Operations
Flatbed Freight for Cargo That Will Not Cube a Van
Open deck is a different product from dry van: loading method, tarps, permits, and a broker who will not hide the straps.
Updated 2026-08-20 · flatbed freight
Flatbed freight exists because some cargo is too long, too heavy in one spot, or too awkward to roll into a 53-foot box. Steel, pipe, lumber, machinery, and many construction components belong on an open deck where a crane or forklift can load from the side or above.
COL Freight Solutions arranges flatbed, step deck, and related open-deck equipment as a property broker. We do not weld your load. We do match a carrier who knows DOT securement and, when the lane is Mexico, a driver and trailer combination that can finish the crossing.
When the van is the wrong answer
If the piece will not fit through the doors, if it must be crane-loaded, or if it would destroy a van floor, you are in flatbed freight. Forcing a dry van to win a cheaper-looking bid is how claims and refused pickups happen.
Decks, tarps, and weather
A standard flatbed, a step deck for height, and a Conestoga or tarp system for weather-sensitive machinery are not interchangeable. Tell us whether the mill will tarp or the carrier must. Rain on unprotected coils is not an “accessorial surprise.” It is a specification you skipped.
Permits are a routing fact, not a footnote
Overwidth, overheight, and overweight change the state and Mexican permit stack. We will not quote a legal-only truck for a piece that is not legal. Send length, width, height, and weight with the first email. Expedited freight on a permit load is still limited by the permit office, not by our enthusiasm.
Securement is the carrier’s craft
Chains, straps, dunnage, and edge protection belong in the carrier’s playbook and on the bill of lading notes. A freight broker who has never asked how the mill loads is arranging a YouTube video, not a highway move.
Cross-border open deck
Southbound machinery and northbound steel are everyday North America freight. They still need the customs broker on the entry and a trailer that Mexican or Canadian inspectors will not bounce for lighting or securement. COL’s bilingual desk stays on those files. Phone 561-880-9808.
