Flatbed or Stepdeck

For some reason I never had peace of mind hauling it. I was always scared it would walk on me. I checked that load even more frequently than any other load. I liked the fact that it was light. My rookie year, I got insulation in Tooele, UT. I used the appropriate securement, but they kept beating it in my head about not over tightening. That vicious Utah wind blew that first bundle a little off the trailer. The straps held it though. I had a van driver back up to push the load back on lol. That Utah wind beat up that top front bundle on the way to California

 

The only reason?

What about looking cool?

Come on @Ruthless wheres your head?
Lol

 

If it was not because I need the height on the step, I would probably be pulling a 48 flat.

 

Yes u are right, it will walk . That is why i throw 2 inch "x" straps in the front and back to keep all the bundles tight and together... also that is why u will see guys with a "smoke tarp" over the front to keep them front bundles from breaking off in the wind... it is one of the few loads that are much easier to deal with when it needs fully tarped.

 

Your right about that....as I got farther along, i found it easier to roll the tarp over it, and throw the straps over it.

 

Carlisle Building Products, aka Hunter panel. Loaded my share of them.

Had a customer that wanted V-boards on their crate loads. They fabed up some 8 ft aluminum ones for me. They worked great on those insulation loads.

 

Me personally i can not thing of any reason to pull a 53ft flat unless u are regularly running 60ft loads .... There is not much loads that a 53fter can take that a 48 cant... i really cant think of any. But im sure there is some.

 

A 48 made to the same specs will be 1000lbs or more lighter than a 53.
Why drag that 5 ft of wasted space (or seldom used space) around and restrict the amount of weight you can haul?

 

A few reasons to prefer the 48.
On a 53, you deal with KPRA in a bunch of states.
That puts up to 12 feet behind the rear axle. Doesn’t matter if tandem or spread. That becomes useless space for a lot of loads. Then you have length restrictions. A 48 is usually not a problem or grandfathered under STAA.
last is loading, a 48 is just easy to load.