Step vs flat for lumber/pipe

Discussion in 'Flatbed Trucking Forum' started by Onewolf81, Jan 15, 2020.

  1. Opendeckin

    Opendeckin Medium Load Member

    386
    988
    May 20, 2018
    0
    Like I said earlier I was not aware van docks were only 4 feet tall because I've never pulled Van's. With the dock plate you could probably make that work. It's not gonna do much good though since they usually want Van's to haul the freight from the van docks.

    Flatbed docks are 5 ft and stepdecks will be SOL getting flatbed loads that require you to dock load as a result.
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Hurst

    Hurst Registered Member

    6,618
    12,265
    Aug 24, 2011
    Tampa, Fl
    0
    For the taller docks,.. blocks of wood can be used to reach the needed height. Just back the trailer over the wood. I was always a better to have and not need kind of guy. So in my opinion,.. no flat bedder who hauled pretty much anything like I did would be worth his salt with out tricks of the trade.

    Also,.. most places that have flat bed specific docks will also have step deck specific docks. I've only encountered a tall only dock once. To which a combination of my ramp kit and the landing plate on the dock allowed easy access. The few times I needed to use wood was on sunken docks which put the trailer at an angle that did not allow my trailer to reach the height I needed. Need to be resourceful in this business.

    Hurst
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2020
    tommymonza and beastr123 Thank this.
  4. Opendeckin

    Opendeckin Medium Load Member

    386
    988
    May 20, 2018
    0
    I'd Imagine you've only encountered facilities with only tall docks once because you run a step deck. If the brokers are doing their jobs you'll never get to those places to load in the first place. I load at places with only tall docks every couple of weeks on average. I've gotten more than one load after a stepdeck showed up to a tall dock and was unable to load it although granted they didn't have your ingenuity and these tall docks didn't have dock plates.
     
  5. jdchet

    jdchet Medium Load Member

    519
    741
    Sep 3, 2012
    NE Ohio
    0
    Example of no step decks loaded docks........
    20170922_153331.jpg
    If a step showed up we said sorry, not gettin' loaded here!
    Wallboard plant in NY.

    JD
     
    Opendeckin Thanks this.
  6. fortycalglock

    fortycalglock Road Train Member

    6,116
    6,501
    Jun 25, 2011
    Tourist Town, FL
    0
    Only had to raise my low pro step a little as the container adds height. If you’re an intelligent driver, you raise the trailer bags and dump the tractor bags, and you can hit nearly every van dock, even with a low pro step, but what do I know? 23E53566-2794-4C67-B36F-42C432BFC830.jpeg
     
    Linte_Loco and cke Thank this.
  7. kylefitzy

    kylefitzy Road Train Member

    3,964
    16,356
    Aug 12, 2007
    Kansas city,Mo
    0
    I’ve never seen a dock that high before. We bump van docks regularly with flats. Dock plates typically have a lot of flexibility in trailer height. We used to set dock plates to load glass on step decks. E83B7AC1-09FE-42FD-981A-115834FD0CCD.jpeg
     
  8. Opendeckin

    Opendeckin Medium Load Member

    386
    988
    May 20, 2018
    0
    I was talking about the kind of dock JDCHET posted as that's all I ever use at flatbed shippers and receivers. I already acknowledged you could hit a van dock.
     
  9. Linte_Loco

    Linte_Loco Road Train Member

    1,618
    6,483
    Apr 24, 2011
    LA (lower Alabama)
    0
    53` step with a slideable spread and you’ll be fine. IMO you shouldn’t have to mess with lumber and pipe, but you can. Don’t sweat the docks, there’s always a way. Airbags/blocks.
     
    kylefitzy Thanks this.
  10. kylefitzy

    kylefitzy Road Train Member

    3,964
    16,356
    Aug 12, 2007
    Kansas city,Mo
    0
    I guess it depends on the type of freight you haul. In 7 years of pulling nothing but an open deck trailer I’ve never even seen a pit dock in person, let alone loaded at one.

    I had a fleet manager who was unloading at a pit dock where you had to unstrap the load outside and back in. He had the load of glass shift and fall on top of him, somehow he survived. Ironically he was pulling a step deck.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.