anyone still using 40 or 45 ft flats?

A small carrier I hauled for had 40', 42' and 45' flats still in use. We hauled specialized precast and could still use the small trailers occasionally.

 

I pull an old 45X96 Ravens! After all those years pullin 53 foot four axles with four axle tractors, this is like driving a sports car! All stretched out I'm only 64 feet 10 inches. There aren't many roads I can't run.......legally, lol.
To answer what I assume will be your follow up question, no I don't have much trouble finding loads. Like you said earlier, most loads on a 48 have room left over. I don't. I usually fill my trailer from end to end, then again I'm not afraid of hanging off each end as well. It's perfectly legal to do obviously, but there are a few shippers who refuse to load me......rare though.

It is also handy in tight spots or truck stops. I can park deep enough into the hole without fearing my hood gets tore off by some knucklehead. Combine that with a short wheelbase (237 I think) and a trailer dump valve and a set back front axle, it will just about turn on a dime, and really is like driving a sports car in the big truck world!

 

I had a 42ft flat built in '10. The salesman told me it would not hold resale value as well as a 48'. I told him I was not building it for someone else.

 

Told Jeff the same thing when building my 45'.

 

yeah and use the term "flat" rather loosely. 5.5" of arch in 42' is very noticable