WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FLATBED AND STEPDECK?

25 Mar, 2025

While flatbed trailers remain in high demand, many logistics professionals are shifting to step deck trailers due to their significant benefits in transporting large equipment. So, what’s the difference between flatbed and step deck trailers? Thaco Trailers delves deeper into these differences and assists you in determining which model meets your freight requirements.

What is a Flatbed Trailer?

A flatbed trailer is a heavy-duty transportation trailer specifically designed for carrying large, wide, and heavy loads, such as construction equipment and machinery. Unlike enclosed trailers, it features a completely open, flat platform with no sides or roof, allowing for easy stacking, loading, and unloading of oversized cargo.

One key advantage of a flatbed trailer is its open design, which enables loading and unloading from any side using cranes, forklifts, or ramps. This makes it ideal for quickly and efficiently transporting bulky freight that cannot fit inside a standard enclosed trailer. A flatbed trailer is a highly reliable choice if you need to move oversized items safely and efficiently.

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What types of freight do flatbeds carry?

Raw Materials: Flatbed trailers are widely used for transporting raw materials such as steel, aluminum, plastics, and lumber. These materials are typically large, heavy and require easy access for loading and unloading. The open design of flatbed trailers allows for efficient handling, making them ideal for industries such as manufacturing, construction, and furniture production. Whether moving bulk quantities of metals or large stacks of lumber, flatbeds provide the necessary space and accessibility for safe and efficient transport.
Construction Equipment: In addition to raw materials, flatbed trailers are essential for transporting heavy construction machinery such as cranes and excavators. The open and flexible design of flatbeds allows for easy loading and unloading using cranes or forklifts, making them particularly effective for construction sites where accessibility and efficiency are critical.
Heating and cooling units: Large HVAC equipment is often shipped on flatbed trailers. These units are very large and, in most cases, will need to be handled by a crane during transport. Flatbeds provide the ideal environment in which to safely load, transport, and unload these heavy vehicles.
Formed concrete: Prefabricated concrete structures such as walls, floors, and beams are often transported on flatbed trailers. The flat platform allows for easy loading and unloading of these large, heavy items, which are commonly used in construction projects.
Vehicles: Flatbed trailers are commonly used to transport various types of vehicles, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and even large vehicles such as buses or RVs. The open platform allows vehicles to be securely strapped down for safe transport, with ramps often used for loading and unloading.

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What is a Step Deck Trailer?

A Step Deck trailer, also known as a drop deck trailer, is designed to transport taller loads that exceed the height limits of a standard flatbed trailer. It features two deck levels—an upper deck and a lower deck—with the lower deck allowing for the transport of tall cargo that would otherwise exceed legal height restrictions on a flatbed trailer.

By placing cargo on the lower deck, the overall height is reduced, enabling the safe transport of large machinery and oversized freight without requiring special permits. The “step” in the trailer’s design refers to the transition between the two deck levels, providing greater flexibility for handling different types of freight. Additionally, the lower deck offers a more accessible loading height, making it easier to load and unload heavy equipment using forklifts or ramps.

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Common freight carried on Step Deck Trailer

Machinery and Equipment

Excavators: Large construction machinery such as excavators are perfectly suited for the lower deck of step deck trailers. The trailer’s design ensures these heavy items are securely transported without exceeding height restrictions, making them ideal for construction projects.
Tractors: Agricultural equipment such as tractors, which can be bulky and heavy, are commonly transported on step deck trailers. These trailers provide the necessary clearance and strength to safely carry such machinery without requiring special permits.
Other Machinery: Industrial equipment such as presses, lathes, turbines, generators, and other heavy machinery often have tall or heavy components that need the specialized design of step deck trailers. These trailers can easily accommodate machinery that requires extra space and strength to ensure safe transport.

Materials

Building Materials: Step deck trailers are perfect for hauling long beams, precast concrete sections, and other construction materials. Their open design provides unrestricted access, making the loading and unloading process more efficient and flexible.
Agricultural Material: Step deck trailers are also used to transport large agricultural materials such as irrigation systems, farming machinery, and equipment with long pipes and pumps. These items often require additional height clearance, making step deck trailers an ideal solution.

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Difference between Flatbed Trailer and Step Deck Trailer

Structure & Design

Flatbed Trailer: Flatbed trailers feature a single, continuous, flat, and level surface without any steps or drops. This straightforward design ensures a consistent height across the entire length of the trailer, making loading and unloading simpler.
Step Deck Trailer: This trailer features a two-level design, with a higher front section (upper deck) and a lower rear section (lower deck). This design allows taller cargo to be placed on the lower deck. Therefore, it ensures the cargo stays within legal height limits and enhances stability during transport.

Height Limits & Load Capacity

Flatbed Trailer: Typically, the load height limit for flatbed trailers is 8 feet (96 inches) due to Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, which may limit the transportation of taller loads. However, flatbeds offer superior safety, particularly when navigating curves, due to their stable, level platform.

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Step Deck Trailer: The step deck trailer provides an additional 1-2 feet of clearance (up to 10 feet or 120 inches) as the cargo sits closer to the ground. This is advantageous for taller loads that might exceed the height restrictions of a flatbed. Moreover, step deck trailers are designed to handle heavier cargo, thanks to reinforced structural components that support heavy loads. As a result, step deck trailers are heavier than flatbed trailers. Additionally, the lower position of the cargo also lowers the center of gravity, enhancing stability, especially for heavy shipments.

Ease of Loading

Flatbed Trailer: Cargo can be loaded from any side, including from the top, which makes it versatile for various loading methods. This flexibility is especially useful when dealing with heavy items, as cranes and forklifts can be easily used for loading and unloading. The open design makes flatbed trailers suitable for a wide range of cargo types, from large crates to construction materials.
Step Deck Trailer: Step deck trailers support side loading, but their primary advantage lies in the lower deck, which offers easier ground access for heavy equipment and large machinery. The reduced deck height simplifies loading bulky items using forklifts or other specialized equipment, enhancing efficiency and safety

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Versatility and Cargo Type

Flatbed Trailer: Flatbed trailers are suitable for most types of general commodities, large boxes, construction materials, and equipment that must not touch the roof of the trailer. Because of the open platform, they are best suited to be used for loads that can be easily secured, such as construction materials, industrial machinery, or parts, among others. Though they can hold a reasonable amount of weight, they are restricted by height, which cannot be more than 8ft tall, that is 96 inches.
Step Deck Trailer: Step deck trailers are commonly used for transporting large and heavy loads. The stepped design also permits abutting higher machinery or equipment to the lower level, thus increasing height allowances. This means that step-deck trailers are more suitable for tall shipments, including construction equipment, large equipment, or other types of cargo that are too tall to be shipped via flatbed.

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Regulations & Permits

Flatbed Trailer: Regarding height, there are restrictions to height that are determined by the local authorities for flatbed trailers. Shipments that are larger than these parameters are restricted to limited heights, which are 2m for standard shipment and 8 feet or 96 inches for large shipments that may require a special permit, which are additional costs and routing fees. This makes flatbed trailers less ideal to be used for loads that have a tall structure if not for the permit.
Step Deck Trailer: It is also important to establish that step deck trailers would rarely need height permits because of the design that offers more height clearance to loads. Because the cargo is closer to the ground, step-deck trailers can also handle large cargo without going over the height as easily as flatbeds can. But for massive cargoes, they may still be required to obtain certain permits if ever the local laws allow it.

Step Deck Trailer vs. Flatbed Trailer: Which should you choose?

Deciding whether to go for a step deck trailer or a flatbed trailer depends on the specifics of your cargo, budget, and transport route requirements.

Cargo Type and Height

Flatbed Trailer: A flatbed trailer sits approximately 5 feet off the ground, which limits the maximum cargo height to 8 feet 6 inches to comply with legal height restrictions. Despite this limitation, it remains highly efficient for transporting heavy loads.
Step Deck Trailer: A step deck trailer is designed for transporting taller loads that cannot fit on a standard flatbed trailer. Unlike flatbeds, which have a deck height of approximately 5 feet, step deck trailers feature a two-level design. The lower deck, positioned about 3 feet 6 inches above the ground, allows for the transport of taller cargo while remaining within legal height limits. If your freight exceeds 8 feet 6 inches in height but is under 10 feet, a step deck trailer is the ideal solution.

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Route Considerations

Flatbed Trailer: Requires more careful route planning in areas with height limitations due to its higher ground clearance.
Step Deck Trailer: Suitable for travelling on routes which are limited in the height, such as over Bridges, Tunnels, or any overpass because the step deck has a lower height than the standard height of other types of trailers.

Cost and Budget

Flatbed Trailer: More affordable than step deck trailers and readily available for a range of cargo types, flatbed trailers are the more budget-friendly options.
Step Deck Trailer: Step deck trailers are generally more expensive due to their specialized design and lower deck. If your freight is frequently tall or heavy, this may be a worthwhile investment.

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Thaco Trailers offers a wide variety of flatbeds to suit your fleet

Thaco Trailers offers a range of flatbed semi-trailers designed to meet diverse and specialized transportation requirements. Each flatbed semi-trailer is fully customizable to align with your specific operational needs, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency. The standard flatbed trailer, a popular choice, features an open deck that enables seamless loading and unloading from any angle. With lengths ranging from 48 to 53 feet, these versatile trailers provide flexibility for transporting a wide variety of cargo across industries.

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Thaco Trailers operates Southeast Asia’s largest manufacturing facility, with a production capacity of 30,000 units annually. Our state-of-the-art facility adheres to world-class quality management standards, including ISO 9001-2015 and ISO 14001-2015, and utilizes advanced technologies, including fiber laser cutting, CNC brake press machines, automated welding robots, and ED coating line to ensure precision and consistency.

We manufacture top-quality flatbed semi-trailers that strictly meet North American standards, including DOT, AAR, ANSI, TOFC, F(C)MVSS, SAE, and TTMA. The semi-trailers are built from the best materials and components, meeting JIS and ASTM standards, by globally recognized suppliers such as Hyundai Steel, Hoa Phat, POSCO, AXN, SAF HOLLAND, TECTRAN, and YORK. This guarantees excellence in durability, performance, and reliability that have established our semi-trailers as one of the most trusted options for demanding transportation within the North American market.

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