Conestoga vs. Step-Deck: Which is your preference for long-haul?

I pulled flatbed for SPD until Wylie got involved with their operations. We pulled both regular tarp trailers and conestogas. If you would occasionally have the opportunity to pull OD loads, you should opt for a regular trailer with tarps. I have seen conestogas pulling OD loads, but the conestoga was pulled all the way forward and rachet strapped in place, which I don't know if that's legal or safe (or has the potential to damage the unit).

As far as wind and snow/ice, they do alright. Keeping them adjusted so the tarp stays tight when closed really helps. The biggest issue with snow loading is if you open it with some snow stuck to the top, makes closing it really difficult. Fortunately as slick as the tarp surface is, many times you can go inside with something soft like a kitchen broom and bounce the tarp between the frames and knock some of it loose. I forget what system they bought for their most recent new trailers, but they worked pretty good, but you had to watch when opening from the front on the step decks, making sure that you latched the step part to the lower deck frames because if it came loose when rolling it open from the front, it took a lot of blood sweat and tears to get it back on the upper track again.

 

After thinking about it most of the day, they had Chameleon conestogas on their new trailers. Some of the easiest to open and close, and to adjust so it stayed tight going down the road. The only thing they didn't have is a little tension knob so you could open it then keep it open, but it was nothing to hold it open with a bungee or lay a strap across the track

 

If ur running spot market stuff its easier to keep a flat loaded even over a step. If u got a step probably wanna get one with ramps so u can haul more type of freight.. conestogas something to consider is that obviously you cant do od loads, but also there is plenty of shippers that wont load them... But if all ur doing is machinery the stepdeck conestoga would be pretty easy on the back and frustration trying to tarp odd angle bs all the time.

If ur running as a company hand id run conestoga all day

 

Those were the easiest. They had some older Aero conestogas that used a special bar that kinda looked like a big inverted tire iron (it also had an adapter that fit the tentioner hole you could stick a winch bar into), but the Chameleons were the easiest.

 

I think it's subjective. I can taro quickly enough, and it's not super hard to get it in place. But the tarps i have now while waiting to pick up my conestoga from the shop are torn and are missing d-rings. Plus having a conestoga, I don't have enough bungees with me. Virtually every load that I've had to tarp while using this trailer requires a stop for more bungees. I just can't put them right, so I'd take my conestoga every day. But then again, 100% of my outbound loads are steel, and steel screams for conestoga.

 

Very subjective. Regular flat all day every day for me. By far the most versatile.

It depends on your business and how you run. I could make a conestoga work just fine, and grab some great paying "conestoga only" loads at times, but the more you limit your equipment and running area, the less opportunities you'll find.

I'm not gonna run east at all, or extreme SW. If that one great paying conestoga load, or 9' tall load, or ramp load that need steps, if they're going where I ain't runnin, it don't matter.