Flat or Step?

Depends on what you are planning to haul with it.

 

if step must have over 40 FT. on lower deck

 

Leave the dry vans, maing. Live off of 3 tarps per week and you'll be banking money for your kids. I have a few friends that drive reefer and want to quit because it pays 4k more per year. Don't get heart problems, though.

Don't drive short-sheets, though. Deliver 53'ers. Your lady might like it, too. Hard work.

 

53' step if you want to make money, and are willing to put time in finding higher margin loads. If you want to book cheap and easy freight and try to make money off low margin loads go with a flat.

 

Step is god if you haul a lot of tall loads...flat is more versatile and can haul a bigger variety. step cant be dock loaded, flat can

 

There are more flatbed loads than step deck. Rates for step deck freight is usually higher than for flats, but not always. Some shippers won't load a step deck but will load a flat. Loading a step is a little different than with a flat because of the upper deck. I have pulled both. I have a good friend who is getting very good rates pulling a flat bed. He does a lot of over size loads. The main difference between a step and flat is the height. You can haul a 10' high load with a step, but not with a flat. I would recommend starting with a flat and learn how to properly secure an open deck trailer. If you see that you could haul more freight with a step deck then you can buy one later. I carry a lot more on my step deck than I did with a flat. I carry more tarps, chains and binders than I ever had to carry with my flat bed. I usually do better with rates pulling a step, but there are good paying flat bed loads around.

Another consideration is the equipment cost. You can find a used flat bed for as low as about $5,500-6,500. You can easily spend twice that for a used step deck.