Looking to purchase a Step deck trailer.

you can always get some of these if you have stake pockets

 

The Fontaine I have is arched. Not as noticable because the arch is carried from upper deck down to the lower.

I'm with you on the 48' trailers. Easier to manuver and lighter.

If I go back to a regular flat I would get a 48' foot and never look back.

This is my first step deck. 43' lower and 10' upper. The bottom deck is 3'2 off the ground. This allows me to haul some of the taller loads with out resorting to lower decks with the 17.5 wheels. I have 22.5 wheels on mine.

The advantages of a 53' step far out weigh anything a 48' has to offer. This is purely my opinion of course. I'm hauling partials roughly 75 - 80% of the time. I can do a 40' or two 20' containers easily and still have room on upper deck for a well paying partial. I mainly haul machinary or equipment. I dont like tarping. Rather just chain and go.

The 10' upper deck allows me to store my dunnage and tarps while still leaving 8' of deck space for partials.

As for the ramps. They are by Universal and rated 23.5k each. So theoretically I can load something with 47k per axle weight. More then I could ever carry.

Here is a shot with the ramps in action, if your interested.



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Ramps also work on upper deck.


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Here is one of my favorite shots for showing how to manage partials.

I picked the coil up first,.. knowing the pipe was 20', I had the coil loaded where I could still get my next load. Should have seen the guys scratching their heads when I showed up to get the pipe with a coil on my deck. Small coil,.. was only 23k.


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And since you like to do containers,.. here are two 20 footers.


Hurst

 

Not used, but they were asking 38,900 USD for these:

http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=4341057

Exactly what you need.

 

Thats pretty cool. I might try a couple of those for the back of my trailer where the rear axle slides.

Hurst

 

Thats not far from my neck of the woods.

I'm looking for new but not sure if I'll be going with Fontaine. Much will depend how heavy my next truck is. Working on a deal with my carrier to buy his 2012 Coronado glider. If so I'll be specing out a lighter step deck with shorter lower deck. 40 - 41' with 10' upper is still workable for my needs.

Hurst

 

2 different loads (2 different customers). Never let them know their freight will be sharing space on your deck. Even when confirmation sheet requests exclusive use.. if its only 10 pallets weighing 30k.. I know I still have 16k plus at least 15-20' of lower deck that will still be open.

Coil paid $1.94 mi and pipe plus culverts paid something like $2.25 - $2.35 mi .. I dont remember exactly. Was summer 2013. Coil weighed 23k.. pipe and culverts was maybe 15k.

Both picked up in Salt Lake. Pipe went to a place in Iowa just before Ill line. Coil went to a place in Chicago. So $4 mi to the truck for most of the route.

Thats the beauty of the 53' step in my opinion. Its a little more work and time finding loads that will work together going the same direction. Doesnt always work in my favor. But when it does the pay off is always worth the effort.

Lots of different scenarios and usages for a step deck.

Hurst

 

Mine does great on hills (CAT C15) but I pay for it at the pump.

Truck I am currently trying to negotiate a deal on is Coronado glider with 12.7 Detroit, 13 spd, 3.25 rear, apu, premium interior, all the bells and whistles. Has just over 500k on it currently. He has a driver in it now. He wants to go O/O and buy his own truck. So hopefully I can get it for a decent price. Its currently averaging 7.2 mpg pulling an identical 53' Fontaine step like mine.

The fuel savings alone will make it worth it to me. Mine is averaging 5.5 mpg getting anywhere between low 5's to 6.2 doing light loads and tender footing it. Not bad.. but not that great either.

Hurst