah, I agree. You tend to go off the beaten path more frequently with open-deck. You will be delivering a metal building to some remote location for someone in the hills or farmer in BFE. The extra clearance for low bridges helps avoid some detours. Yeah, there is an atlas for low bridges but to get to those places you won't be on any "truck routes" and they won't be listed. Not a big deal, but I would prefer a mid-roof at least.

Probably something with a 140" 144-146 wheel base at least? Just so you can have some, a few inches, of overhang off the front of the trailer. The sleeper size will affect that for sure.

I ran with a 236 WB and If I had a tall load that was flush with the front of the trailer I had to be careful When pulling out of driveways where there was a pronounced gutter/ditch as the top corner of the load could hit the fairings even though it wasn't overhanging the front. The fairings got even longer with the evolution series of FL. And your "headache rack" especially an enclosed rack sits about flush with the fairings.

I've looked for trucks a bit and it's hard to find a KW 980 with a long wheel base. Seems they are "reefer/tanker" trucks... I'm sure you could order one if you wanted new, but...

Most flatbed trailers have a greater kingpin depth so you run the 5'th wheel forward a few inches more than you would with a reefer/van.

You can get by without, but it "would be nice" to lave a lower height and a longer wheel base.

 

That's odd. When I bought my step, I set the kingpin all the way back and added decking to walk on. I haven't moved it in 5 months.
Most flats/steps(12-24") I've seen are shallower than the typical 36-42" van/reefer setups I've seen.

 

Or take the load of structural steel to the new mall or commercial building down a residential street and clear most of the trees and not scratch up your roof.

 

I delivered a load of powdered steel to an outfit that had a barn rented off of a farmer in Kentucky. They had me drive almost a 1/4 mile across rows in a field that had been harvested. After I was unloaded I ask if there was any reason I couldn't just drive on the road out of there, and was told they didn't think I could do that. I told them I generally did it every day all day. lol

 

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